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Chris Merkord

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  1. Provides the first comprehensive assessment of the status, population dynamics, and demography of sea ducks across North America Characterizes phylogeography, phylogenetics, and population genetics Examines the diseases, parasites, biological toxins, and contaminants affecting sea ducks Provides an up-to-date assessment of migration and molt strategies Documents reproductive energetics, strategies, and behavior The past decade has seen a huge increase in the interest and attention directed toward sea ducks, the Mergini tribe. This has been inspired, in large part, by the conservation concerns associated with numerical declines in several sea duck species and populations, as well as a growing appreciation for their interesting ecological attributes. Reflecting the considerable research recently conducted on this tribe, Ecology and Conservation of North American Sea Ducks examines the 15 extant species of sea ducks from North America. Chapters are organized conceptually to focus on, compare, and contrast the ecological attributes of the tribe. Experts provide in-depth treatments of a range of topics, including: Population dynamics and genetics Infectious diseases and parasites Breeding costs and cross-seasonal affects Contaminant burdens Foraging behavior and energetics Migration strategies, molt ecology, and habitat affinities and dynamics Breeding systems and reproductive behavior Harvest history The book presents a comprehensive synthesis of sea duck ecology, documents factors that have caused population declines of some species, and provides managers with measures to enhance recovery of depressed populations of sea ducks in North America. Capturing the current state of knowledge of this unique tribe, it provides a benchmark for where we are in conservation efforts and suggests future directions for researchers, managers, students, conservationists, and avian enthusiasts.
  2. Admired for its elaborate breeding displays and treasured as a game bird, the Greater Sage-Grouse is a charismatic symbol of the broad open spaces in western North America. Unfortunately these birds have declined across much of their range—which stretches across 11 western states and reaches into Canada—mostly due to loss of critical sagebrush habitat. Today the Greater Sage-Grouse is at the center of a complex conservation challenge. This multifaceted volume, an important foundation for developing conservation strategies and actions, provides a comprehensive synthesis of scientific information on the biology and ecology of the Greater Sage-Grouse. Bringing together the experience of thirty-eight researchers, it describes the bird’s population trends, its sagebrush habitat, and potential limitations to conservation, including the effects of rangeland fire, climate change, invasive plants, disease, and land uses such as energy development, grazing, and agriculture.
  3. Grouse—an ecologically important group of birds that include capercaillie, prairie chickens, and ptarmigan—are distributed throughout the forests, grasslands, and tundra of Europe, Asia, and North America. Today, many grouse populations are in decline, and the conservation and management of these charismatic birds is becoming a global concern. This volume summarizes current knowledge of grouse biology in 25 chapters contributed by 80 researchers from field studies around the world. Organized in four sections—Spatial Ecology, Habitat Relationships, Population Biology, and Conservation and Management—the chapters offer important insights into spatial requirements, movements, and demography of grouse. Much of the research employs emerging tools in ecology that span biogeochemistry, molecular genetics, endocrinology, radio-telemetry, and remote sensing. The chapters explore topics including the impacts of climate change, energy development, and harvest, and give new evidence for life-history changes in response to human activities.
  4. A comprehensive monograph exploring the evolutionary relationship of the avian erythrocyte with the erythrocytes of the antecedent lower vertebrates and the subsequent mammalians Presents comprehensive tabular erythrocytic taxonomically organized data Designed for veterinarians and pathologists The erythrocyte presents morphologic, cytochemical, and quantitative adaptations as it progresses through its evolutionary continuum. This text is a comprehensive exploration of the evolutionary relationship of the avian erythrocyte with the erythrocytes of the antecedent lower vertebrates—such as amphibians and reptiles—as well as mammalians. It also presents tabular erythrocytic taxonomically organized data which provide an essential reference source.
  5. Contains the most recent information from leading research laboratories in the areas of developmental and molecular genetics of the chicken Discusses potential applications of emerging technology in basic science and poultry production Presents various techniques for altering genomic DNA, such as microinjection, retroviral vectors, and lipofection Presents genome evaluation using DNA fingerprinting and conventional breeding techniques Many genes have been cloned from chicken cells, and during the next decade numerous laboratories will be concentrating their resources in developing ways of using these tools. Manipulation of the Avian Genome contains the most recent information from leading research laboratories in the areas of developmental and molecular genetics of the chicken. This information was presented at the Keystone Symposium held at Lake Tahoe in March, 1991. The book discusses potential applications of emerging technology in basic science and poultry production. Various techniques for altering genomic DNA, such as microinjection, retroviral vectors, and lipofection are covered. Genome evaluation using DNA fingerprinting and conventional breeding techniques are presented.
  6. Cell surface markers T-cell immunity Natural immune functions Cellular immune systems in avian species other than chickens Autoimmune disorders CONTRIBUTORS: Dr. Chen-lo Chen. Dr. Timo Veromaa. Dr. K.A. Schat. Dr. Rodney R. Dietert. Dr. David S. Chi. Dr. C.H. Tempelis. Dr. Haruo Matsuda. Dr. Jagdev M. Sharma. Dr. Hyun S. Lillehoj. Mr. Mark H. Kaplan. J. Pickel. J.M. Lahti. M.D. Cooper. P. Toivanen. K.A. Golemboski. S.E. Bloom. M.A. Qureshi. Pascale Quéré. G. Jeanette Thorbecke. S.J. Prowse. J.J. York. R.S. Sundick. N. Rose. Knowledge regarding avian cellular immunity has expanded rapidly within the last few years and new information continues to accumulate. It is now a well-established fact that cell-mediated immunity plays a major role in the defense against neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases in chickens. The principle objective of Avian Cellular Immunology is to compile the latest information available on various aspects of avian cellular immunity. The book contains chapters written by leading experts in the field and covers topics including cell surface markers, T-cell immunity, natural immune functions, the role of macrophages in cellular immune functions, cellular immune suppression and tolerance, cellular immune systems in avian species other than chickens, the role of cellular immunity in neoplastic and non-neoplastic viral diseases, cell-mediated immune mechanisms in bacterial and parasitic infections, and autoimmune disorders.
  7. Covers numbers and dynamics, colony sites and locations, and prey contaminant levels, and compares them to other comparable coastal estuaries Uses colonial waterbirds as the focal point for an ecosystems approach to metals that goes from prey fish through invertebrates to humans Provides information based on long-term integrative studies the authors have done on metal levels and bird species and compares the findings with data from the Harbor Estuaries Program and the Wadden Sea Includes a four-page full-color insert Based on longitudinal studies—some into their fifth decade—of colonial waterbirds, this book provides a clear picture of the corrosive effects of heavy metals in the aquatic environment today. Colonial-nesting birds can serve as excellent bioindicators and sentinels for both human and ecological health. This book takes a food-web, ecosystem approach to contaminants, using populations dynamics, habitat selection, and inputs to the bay to examine metal levels. It includes the human dimension, discusses what metals in birds tell us about human exposure, and describes stakeholder involvement in these issues.
  8. Most up-to-date reference on all aspects of seabird biology, behavior, and conservation Extensive reference tables give you easy access to all types of data The appendix lists the life-history characteristics, ranges and habitat of each species References in each chapter provide an excellent guide to literature on the subject Discussion of conservation concerns and pollutants and their effects on seabirds Suitable as a junior to graduate level course book at institutions with a marine science program Biology of Marine Birds provides the only complete summary of information about marine birds ever published. It both summarizes and analyzes their breeding biology, ecology, taxonomy, evolution, fossil history, physiology, energetics, and conservation. The book covers four orders of marine birds: penguins (Sphenisciformes); albatross, shearwaters, petrels (Procellariiformes); pelicans, boobies, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, cormorants (Pelecaniformes); and gulls, terns, guillemots, auks (Charadriiformes - Families Laridae and Alcidae). Two summary chapters address the biology of shorebirds and wading birds and their lives in the marine environment. This comprehensive book contains numerous summary tables that give you exhaustive information on various aspects of their life histories, breeding biology, physiology and energetics, and demography. It also discusses research techniques and future research needed, providing a guide to ornithologists and students for research projects. Written by acknowledged experts in this field, Biology of Marine Birds is the ideal resource. The authors not only present known information, but provide new analyses and insights into marine bird biology. You will find no other book that covers all the major seabird groups and all the major topics with this depth of detail. Whether you are studying, researching, or managing marine environments, you will find yourself reaching for this resource repeatedly.
  9. Kenya, a country only the size of Texas, has one of the richest avifaunas in Africa. This atlas is an explanatory overview of Kenya's 1065 species, essential both to the birdwatcher as a means of finding birds and interpreting the significance of field observations, and to the ornithologist as a standard reference work.
  10. When studying the effects of parasites on natural populations, the avian haematozoa fulfills many of the specifications of an ideal model. Featuring a multitude of tables and illustrations, Avian Malaria Parasites and Other Haemosporidia summarizes more than a century of research on bird haemosporidians. For a long time, bird blood parasites served as important models in studying human diseases. Although now largely replaced, the wealth of data and research remain. With chapters addressing life cycles and morphology, pathogenicity, ultrastructure, geographical distribution, and illustrated keys to all known species of the parasites, this book is a masterful assessment of the biology of bird haemosporidian parasites.
  11. Contains data for over 8700 species, including 2400 new species and improved samples for many of the species that were in the first edition Provides better coverage of portions of the world previously difficult to represent due to a lack of data Presents separate means for males and females for sexually dimorphic species Includes data, where possible, for geographically variable species See what’s new in the Second Edition: Number of species included is increased from 6300 to over 8700, about 85% of the world’s birds Better data for many of the species included in the first edition — an exhaustive compilation of new data published from 1992 through 2007 More comprehensive coverage of Latin America, Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and more coverage of research published in non-English language journals In 1992 the CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses broke new ground by providing a compilation of body masses for 6300 species, about two-thirds of the world’s species. The handbook instantly became the gold standard, cited in hundreds of scientific studies and a prominent fixture on the shelves of many ornithologists. Keeping the format that made the first edition so popular, the second edition features dramatic changes both in species coverage and the data quality. The new edition compiles the results of new samples that have been published for many of the birds included in the first edition, and data found for about 2400 new species, increasing the coverage to over 8700 species, about 85% of the world’s birds. The order of species and families has been revised in the text to fit with the latest publications in avian taxonomy and systematics. The second edition includes an accompanying CD-ROM with a searchable electronic database.
  12. The translation and explanation of genus and species names yield markers to help us identify birds in the field as well as remember distinctive traits. Having a basic understanding of the scientific and common names of birds reveals insights into their color, behavior, habitat, or geography. Knowing that Cyanocitta means “blue chatterer” and cristata means “crested, tufted” or that Anas means “a duck” and clypeata means “armed with a shield” tells you just about everything you need to identify a Blue Jay or a Northern Shoveler. In this portable reference book, James Sandrock and Jean Prior explain the science and history behind the names of some 450 birds of the Upper Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Since many of these birds occur throughout the United States, this handbook can also be used by birders in other parts of the country. The authors examine the roots, stems, and construction of scientific names from their classical Latin and Greek or other linguistic origins. The translations of these words and insights into their sources yield quirky, tantalizing facts about the people, geography, habitat, and mythology behind bird names. Each entry also includes the bird’s common name as well as local or regional names. Beginning birders confused by scientific names as well as more experienced birders curious about such names will find that the book opens unexpected connections into linguistic, historical, biological, artistic, biographical, and even aesthetic realms. Highlighting the obvious and not-so-obvious links between birds and language, this practical guide continues a long scholarly tradition of such books by and for those afoot in the field. Whether you are hiking with binoculars or watching a backyard bird feeder or reading at home, The Scientific Nomenclature of Birds in the Upper Midwest will greatly enhance your appreciation of birds.
  13. Ce guide a pour objectif de permettre aux observateurs d’identifier tous les oiseaux vus dans cette aire géographique. Il couvre l’ensemble des espèces nicheuses et celles visitant régulièrement la région ainsi que les migrateurs occasionnels, les visiteurs exceptionnels et les espèces introduites ayant établi des populations férales. La partie introductive inclut des cartes pour chaque île, présente une liste de 209 espèces endémiques et donne des indications sur les meilleurs endroits pour l’observation. Ce guide d’identification propose une description précise de chaque espèce portant sur les caractéristiques, le comportement, les milieux favoris, la distribution géographique, le statut actuel et la vocalisation de l’espèce. 502 espèces décrites dont 209 endémiques Des cartes pour chaque île Des indications sur les meilleurs endroits pour l'observation 105 planches illustrées par l'un des plus grands spécialistes
  14. This DVD has been specially filmed as an identification aid for British waders. It shows birds as the birdwatcher sees them - flying, feeding, calling - in all plumages and at all times of the year. Still frames, split screens and slow motion sequences are used to highlight key features. As a special bonus a final section of four short films shows waders (and some other wildlife) through the seasons.
  15. A new landmark in nature guides: the most authoritative, beautiful, and useful national pocket guide to birds. Pocket-size, brilliantly colorful, and easy to use, THE STOKES ESSENTIAL POCKET GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA contains everything you need to identify and enjoy birds in your backyard and beyond. Whether you're age 9 or 90, whether you're a novice or advanced birder, this book will help you identify birds quickly and accurately. It offers more than 580 stunning color photographs, coverage of more than 250 species, key identification clues, descriptions of songs and calls, notes on feeding and nesting behavior, advice on selecting bird feeders and binoculars, important behavioral information and key habitat preferences, and up-to-date range maps. The culmination of many years of research, observation, and study, this book is factually, visually, and organizationally superior to any other beginner's guide on the market.
  16. Les quatre auteurs ornitologues nous présentent un panorama riche et actuel de ce que l'on sait sur ces oiseaux exceptionnels... Les chouettes et les hiboux fascinent par leur allure, leurs moeurs et les secrets de leur vie nocturne. Ce livre vous permettra de les découvrir, d'apprendre à les identifier et de mieux les connaître. L'ouvrage présente les différentes espèces que l'on trouve en Europe centrale, leur répartition en Suisse et les grandes lignes de leur biologie. Des travaux scientifiques de pointe réalisés récemment sur les rapaces nocturnes sont également abordés et présentés de manière accessible afin de pleinement en mesurer la portée.
  17. The Barnacle Goose, a distinctive, handsome black-and-white bird, gets its name from a mediaeval myth that the birds hatched from barnacles – how else to explain their sudden appearance each autumn in northern Britain? We now know, of course, that the birds migrate from Arctic Russia, Norway and Svalbard to winter throughout northern Europe. This book represents a culmination of more than 25 years of Barnacle Goose research. It represents the story of one of Europe's most celebrated long-term behavioral studies, detailing the lives of these social and sociable birds. Chapters include sections on pair formation and bonding, family and population dynamics, brood parasitism, food and feeding, size and shape in different populations, life cycle, survivorship, dispersal, migration, and conservation, with particular regard to climate change. It is a rigorous and thorough examination of the lives of these birds, in fine Poyser tradition.
  18. Ce guide de référence permet d'identifier les espèces européennes les plus difficiles, en fournissant des indications sur leur identification dans la nature, où la perception instinctive de la silhouette, du vol, du comportement et des cris sont tout aussi importants et qui, tous réunis, constituent le "jizz", à savoir l'allure et l'impression générale de l'oiseau. Les illustrations permettent de comparer par paires ou par groupes les caractéristiques des espèces présentant des difficultés d'identification. Ce guide propose également des données extrêment précises, récentes et inédites sur le statut des espèces en France, que ce soit les nicheurs peu nombreux, les migrateurs occasionnels ou les espèces égarées. Des critères de reconnaissance actualisés des espèces d'Europe les plus difficiles à identifier. Les dénominations utilisées suivent les recommandations de la Commission de l'avifaune française. Un guide pour les ornithologues amateurs ou chevronnés.
  19. Each morning at first light, Michele Raffin steps outside into the bewitching bird music that heralds another day at Pandemonium Aviaries. A full symphony that swells from the most vocal of more than 350 avian throats representing more than 40 species. “It knocks me out, every day,” she says. Pandemonium, the home and bird sanctuary that Raffin shares with some of the world’s most remarkable birds, is a conservation organization dedicated to saving and breeding birds at the edge of extinction, with the goal of eventually releasing them into the wild. In The Birds of Pandemonium, she lets us into her world—and theirs. Birds fall in love, mourn, rejoice, and sacrifice; they have a sense of humor, invent, plot, and cope. They can teach us volumes about the interrelationships of humans and animals. Their amazing stories make up the heart of this book. There’s Sweetie, a tiny quail with an outsize personality; the inspiring Oscar, a disabled Lady Gouldian finch who can’t fly but finds a brilliant way to climb to the highest perches of his aviary to roost. The ecstatic reunion of a disabled Victoria crowned pigeon, Wing, and her brother, Coffee, is as wondrous as the silent kinship that develops between Amadeus, a one-legged turaco, and an autistic young visitor. As we come to know the individual birds, we also come to understand how much is at stake for many of these species. One of the aviary’s greatest success stories is breeding the gorgeous green-naped pheasant pigeon, whose home in the New Guinea rainforest is being decimated. Thanks to efforts at Pandemonium, these birds may not share the same fate as the now-extinct dodo. The Birds of Pandemonium is about one woman’s crusade to save precious lives, and it offers rare insights into how following a passion can transform not only oneself but also the world.
  20. La documentation photographique la plus complète consacrée aux rapaces nocturnes. Réunissant de superbes clichés réalisés par les meilleurs photographes naturalistes, cet ouvrage couvre la totalité des 249 espèces actuelles de rapaces nocturnes. Le texte porte sur l’identification, la voix, le régime alimentaire et les modes de chasse, le statut et la répartition, les variations géographiques ainsi que sur les ressemblances entre espèces. Il est complété par des cartes de répartition à jour et plus de 750 photos couleur, dont beaucoup sont uniques. L’iconographie couvre la plupart des plumages et des sous-espèces, faisant de ce guide le plus abouti pour l’identification des chouettes et hiboux. Plus de 750 photographies couleurs. Une description détaillée de la morphologie, de l'habitat, de la voix, du régime alimentaire, du statut et de la répartition, des variations géographiques des chouettes et hiboux du monde. Des cartes de répartition précises pour chaque espèce.
  21. A murder of crows', 'a charm of goldfinches', 'an ostentation of peacocks': collective nouns for British birds have existed since at least the mid fifteenth century. They are thought to originate in texts about hunting, but have since evolved into evocative, witty and literary expressions, each striving to capture the very essence of the animal they describe. Some are portentous - 'a conspiracy of ravens' perfectly evokes this sinister bird - others convey sound, such as 'a murmuration of starlings' or 'a chattering of choughs'. Yet more reflect with a flourish the beauty of the bird itself: what could be more celebratory than 'a crown of kingfishers', or 'an exaltation of larks'? The best of these imaginative expressions are collected here, illustrated with charming woodcuts by Thomas Bewick, the renowned naturalist engraver of the eighteenth century. Featuring songbirds, aquatic birds, birds of prey and garden favourites, this beautifully presented book will delight both bird-lovers and word-lovers in equal measure.
  22. A new field guide that changes the face of bird watching in South Africa. The field guide features: interesting text that does not merely describe what can be seen in the photographs, but also offers a wealth of extraordinary facts. new updated distribution maps. informative icons: species can quickly be compared with the help of icons illustrating normal habitat, nest position, relative size and social behaviour. more than 800 quality full colour photographs by renowned photographers. efficient grouping: bird species are grouped together according to four behaviour groups: Waterbirds, Raptors, Veld Landscape and Bush Landscape birds. Grouping is then further broken down into the birds' external shapes ensuring that similar looking birds are close to each other thus assisting in comparing different species. A bilingual index of all the birds listed by their common group names in English and Afrikaans, plus scientific name index. Experience the next level of birding - Sappi's all in one guide allows bird calls to be heard from the pages of a field guide -Icons in the book can be read by a Callfinder device that plays back the bird songs of each bird in the the SAPPI BIRDS field guide. The 'Callfinder' is not included in the book but may be purchased separately and will work with this book and with other future Briza natural history books. Saartjie Kidson and Herman van Niekerk, the authors, in 2003 discovered a shortcoming in local bird guides and immediately started to work on a new series of innovative bird guides. Their knowledge, love of nature and involvement in bird watching and nature conservation ideally equipped them for such a comprehensive project. Two popular regional bird guides, Spotter’s guide to birds of the Bushveld and Spotter’s guide to birds of the Lowveld, were completed with accompanying, value-adding DVD’s and a bird call CD. Then the giant step was taken to produce a national bird guide based on the same concept. Advanced technology, however, now made it possible to replace the separate DVD’s with the Callfinder® greatly enhancing the accessibility of bird calls. A first for South Africa. The authors are convinced that bird watching in South Africa will henceforth change substantially and that an entire new generation of young, technologically minded people will become dedicated bird watchers.
  23. Viimeisin tieto pöllöjen sulkasadosta sekä iän- ja sukupuolenmäärityksestä kirjaan on koottu 13 pöllölajin tieto eli kaikki Suomessa tavatut lajit tekijöinä Heimo Mikkola, yksi tunnetuimmista suomalaisista pöllöasiantuntijoista maailmassa ja Jouni Lamminmäki -koko 248 x 172 x 7 mm sivuja 96 paino Pöllöjen ikä ja sukupuoli on usein vaikea määrittää maastossa. Viime vuosien tehokas pöllö- ja sulkasatotutkimus on osoittautunut avaimeksi aikuispukuisten pöllöjen iänmääritysongelmaan. Joidenkin lajien sukupuolen määritys pelkkien ulkoisten tuntomerkkien perusteella vaatii edelleen lisätutkimuksia Kirjassa esitellään kaikki Euroopassa ja Suomessa tavatut pöllölajit. Näiden 13 pöllölajin sulkasadon, iän ja sukupuolen määritysoppaaseen on koottu tämänhetkinen tietämys kotimaasta ja ulkomailta yksien kansien väliin. Kirja on tarkoitettu pöllöjen rengastajille ja tutkijoille, mutta myös muille asiasta kiinnostuneille lintujen harrastajille. kuvitus valokuvia ja piirroksia kustantaja Suomenselän Lintutieteellinen Yhdistys ry. ISBN 978-951-98263-1-8
  24. From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction reveals the compelling story of the unlikely extinction of the passenger pigeon. For centuries, the sleek long-distance flyer was the most abundant bird in North America and perhaps the world. Then, in a matter of decades, it was hunted to extinction. On September 1, 1914, Martha, the last passenger pigeon in captivity, died in the Cincinnati Zoo, marking the end of the species. From Billions to None is a new award-winning documentary based on Joel Greenberg’s book A Feathered River Across the Sky, and features the author. The one-hour film recreates massive flocks with CGI animation, and tells the incredible, forgotten story of the extinction of the passenger pigeon 100 years ago, and highlights pressing conservation issues today. In addition to the film, the DVD contains the following Special Features – Behind the Scenes: A Bird’s Eye View, The Sound of Billions; Making Pigeon Pie. Deleted Scene: Warren Woods. Extras: A Special Specimen, From Chikagou to Chicago, Prairie Tours with Joel.
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