The World Atlas of Birds selects more than 500 species of birds and examines them in depth, region by region, choosing each one to illustrate a particular facet of bird-life-a hunting technique or physical specialisation, courstship behaviour or physical specialisation, courtship behaviour or feeding habit. More than fifty boxed topics look at unusual aspects of bird behaviour such as techniques of nestbuilding, the relationship between adult and young, and the strange links that can exist between birds and other animals.
In addition, the introductory chapter probes such general subjects as evolution, physiology, flight, and the mystery of migration; a glossary adn catalogue of scientific and common names is preceded by a unique section containing a full descriptive classification explaining the relationships and characteristics of the world's 155 bird families; and a complete index to the text and illustrations concludes the book.
- The World of Birds
- The Nearctic Realm
- The Neotropical Realm
- The Palaearctic Realm
- The Ethiopian Realm
- The Oriental Realm
- The Australasian Realm
- The Oceanic Realm
- The World-wide Birds
- The Polar Realm
- Classification of Birds
If I had to make do with a handful of books about birds - a sort of "desert island" library - this World Atlas of Birds would be very high on my list. It is the most informative, stimulating and beautiful bird book with which I have ever been associated, and I hope it will find its way into every home, school, university and library. A world without birds would be a sad and silent place; this book, I hope, will play its part in making sure that that never happens.
-- Sir Peter Scott, CBE DSC --