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A major synthesis of current knowledge of species formation in birds and of the factors that influence their geographical distributions. It draws on information from the earth sciences and palaeo-climatology, on recent studies of the evolution, ecology, distribution and migration patterns of birds, and on recent findings in molecular biology which illuminate avian evolution and distributional history. Although intended primarily for students and researchers, its straightforward language will be understood by interested bird-watchers and other non-specialists. The text describes how bird species are formed, and how they are classified taxonomically. It describes how the numbers and types of bird species vary across regions, and how their current patterns of distribution have been influenced by the movements of the continents, the formation and loss of oceanic islands, glacial and other climatic cycles, human influences and contemporary ecological factors.