Explore the wonders of the avian world with this comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to every aspect of bird life. It is a reformatted, resized and fully updated edition of the first part of the highly acclaimed reference The World of Birds, published by the Natural History Museum in 2014.
Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert, Jonathan Elphick, begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he then explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life: bird biology including anatomy, walking and swimming, plumage, calls and songs; flight techniques and styles; food and feeding; bird lifestyles and social relationships; breeding, growth and development; bird geography and habitats; and the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages.
With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, Birds: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behaviour is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts.
Jonathan Elphick, FZS, FLS, is a wildlife writer, editor, consultant, lecturer and broadcaster, specializing in ornithology. During a career spanning almost 40 years, he has written many books including The World of Birds, the bestseller Birdsong, Birds: The Art of Ornithology and the award-winning The Birdwatcher's Handbook. He was researcher for Birds & People, the largest survey ofcultural attitudes to birds worldwide, and spent five years as researcher on the acclaimed bestseller Birds Britannica.