United States
£ GBP
Covers all the main aspects of aerial locomotion by birds including sections on the history of bird flight study, aerodynamics, functional morphology, evolution, kinematics, physiology, energetics and the costs of flight. The subject is complex and still not fully understood, and the author argues a convincing case for rethinking and even abandoning some of the old, well established concepts.
Preface; 1. Acquisition of knowledge; 2. The flight apparatus; 3. Feathers for flight; 4. Aerodynamics; 5. Evolution of bird flight; 6. Bird flight modes; 7. The bird flight engine; 8. Energy required for flight; 9. Comparing the metabolic costs of flight
The strength of the book is its comprehensive coverage of the field...Videler tells us about old work that is still enlightening as well as about the newest and most fashionable research. Ethology, 2006 Videler is an enthusiast in every sense of the word, and this is a book for enthsiasts...a key achievement of Videler's book, in reviewing the current state of our knowledge, is to reveal how many lacunae remain. Ibis ...the book is lucidly written, with clear explanations British Birds, Vol 99 Regardless, the book does a splendid job of conveying the reasons for the author's entusiasm for studying avian flight...the book will serve as an excellent foundation for seminars for advanced undergraduates or graduates and as an essential motivational tool for all avian biologists. JEB, Bret W. Tobalske, University of Portland 'If Avian Flight serves to promote new research in these areas and to instil something of its own enthusiasm in a new generation of researchers, then it will, I think, have achieved its aim.' British Ornithologists' Union
