This beautiful book describes and illustrates birds throughout the world which are threatened with depletion in numbers, or even with extinction. In doing so it not only provides the first comprehensive coloured guide to such species, as a reference for all those who are concerned about the diminishing variety of animals in the world, but it also acts as a handbook for officials who are charged with controlling the trade in such creatures under the aegis of CITES. CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, was founded in 1973 and signed by 21 states. There are now more than 120 member states. The Convention list all threatened endangered species and regulates their import and export. The enforcement of the rules has been hampered by the lack of an accurate colour guide and this is the first book to provide a means to positively identify the species at risk. It includes: beautiful and detailed watercolour illustrations; concise descriptions of each species; 406species described and illustrated in colour; Quick Guide to Bird Families of the World; glossary of technical terms translated into French, German and Spanish; world map with key to identify countries/regions of distribution; CITES appendices describing the protected status allocated to species; Index of Latin names; an indispensable reference for all controlling authorities, such as bird conservationists, customs officers, taxidermists, aviculturalists and scientific advisers. The life and artistry of the illustrations will bring pleasure to many bird lovers the world over, too. It is a book which will be treasured for years to come for its usefulness and for its beauty. Includes a Foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. This book was sponsored by AAGE V. JENSEN Charity Foundation, Denmark.
Visually great with in-depth, researched background
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Basics: 1998, 1st edition; hardcover; 207 pages, 32 color plates; additional 16 b & w photos and a couple of b & w line drawings; 30 species of Pitta; range map for each bird It's hard to resist a bird book featuring a Gurney's Pitta on the cover. It's equally hard to resist this book once you've looked through the fine plates and skimmed through the incredible amount of research provided for each of these colorful birds. A full page is dedicated to each of the 30 species of Pitta around the world as a color plate. These plates display the gender and age differences, where applicable. The artistry is of good quality. One plate depicts an egg from each of the species while another vibrant plate displays all 30 adult males together. The text is to be commended just as much as the plates. Each bird receives between 4-15 pages of extensive information. Each mini-chapter gives an exhaustive account of the subspecies, taxonomic history, recent records, and tables of data that compare physical appearance and measurements. The standard text of description, distribution, habitat, behavior, vocalizations, and breeding biology are very thorough. This monograph is further enhanced with less commonly seen sections of movements, feeding behavior, molting, hybridization, status & conservation, and captivity. The range maps are tailored to each bird, such as the three islands for the Black-faced Pitta and the island-numbered map for the Elegant Pitta in the Moluccas and Sulawesi. As a mark of good research, this book concludes with a bibliography containing over 1,300 references. I've listed another related book below... 1) Pittas, Broadbills and Asities by Lambert
SUPERB!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
A SUPERB VOLUME ABOUT A LIITLE KNOWN FAMILY OF BIRDS-THE PIITAS. ALTHOUGH THE TEXT IS SCHOLARLY,IT IS ACCESSIBLE.THE AUTHOR MUST HAVE TRACKED DOWN EVERY SCRAP OF PUBLISHED INFORMATION ON THESE BIRDS,BECAUSE THE REFERENCE LIST HAS MORE THAN 1,300 ENTRIES. AND THEN THERE ARE THE COLOR PLATES!THIRTY-TWO MAGNIFICENT FULL PAGE PLATES,A VISUAL FEAST. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ORNITHOLOGISTS OR ANYONE WHO LIKES BEAUTIFUL BIRD BOOKS. BILL NEWTON
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