Nomadic Desert Birds

Download or read book Nomadic Desert Birds written by W. Richard J. Dean and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My interest in the behaviour and movements of birds of arid and semi-arid ecosystems began when my wife, Sue Milton, and I were Roy Siegfried, Director, at that time, of the Percy approached by Prof. FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, to set up a project to investigate granivory in the South African Karoo. Sue and I spent some time finding a suitable study site, setting up accommodations and an automatic weather station at Tierberg, in the southern Karoo near the village of Prince Albert, and planning projects. Among our first projects was a transect where we noted plant phe nology, measured seed densities on the soil surface, counted birds, observed ant activity, measured soil surface temperatures and col lected whatever climate data we could at 40 sites along a 200-km oval route. Along the way, we became interested in the marked presence and absence of birds at certain sites - abundant birds one day, and very few birds at the same site a month later. Subsequent counts along fixed transects through shrublands confirmed that a number of bird species were highly nomadic over short and long distances, locally and regionally, leading to speculation on how widespread these movements were in the arid ecosystems of the world.

Download or read book The Migration Ecology of Birds written by Ian Newton and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2023-12-02 with total page 725 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Migration Ecology of Birds, Second Edition covers all aspects of this absorbing subject, including migratory processes, problems of navigation and vagrancy, timing and physiological control of migration, large-scale movement patterns, the effects of recent climate change, the problems that migrants face, and the factors that limit their populations. This book provides a thorough and in-depth review of the state of the science, with the text supplemented by abundant tables, maps and diagrams. Written by a world-renowned avian ecology and migration researcher, this book reveals the extraordinary adaptability of birds to the variable and changing conditions across the globe. This book represents the most updated and detailed review of bird migration, its evolution, ecology and bird physiology. Written in a clear and readable style, it will appeal not only to migration researchers in the field and ornithologists, but to anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject. - Features updated and trending ecological aspects, including various types of bird movements, dispersal and nomadism, and how they relate to food supplies and other external conditions - Contains numerous tables, maps, diagrams, a glossary, and a bibliography of more than 3,000 up-to-date references - Written by an active researcher with a distinguished career in avian ecology, including migration research

Download or read book Role of Birds in Transmitting Zoonotic Pathogens written by Yashpal Singh Malik and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zoonotic diseases pose a serious threat to global health and economy. Domestic and wild birds play crucial roles in transmission and spread of important zoonotic pathogens, with significant implications on human and avian health. Although zoonotic diseases have been extensively studied, information on various aspects of avian zoonotic pathogens have not been revisited or revised to any great extent. This book is a comprehensive and updated compilation of important zoonotic diseases that are transmitted by domestic and wild birds, and consists of 21 chapters that meticulously describe the (i) etiology and evolution, (ii) complex epidemiology, such as migration pathways in context of disease transmission, (iii) pathogenesis, (iv) clinical signs and necropsy findings, (v) diagnostics including latest molecular assays, and (vi) preventative and control strategies, with an emphasis on therapeutics and prophylaxis, of important zoonotic pathogens (bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral) of avian origin in humans and birds. Each chapter is aptly supported by interactive tables and figures, and features an updated reference section. This book aims to create awareness and enlighten students of veterinary and human medicine on the role of birds in zoonoses, and would serve as a useful reference for working veterinarians, human doctors, and public health experts.

Download or read book The Face of the Earth written by SueEllen Campbell and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-07-23 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines mirages and satellite images, swamp-dwelling heroes and Tibetan nomads, cave paintings and popular movies, investigating how we live with the great shaping forces of nature--from fire to changing climates and the intricacies of adaptation. The book illuminates subjects as diverse as the literary life of hollow Earth theories, the links between the Little Ice Age and Frankenstein's monster, and the spiritual allure of deserts and their scarce waters.

Download or read book Birds of Two Worlds written by Russell Greenberg and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2005-05-02 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For centuries biologists have tried to understand the underpinnings of avian migration: where birds go and why, why some migrate and some do not, how they adapt to a changing environment, and how migratory systems evolve. Twenty-five years ago the answers to many of these questions were addressed by a collection of migration experts in Keast and Morton's classic work Migrant Birds in the Neotropics. In 1992, Hagan and Johnston published a follow-up book, Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds. In Birds of Two Worlds Russell Greenberg and Peter Marra bring together the world's experts on avian migration to discuss its ecology and evolution. The contributors move the discussion of migration to a global stage, looking at all avian migration systems and delving deeper into the evolutionary foundations of migratory behavior. Readers interested in the biology, behavior, ecology, and evolution of birds have waited a decade to see a worthy successor to the earlier classics. Birds of Two Worlds will complete the trilogy and become indispensable for ornithologists, evolutionary biologists, serious birders, and public and academic libraries.

Download or read book Ecophysiology of Desert Birds written by Gordon L. Maclean and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-12-11 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Preface to his volume on Ecophysiology of the Camelidae and Desert Ruminants in this series, Trevor Wilson mentions his hesitation at the invitation from John Cloudsley-Thompson to write the book, because he had been out of direct touch with desert biology for some years. My response to John's invitation to write Ecophysiology of Desert Birds was much the same, and for the same reasons. However, with his encouragement and, taking account of the fact that a colleague of mine who is much better suited to do the job had turned it down because of pressure of work, I accepted the challenge and have enjoyed it immensely. It has been my privilege to spend much time in the deserts of North and South America, southern Africa and Australia, some of it with my wife, Cherie, whose editing of the entire text has improved the work immeasurably. Indeed, I believe it would have been proper for her to accept coauthorship, but she graciously declined the offer! I owe her a debt of gratitude which I hope will be repaid in part by her seeing the text finally between covers. The chapters on water regulation (Chap. 5) and thermo regulation (Chap. 6) have benefited from the refereeing of my colleague, Dr. Barry Lovegrove, of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Download or read book Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams written by Thibault Datry and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-07-11 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams: Ecology and Management takes an internationally broad approach, seeking to compare and contrast findings across multiple continents, climates, flow regimes, and land uses to provide a complete and integrated perspective on the ecology of these ecosystems. Coupled with this, users will find a discussion of management approaches applicable in different regions that are illustrated with relevant case studies. In a readable and technically accurate style, the book utilizes logically framed chapters authored by experts in the field, allowing managers and policymakers to readily grasp ecological concepts and their application to specific situations. - Provides up-to-date reviews of research findings and management strategies using international examples - Explores themes and parallels across diverse sub-disciplines in ecology and water resource management utilizing a multidisciplinary and integrative approach - Reveals the relevance of this scientific understanding to managers and policymakers