A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean

About this book

The first complete guide to the natural history and wildlife of this vast region, covering all the subantarctic islands, the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Continent.

All the region's breeding birds and marine mammals are illustrated, using colour plates, distribution maps and photographs of each species, and the species accounts are highly systematic with full reference to the many recent advances in taxonomy that have affected several species groups.

Full details of the numbers, seasonal status and conservation prospects of all breeding species are provided, along with additional information covering non-breeders, migrants and vagrants. Regional chapters cover all of the subantarctic islands, as well as most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by photos that reflect the nature of each island and maps of each area. Information on each region includes geography, climate, geology, general ecology and flora. Conservation issues are also dealt with, detailing past, present and planned actions. The final section provides information on visiting the area, including details on the best-available landing sites and notes on seasonal weather conditions and alternative options.

Contents

List of colour plates 6 Preface 7 Referees for this book 7 Acknowledgements 8 Background to the research work 10 Layout of the Book 11 The Maps 12 Abbreviations 12 Synopsis of the region 13 The Antarctic and Subantarctic Environments: The Southern Ocean 13 Geological History 18 Geography and Climate 20 Sea Environment 25 Habitats and vegetation 29 Avifauna 30 Marine Mammals 33 Conservation in the Region 36 Checklist of Birds and Marine Mammals of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean 40 History of Antarctic Exploration 46 Bird and marine mammal topography 53 Species Accounts Birds Penguins 54 Great albatrosses 86 Small and medium albatrosses 107 Sooty albatrosses, giant petrels and distinct petrels 129 Gadfly petrels 143 Procellaria petrels and shearwaters 158 Blue Petrel and prions 173 Storm-petrels and diving-petrels 184 Cormorants and shags of the Southern Ocean 192 Gannets 207 Large skuas 210 Stercorarius skuas 218 Gulls and terns 223 Endemic and indigenous species of Subantarctic islands in the S Indian and S Atlantic Oceans and the Falklands 237 Endemic and indigenous non-passerines of New Zealand's Subantarctic islands 271 Endemic and indigenous passerines of New Zealand's subantarctic islands 281 Endemic and indigenous passerines of New Zealand's subantarctic islands 287 Marine Mammals Seals 294 Cetaceans 315 Regional descriptions (with tables of breeding species) Subantarctic islands off South America (and Checklist of Falkland Islands birds) 369 South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea 388 South Atlantic Islands 405 Subantarctic islands in the Indian Ocean 416 Subantarctic islands south of New Zealand 434 The Ross Sea 461 East Antarctica 470 Peter I Oy 475 Other Regions and Islands 476 Islands off southern Chile and southern Argentina 476 Tasmania Group 478 Gateways to the Antarctic: pelagic and other birds and marine mammals in southern South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand 480 Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel and sea area south of Tierra del Fuego 480 Seabird and whale viewing off South Africa 482 Observing Southern Ocean seabirds and cetaceans off Australia 484 Seabird and sea mammal viewing around New Zealand 486 Bibliography 490 Appendix 495 Organizations and Contacts in the Region 495 About the authors 496 Index 497

Customer Reviews

Biography

Hadoram Shirihai is an award-winning author who has travelledextensively in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. His previous booksinclude Birds of Israel, Sylvia Warblers and Whales, Dolphins and Seals.