United States
£ GBP
A guide to some of the rarest birds in existence, brought together by the maps showing where in the world you can find them. The book focuses on 50 captivating stories of the very rare, including remarkable discoveries of species new to science, rediscoveries of species not seen for centuries and 'back from the brink of extinction' successes like Seychelles Magpie-Robin and California Condor. Each species has its own mini-chapter and the book will be broken down into key groups of species, with the five most amazing tales of island endemics, five most bizarre cases of a bird becoming threatened, and so on.
This is an accessible, readable and visually appealing take on a serious subject of threatened birds and possible extinctions – a topic that is constantly in the news due to increasing concerns over climate change and habitat destruction. The atlas format shows the global nature of the problem and brings together the many strands of the concerted bird conservation effort that is taking place on every continent. It also lends and element of accessibility to the reader as many of the species featured can be watched on birding tours these days.
Introduction 8
1. Back from the brink: Starting again with just a few survivors 14
California Condor 16
Kakapo 20
Laysan Duck 24
Seychelles Magpie-robin 28
Crested Ibis 32
2. The perils of island living: Many threatened birds are confined to small spaces 36
Ultramarine Lorikeet 38
Floreana Mockingbird 42
Kagu 46
Junin Grebe 50
Bali Myna 54
3. Threats in many guises: Peculiar ways to become threatened 58
Tristan Albatross 60
Black-eared Miner 64
Montserrat Oriole 68
Houbara Bustard 72
Colourful Puffleg 76
4. Migrants: The difficulties of protecting birds on the move 80
Aquatic Warbler 82
Nordmann's Greenshank 86
Northern Bald Ibis 90
Kirtland's Warbler 94
Whooping Crane 98
5. Unexpected Calamities: Once common birds in sudden danger 102
White-rumped Vulture 104
Sooty Falcon 108
Regent Honeyeater 112
Red-legged Kittiwake 116
Lesser Flamingo 120
6. Lost causes? Optimism fades – or has gone completely 124
Spoon-billed Sandpiper 126
Brazilian Merganser 130
Philippine Eagle 134
Marvellous Spatuletail 138
Po'ouli 142
7. Controversies: Conservation is rarely a simple business 146
Spotted Owl 148
White-headed Duck 152
Grenada Dove 156
Gurney's Pitta 160
Spix's Macaw 164
8. Discoveries: Some unexpected ways to discover new species 168
Algerian Nuthatch 170
Nechisar Nightjar 174
Hooded Grebe 178
Udzungwa Forest Partridge 182
Araripe Manakin 184
9. Rediscoveries: Missing birds found again 190
Noisy Scrub-bird 192
Forest Owlet 196
New Zealand Storm-petrel 200
Bruijn's Brush-turkey 204
Madagascar Pochard 208
10. The pending tray: Are they out there, or not? 212
Long-whiskered Owlet 214
Night Parrot 218
Pink-headed Duck 222
White-eyed River Martin 226
Ivory-billed Woodpecker 230
Further reading 234
Index 237
Dominic Couzens is a full-time ornithologist based in Ferndown, Dorset. He has regular columns in BBC Wildlife and Bird Watching magazines. He is co-author of the best selling CD series Teach Yourself Bird Sounds and has written a number of books, including Bird Migration and Top 100 Birding Sites of the World, for New Holland.
"[...] The profiles of the 50 endangered birds in Atlas of Rare Birds are incredibly fascinating and well worth reading by anyone who appreciates birds, such as my aforementioned younger self. But as an adult, I find further reason to recommend this book. Couzens does not preach conservation in an overbearing manner, but instead lets the birds' predicaments speak for themselves. I don't see how anyone could read much of this book and not want to help."
– Grant McCreary (15-04-2008), read the full review at The Birder's Library
“Atlas of Rare Birds is an accessible, readable, and visually appealing take on the serious subject of threatened birds and possible extinction.”
– Northeastern Naturalist
“Evidently I love this book.”
– Charlie Moores, Talking Naturally
