United States
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From the discovery of the fossil Archaeopteryx to more than 10,000 different documented species today, birds have become the second most diversified class of vertebrates on Earth. Birds have changed and evolved extensively since they first emerged in prehistoric times, but that diversity could dwindle and even vanish unless we take steps to conserve their habitats, ensuring that they sustain their numbers and their variety.
This comprehensive natural history of birds starts in the distant past – going back to the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene periods – in order to get a broader understanding of the birds that we see today. Chapters cover their lives, breeding, flight, migration and more, while also highlighting some especially unique bird fossils, such as the Pelagornis sandersi, which had a wingspan of more than 20 feet. Also included are chapters on the current decline of native birds, and what can be done to reverse it.
Dominic F. Sherony served as a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee for eleven years, and has published and lectured across the United States on various avian subjects. He lives in Rochester, New York.
Randi Minetor is a full-time author of more than 80 books including birding field guides. She lives in Fairport, New York.
"Feathered Marvels is an exceptionally deep but always accessible dive into the world of birds – their evolutionary history, their astounding diversity, and how they are coping with our modern world."
– Scott Weidensaul, New York Times bestselling author of A World on the Wing
"Feathered Marvels is a valuable compendium of useful information on one of our most loved and threatened groups of animals, the birds. Dominic Sherony has written a book that will help any layperson develop their understanding of birds – why they are such amazing creatures, why we should care about them, and how we can help conserve their dwindling populations."
– Christopher Norment, PhD. emeritus professor of environmental science and ecology, SUNY-Brockport
