Corvid & owl books, take two!
Oct. 19th, 2007 08:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ferineMore I've read and recommend:
Wings of the Forest, Affectionate Impressions and Observations of Bird Life by one of the most underrated and seemingly forgotten naturalists (plus a favorite of mine), William J. Long. Features small b&w illustrations by Ray Houlihan, which are a nice touch. I adore this man's literary style and his postulations about--and in-the-field observations of--the whole of nature. While hard-lined scientists of the day wrote him off as anthropomorphizing animal behavior too much and being too fanciful, I find him discerning and his observations ring true.
I searched amazon.com and anywhere on the web for a review or synopsis of the book and came up empty. I'm not going to type out the inside flaps of the book because it's late and I'm feeling lazy; suffice it to say it's a delightful book about behavioral observations of a variety of birds in the wild, including blue jays, crows, and owls.
Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival by James R. Duncan. Swiped the following off amazon.com:
"From Booklist
"Owls are among the most popular birds in the world, yet what do we really know about these nocturnal predators? Owl expert Duncan and numerous contributors marshal what has been learned about owls in an extremely accessible yet scientific work. General biology, including anatomy, behavior, nesting, and hunting, is well covered in an introductory chapter. Owls are popular figures in the mythologies of many cultures, examined in a chapter that ranges from Shakespeare through Hindu goddesses to the Owl Nebula. Another chapter is full of interesting anecdotes from the research. Sections on global threats to owl populations and their conservation lead to the final long chapter, a summary of the 205 owl species of the world. Each species is described and illustrated with a color photo, with its range indicated on a map, and a compendium of its natural history and conservation status. Many of the numerous color photographs are breathtakingly beautiful, and the extensive bibliography will lead to further research. This introduction to owl biology will be a welcome addition for all libraries. --Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"
The photos are lovely, and the writing's interesting without being dry.
Wings of the Forest, Affectionate Impressions and Observations of Bird Life by one of the most underrated and seemingly forgotten naturalists (plus a favorite of mine), William J. Long. Features small b&w illustrations by Ray Houlihan, which are a nice touch. I adore this man's literary style and his postulations about--and in-the-field observations of--the whole of nature. While hard-lined scientists of the day wrote him off as anthropomorphizing animal behavior too much and being too fanciful, I find him discerning and his observations ring true.
I searched amazon.com and anywhere on the web for a review or synopsis of the book and came up empty. I'm not going to type out the inside flaps of the book because it's late and I'm feeling lazy; suffice it to say it's a delightful book about behavioral observations of a variety of birds in the wild, including blue jays, crows, and owls.
Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival by James R. Duncan. Swiped the following off amazon.com:
"
"Owls are among the most popular birds in the world, yet what do we really know about these nocturnal predators? Owl expert Duncan and numerous contributors marshal what has been learned about owls in an extremely accessible yet scientific work. General biology, including anatomy, behavior, nesting, and hunting, is well covered in an introductory chapter. Owls are popular figures in the mythologies of many cultures, examined in a chapter that ranges from Shakespeare through Hindu goddesses to the Owl Nebula. Another chapter is full of interesting anecdotes from the research. Sections on global threats to owl populations and their conservation lead to the final long chapter, a summary of the 205 owl species of the world. Each species is described and illustrated with a color photo, with its range indicated on a map, and a compendium of its natural history and conservation status. Many of the numerous color photographs are breathtakingly beautiful, and the extensive bibliography will lead to further research. This introduction to owl biology will be a welcome addition for all libraries. --Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"
The photos are lovely, and the writing's interesting without being dry.