Looking for movies, shows, games, or books similar to Starlings and Mynas? Check out these recommendations on mosaic.
Mainly lowland forest, coastal woodlands, cultivated areas of New Guinea and offshore islands, Bismarck archipelago and Solomons.
The poems in this book evoke encounters with a number of living creatures, primarily in southern Africa. They range from the aardvark to the zebra, and include dragonflies, jellyfish, kudu, seahorses, and warthogs. The text invites the reader to consider animals not so much as beasts or feasts, pets or threats, but as our chromosome cousins. The book embodies recent discoveries in the fields of evolutionary biology, paleontology, and astronomy. These discoveries, when taken together, reveal how each animal is part of a lifeline that stretches back billions of years and is inseparable from the genesis of the cosmos as a whole.
The evolutionary, ecological and behavioral questions posed by obligate brood parasites are among the most intriguing of all contemporary ornithological topics. Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and may be a major contributing factor driving several species of songbirds to near extinction. As one of the first books to present a comprehensive overview of this fascinating phenomenon, this work discusses the comparative biology and co-evolutionary adaptations exhibited by the five families of birds that engage in such behavior. Several chapters dealing with the comparative biology of both intraspecific and interspecific brood parasites, are followed by individual accounts of all known species--nearly 100 altogether, primarily cowbirds and cuckoos. Some of the more remarkable behavioral and structural adaptations of these birds include egg mimicry, juvenile mimicry, elimination by starvation or actual attack of other nestlings or host eggs, and even the learning and partial mimicry of host song traits. An extended glossary, a list of Latin names, 400 literature citations and range maps of all parasitic species discussed are also included. Detailed line drawings by the author enhance this synthesis of biological and ecological information.
The 'Clements' Checklist, now in its 6th edition, is probably the most widely used checklist of world birds. Now listing almost 10,000 species of birds, this is the list of choice for members of the American Birding Association as well as many birders in Europe. Every species is listed using English and scientific names, together with a brief description of the species' range and space to enter your own sightings. All subspecies are included and listed separately, with ranges. For the first time, the English names follow the recently published list of English names as recommended by the International Ornithological Congress and its teams of regional experts.
Crows and Jays is a combination of scientifically accurate information and an identification guide, planned to give anyone, whether a birdwatcher or biologist, a greater understanding of the lives of these beautiful, yet very complex, group of birds. 120 species of crows, jays and their allies exist in the world today. Many are exceedingly beautiful in colour, grace and form, whereas others are black and somewhat sinister in appearance. In no other group of perching birds has evolution produced such a degree of variation, from the tiny Hume's Ground-Jay of the steppe-highlands of Tibet to the huge Thick-billed Raven of the mountains of Ethiopia. Some have had a long association with people and appear in tales of mythology and superstition, while others have been regarded as agricultural pests. The great majority, however, remain largely unknown, their only contact with humanity being the destruction of their specialised habitats. As a consequence, more than 20 species are now regarded as internationally endangered, some of which are very poorly known. The 30 superb colour plates by Hilary Burn in this book depict them all; each plate is accompanied by an informative caption page summarising the criteria required to identify the species, alongside colour world distribution maps. Some of these birds, bearing such evocative names as the Banggai Crow, Mesopotamian Crow and Flores Crow, have never been illustrated before. The authoritative text by Steve Madge treats each species in depth, summarising identification techniques and concisely reviewing all aspects of corvid behaviour, distribution, population and taxonomy. The author has had first-hand experience of most of the species during his travels throughout the world, travels in which he gradually became fascinated by this very special, but somewhat ignored, group of birds. This will surely be a standard work of reference for many years to come.