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Commission for Conservation
Rare Bird Alert does not profit from the sale of books through Wildsounds & Books. Instead we dontate our 5% commission to Birdlife when you buy one of the books below.

 

Book of the Week 14 July

His Imperial Majesty: A Natural History of the Purple Emperor

About this book

Available from 23 July 2020. The phenomenon of bird migration has fascinated people from time immemorial. The arrivals and departures of different species marked the seasons, heralding spring and autumn, and providing a reliable calendar long before anything better became available.

Migration is shown by many kinds of animals, including butterflies and other insects, mammals, marine turtles and fish, but in none is it as extensively developed as in birds. The collective travel routes of birds span almost the entire globe, with some extreme return journeys covering more than 30,000 km. As a result of migration, bird distributions are continually changing - in regular seasonal patterns, and on local, regional or global scales.

Migration has repeatedly prompted familiar questions, such as where birds go or come from, why do they do it, how do they know when and where to travel, and how do they find their way? In this seminal new book, Ian Newton sets out to answer these - and other - questions.

The book is divided into four main sections: the first is introductory, describing the different types of bird movements, methods of study, and the main migration patterns seen around the British Isles; the second part is concerned mainly with the process of migration - with timing, energy needs, weather effects and navigation; the third with evolution and change in migratory behaviour; and the fourth with the geographical and ecological aspects of bird movements. 608 pages.

 

 

 

 

Book of the Week 14 July

His Imperial Majesty: A Natural History of the Purple Emperor

About this book

The Purple Emperor is our most elusive and least-known butterfly. We glimpse it only through fissures in its tree top world, yet this giant insect has fascinated us for centuries. This must be England's national butterfly. Matthew Oates has spent fifty years trying to unravel the Emperor's secrets. Many mysteries remain unsolved, but enough are revealed in His Imperial Majesty to enable experts and non-experts alike to go out in search of a butterfly that thrills and enthrals all who encounter it. This is a good-news species, at a time of massive wildlife decline. And this is a joyous - often rapturous - account, written in plain English, as a labour of love. 296 pages

 

 

 

 

Book of the Week 7 July

British Birds: A Pocket Guide

About this book
This innovative and carefully designed photographic guide provides a concise introduction to the identification of the 246 birds most likely to be seen in Great Britain and Ireland. It is the perfect book for anyone wanting to put a name to the birds in their garden, local area or on visits farther afield. Packed with hundreds of stunning photos showing the birds in their many variations, and written and designed by a team of experienced birdwatchers, this is the ideal companion for anyone interested in learning more about the wild birds around us.

  • Covers the 246 birds most likely to be seen, plus another 30 or so scarce but regular migrants.
  • Carefully designed to be user-friendly and accessible.
  • Lavishly illustrated with more than 1,000 stunning colour photos.
  • Easy to use and written in plain English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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