Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

New birding titles at NHBS this month include Collins Field Guides for the Birds of Southern Africa and for the Birds of Eastern Africa (both on special offer until March 31), as well as the fully updated Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America.

 

 

Also check out Harriers, an in-depth study of the world’s harriers by Don Scott, illustrated with watercolors by Philip Snow. Bestselling bird art books include The Art of Peter Scott and Lars Jonsson’s Birds.

For more new birding titles, browse Birding Highlights

Browse Collins Field Guides

To browse our full selection of birding books, see Ornithology

Here are the most popular books of 2008 at NHBS: the Top 10 overall and the Top 10 in each of our major subject areas. You’ll find an eclectic mix of geographic and taxonomic interest, with books from publishers all over the world. We’ve also included bestselling wildlife equipment from our new range of field kit.

Enjoy browsing, and please feel free to add your own recommendations for this year’s Top Titles at the bottom of this post.

Top 10
1. Dragonflies
2. Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds
3. Sedges of the British Isles
4. Mammals of the British Isles
5. Life in Cold Blood – DVD
6. Mabberley’s Plant-Book
7. Which Bat Is It?
8. RES Handbook Volume 4 Part 2: The Carabidae
9. Wild China – DVD
10. Guia de Campo: Birds of Amazonian Brazil

Top Birding
1. Grouse
2. Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline Tits to Shrikes
4. All the Birds of Brazil
5. Ornithologist’s Dictionary
6. Owls of the World
7. Collins Bird Guide
8. Frontiers in Birding
9. The Migration Ecology of Birds
10. Guia de Campo: Birds of Amazonian Brazil

Top Zoology
1. Dragonflies
2. Mammals of the British Isles
3. Which Bat Is It?
4. RES Handbook Volume 4 Part 2: The Carabidae
5. Tiger: Spy in the Jungle – DVD
6. Guide to the Mammals of China
7. Primates of the World
8. Wolf
9. Field Guide to the Mammals of South East Asia
10. Guide to British Bats

Top Equipment
1. Opticron Hand lens, 18mm, 20x magnification
2. WeatherWriter A4 Portrait
3. Vista Organiser
4. Schwegler 1B Nest Box
5. Schwegler 2F Bat Box
6. Batbox Baton Bat Detector
7. Garmin GPS Map60Cx
8. 125W MV Robinson Moth Trap
9. Professional Hand Net (Standard 250mm Wide Frame)
10. Pooter

Top Ecology and Conservation
1. Primer of Ecological Statistics
2. Behavioural Ecology
3. Introduction to Molecular Ecology
4. Analysis of Ecological Communities
5. Management Planning for Nature Conservation
6. Sustaining Life
7. Handbook of Biodiversity Methods
8. Atlas of Endangered Species
9. Conservation and Sustainable Use
10. Scaling Biodiversity

Top Botany
1. Sedges of the British Isles
2. Mabberley’s Plant-Book
3. The Wild Flower Key
4. New Cactus Lexicon, Volumes I and II
5. Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean
6. Secret Lives of Garden Wildlife
7. Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the British and Irish Species
8. Flowering Plant Families of the World
9. British Orchids
10. BRYOATT: Attributes of British and Irish Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts

Top Natural History
1. Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Portfolio Eighteen
2. Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages – DVD
3. Birds and Light: The Art of Lars Jonsson
4. Lars Jonsson’s Birds
5. Seventy Great Mysteries of the Natural World
6. Lost Worlds of the Guiana Highlands
7. Guide to Garden Wildlife
8. Earth: The Power of the Planet – DVD
9. Vietnam: A Natural History
10. The Deep

Top Data Analysis and Modelling
1. Describing Species
2. OU Project Guide
3. Statistics for Terrified Biologists
4. Ecological Census Techniques
5. The R Book
6. Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Biologists
7. Spatial Analysis
8. Choosing and Using Statistics
9. Modelling for Field Biologists
10. Quantitative Methods for Conservation Biology

Don’t see your favourite title of 2008 here? Add your own recommendations for Top Titles at the bottom of this post.

To find a particular title, browse our full range of over 100,000 wildlife, science and conservation titles.

We are pleased to announce that the Vincent Wildlife Trust has appointed NHBS the official distributor for their publications, including the new and bestselling Lesser Horseshoe Bat Conservation Handbook.

Other Vincent Wildlife Trust publications distributed by NHBS include:

The Bats of Britain and Ireland (Bestseller)

The Polecat Survey of Britain 2004-2006 (New for 2008)

Distribution and Status of the Polecat in Britain in the 1990s

The Distribution of the Hazel Dormouse in Wales

The Vincent Wildlife Trust Review of 1997-2000

The Water Vole and Mink Survey of Britain 1996-1998

The Water Vole in Britain, 1989-1990

For more than 25 years The Vincent Wildlife Trust has been supporting wildlife conservation through research, surveys and the establishment and management of reserves for British mammals. Since 1996 the VWT has concentrated its resources on bat conservation, and particularly on the protection and enhancement of roosts for rare bats. It has also maintained its involvement with conservation-led research and survey work on pine martens, polecats, water voles and dormice.

See a complete listing of Vincent Wildlife Trust publications

Click here to find out more about the Vincent Wildlife Trust

NHBS recently attended the BTO annual conference in Swanick, Derbyshire, UK.

Bestsellers at the NHBS stand included The Migration Ecology of Birds by Ian Newton and How and Why Species Multiply by Peter Grant. Peter was a featured speaker at the conference, discussing the evolution of Darwin’s finches.

NHBS is pleased to be the official distributor for all BTO guides, including the two newest titles: Bird Ringing and Gardening for Birdwatchers.

British Moths and Butterflies – an instant bestseller! Packed with the stunning photography of Chris Manley, this new photographic guide is the perfect guide to Britain’s moths and butterflies. Its coverage is broad, including all of the 800 or so macro-moths (within which the butterflies are placed), including all vagrants, and many of the micros, along with some 300 types of caterpillars.

The authoritative text provides important information on identification, size and larval food plant for each species, within introductory sections detailing habitats, life cycles, conservation,and trapping and photographic techniques. With many people now setting up their own backyard moth traps or interested to know which species are fluttering around their light bulbs, this book provides a superb introduction to this fascinating insect group.

In stock: order your copy now.

Browse our new and bestselling moth, butterfly, and insect titles published in 2008.

For our complete range of entomology titles, browse Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)

Did you know we sell moth traps, butterfly nets, and collecting pots? Browse our new range of wildlife equipment.

Browse the NHBS Festive Selection, where you’ll find this season’s new and bestselling books and wildlife equipment.

Browse the Festive Selection:
Highlights | Birds | Zoology | British Wildlife | Global Wildlife | Botany | Ecology & Conservation | General Science | DVD/CD-ROM | Children’s Books and Activity Kits | Wildlife Equipment

New this week, The Art of Peter Scott is flying off the shelves. This book features a lifetime of drawings and paintings by the esteemed wildfowl artist Sir Peter Scott.

Don’t miss Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?, the latest compilation of readers’ answers to the questions presented in the popular “Last World” column in New Scientist magazine. You’ll find answers to burning questions such as: Do spiders get thirsty? How long would it take a cow to fill the Grand Canyon with milk? How do they get the stripes on toothpaste?

Collins British Wildlife is the ideal gift for the amateur wildlife enthusiast, covering all common animals, plants, insects, and more found in the British Isles, and includes over 3,500 stunning photographs. This book is on special offer until 31 January 2009; order your copy now!

The Birdwatcher’s Yearbook 2009 and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wall Calendar are also proving popular this festive season.

Browse the Festive Selection:
Highlights | Birds | Zoology | British Wildlife | Global Wildlife | Botany | Ecology & Conservation | General Science | DVD/CD-ROM | Children’s Books and Activity Kits | Wildlife Equipment

About the Handbook of the Mammals of the World
Handbook of the Mammals of the World is an fantastic new publishing project from Lynx Edicions, publishers of The Handbook of Birds of The World. This eight volume series will provide the first comprehensive, global handbook to the Class Mammalia. The first volume deals with the Carnivores: African Palm Civet; Cats; Linsangs; Civets, Genets and Oyans; Hyenas; Mongooses; Euplerids; Dogs; Bears; Red Panda; Racoons; Skunks; Weasels, Martens, Polecats, Badgers and Otters.

The Format of the Book
Family accounts cover the following: systematics, morphological aspects, habitat, general habits, communication, food and feeding, breeding, movement, home range and social organisation, relationship with humans, and status and conservation.

Species accounts include chapters on taxonomy, descriptive notes, habitat, food and feeding, activity patterns, movements, home range and social organization, breeding, and a bibliography.

Distribution maps, colour photos and colour illustrations throughout.

About the Authors
Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Carnivores is edited by Don E Wilson and Russell A Mittermeier; Authored by: Jerry W. Dragoo, David L. Garshelis, Philippe Gaubert, Jason S. Gilchrist, Steven M. Goodman, Kay E. Holekamp, Andrew P. Jennings, Roland W. Kays, Joseph M. Kolowski, Serge Larivi’re, Sue Ruff, Claudio Sillero, Fiona C. Sunquist, Melvin E. Sunquist, Geraldine Veron, Fuwen Wei, Zejun Zhang; and Illustrated by: Toni Llobe.

About the Series
The first volume on the carnivores is announced for April 2009 – order now at the special pre-publication price of £99.99 (reduced from £134.99 until 31/03/2009). To ensure you receive all Volumes of Handbook of the Mammals of the World you can set up a standing order with NHBS by contacting customer.services@nhbs.co.uk.

Future Volumes 2-8 are:
Vol 2: Hoofed Mammals
Vol 3: Primates
Vol 4: Sea Mammals
Vol 5: Marsupials
Vol 6: Rodents
Vol 7: Insectivores
Vol 8: Bats

Sample Pages from Handbook of the Mammals of the World

Arable Bryophytes: A Field Guide to the Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts of Cultivated Land in Britain and Ireland is now in stock after a long delay in publication. This covers the 81 bryophytes found in arable fields including Illustrated profiles of the 47 bryophytes most closely associated with arable farming, highlighting those included in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan

You may also be interested in:
Bryophytes of Native Woods: A Field Guide to the Common Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland’s Woodlands and Mosses and Other Bryophytes: An Illustrated Glossary