Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

Important Bird Areas: Americas

 

“One of BirdLife International’s core research activities over recent years has centred on developing an Important Bird Area (IBA) network worldwide. The publication of ‘IBAs Americas’ represents a major milestone in this project. It is the culmination of 15 years of work by 72 partner organizations and over 3000 people to identify and document the most important sites for birds and biodiversity conservation in a region covering all of North America, Central America and, most ambitiously, South America – the ‘bird continent’, where one-third of the Earth’s avian species occur.

It takes the form of a comprehensive directory of 2345 sites identified in all 57 countries and territories, covering more than 3.25 million km2. The aim of the book is to provide a concise summary of these sites, and an overview of the opportunities they provide for biodiversity conservation. In general, this is achieved very well, and very attractively, as the final product is beautifully organized and liberally illustrated with detailed maps and stunning colour photographs.

If I had to put my finger on my only misgivings about the project, I would point to the practical obstacles of applying a site-based method to complex ecosystems such as Neotropical rainforests. The IBA approach seems tailor-made for developed nations, where biodiversity is largely restricted to patches of natural habitat embedded in human-modified landscapes, and where we often know fairly well what each patch contains in terms of species and populations. In contrast, the IBA maps of poorly developed regions seem to align, not with the distribution of biodiversity per se, but the happenstance of data availability. In Amazonia or the Andes, for example, IBAs tend to align closely with sites targeted by existing conservation actions, or else visited by expeditions or birdwatchers, whereas many remote regions are missing even though they appear to offer better habitat and better prospects for long-term conservation. The result is that the IBA map in such regions is often a better guide to accessibility than to importance for birds.There is a need to acknowledge that temperate-zone strategies may not work so well in such cases, and that the IBA approach may be less effective than regional conservation strategies based on habitat classifications and remote sensing data.

A similar argument applies to the quality of status or population data, which again is often poor in tropical ecosystems. As such, it is generally difficult to know whether a species listed for a particular tropical IBA occurs locally in numbers sufficient for long-term conservation. These caveats aside, ‘IBAs Americas’ is an impressive reference work embodying a huge amount of effort, and a major contribution to biodiversity conservation in a crucial region. It provides an excellent summary of current knowledge regarding many sites destined to play a key role in the fight to preserve rare species from extinction, deserves widespread acclaim and a space on the bookshelf of anyone interested in New World birds and their conservation.”

Joseph M. Tobias,

IBIS The International Journal of Avian Science

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy: A How to Manual, 4th Ed.

by Barry G. Hall

What?

Well-established reference book for getting started in creating phylogenetic trees from protein or nucleic acid sequence data.

Why?

Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy is the full package for biologists who require a thoroughgoing induction into phylogenetics, and students who need practical back-up to their developing theoretical understanding.

This fourth edition has been produced in alignment with new developments in two major software packages used in phylogenetics, namely MEGA5, and MrBayes 3.2.

New topics have been added, new tools introduced, and sections rewritten to give this volume the cutting edge feel it needs to maintain its relevance in this ever-evolving field, and the screen shots are in full-colour and are new throughout.

There is an accompanying website containing files for working through the tutorials.

Who?

Barry G. Hall is Director of the Bellingham Research Institute, Adjunct Professor of Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Allegheny-Singer Research Institute’s Center for Genomic Sciences, and Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Rochester. Dr. Hall earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Genetics, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the University of Washington, Seattle, respectively.

In addition to the three prior editions of Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy, Dr. Hall is the author or coauthor of numerous journal articles, editorials, book reviews, and contributed book chapters. His current research interests include the molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens and application of genomic analysis to rapid prediction of antibiotic sensitivity in clinical applications.

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Dormice: A Tale of Two Species

by Pat Morris

What?

Second edition of Morris’s  informative treatment of the natural history, and current conservation and ecological status, of Britain’s two native species of dormouse.

Why?

The dormouse had been particularly under-represented in biological and conservation research before Pat Morris, in 1983, began experimenting with designing a more suitable trap than had previously been available. His success led to meetings with other interested researchers and a project began to fully observe the hazel dormouse in its natural habitat.

The success of this project led to Morris and his colleagues being approached to consider the other native species, the edible dormouse – and the two species are treated separately in this volume, being of such different temperament and life-style.

This book, updated with new information for the second edition, is the product of the discoveries made over the years since these studies began, and its detail and comprehensive approach make it invaluable to anyone interested in the state of Britain’s natural history, and dormice in particular. It is written with both the researcher, the ecologist, and the general reader in mind and could do much to encourage amateur interest in these elusive creatures.

Who?

Dr Pat Morris was Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Royal Holloway, University of London until 2002. He has studied various mammals for over 50 years and has published over 80 scientific papers, and is author of The New Hedgehog Book. He has spent 20 years researching both species of native British dormouse.

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

The Atlas of Birds

by Mike Unwin

What?

A full-colour, graphically elaborate appraisal of avian habitats, biodiversity and behaviour around the world.

Why?

This atlas is full of the most current information about the world of birds, sourced from BirdLife International and other international conservation organisations. It is as much a celebration of the rich and colourful diversity of the world’s avifauna, as an appraisal of the serious impacts of human development.

There are hundreds of titbits of information for the fact fanatic, ranging through statistics about bird diversity, feeding techniques, migration altitude, and even a top twenty of birds mentioned in Shakespeare – all presented with the same generous visual impact that characterises this book’s style.

The structure is broadly split into sections on habitat, species accounts, behaviour, bird/human relations, threats and conservation, and ultimately takes a proactive stance towards encouraging the general public to become aware of, and engaged with, the conservation of birds.

Who?

Mike Unwin is an experienced writer and illustrator of wildlife, and author of over 20 books, including several for the RSPB. Among the numerous publications for which he writes are Bird Watching, Birdwatch and Bird Life. In 2000 he won BBC Wildlife magazine’s nature travel writer of the year.

With wildlife conservation high on everyone’s agenda, here are some recommendations to introduce you to the natural diversity of your garden, and help you to create a haven for wildlife on your doorstep:

Guide to Garden Wildlife, by Richard Lewington, is a field guide to all the wildlife you might expect to encounter in the garden – from mammals, birds and insects to invertebrates and pond life. The species descriptions are full of useful detail, and Lewington provides the intricate illustrations that make this a real treasure of a handbook. There are informative sections on garden ecology, nest-boxes and bird feeders, and creating a garden pond.

Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and Other Beneficial Insects, by Jan Miller-Klein, homes in on practical techniques for encouraging insect diversity in your garden. A large-format tour through the seasons, with additional sections on tailored habitats, and species-appropriate planting, this beautifully photographed guide is perfect for every bug-friendly gardener looking to provide a good home for the full range of insect life.

RSPB Gardening for Wildlife: A Complete Guide to Nature-friendly Gardening, by Adrian Thomas, is a fantastic encyclopaedic introduction to how best to provide for the potential visitors to your garden, while maintaining its function for the family. A species-by-species guide to the ‘home needs’ of mammals, birds, insects and reptiles is followed by a substantial selection of practical projects, and helpful hints and appendices, to get your garden flourishing – whatever its size.

Dr Jennifer Owen’s Wildlife of a Garden: A Thirty-year Study, is a rare and illuminating book, in which is recorded – in scrupulous detail – the evidence of dramatic changes in populations in a single suburban garden in Leicester over a thirty-year period. An abundance of beautifully presented data, discussed in the context of wider biodiversity fluctuations, is balanced with numerous colour photographs, illustrations, and descriptive natural history of the residents of the garden. Modest in one sense, but unbelievably grand in timescale – and in its completeness – the rigorous effort and expertise that have been applied to the task of collecting and interpreting these data make this study a real one-off in the field of natural history writing.

As recommended for use in Phase 1 Habitat Surveys, Berol Verithin coloured pencils are essential field kit for those carrying out habitat assessments.  NHBS now offer the complete range of Berol Verithin pencils needed to carry out Phase 1 habitat surveys. So whether you’re after our unique Phase 1 Habitat Survey Set of all the colours (see list below), or need to top up a particular individual colour – either singly or in packs of 12 – we’ve got you covered!  Berol Verithin pencils have a special formulation which gives sensitive, controlled colour to the finest of detail.  Their hardwearing nature means they can be sharpened to a needle point, allowing you to accurately shade objects right up to the border.

NHBS Phase 1 Habitat Survey Essentials Kit

We’re also offering a special Phase 1 Habitat Survey Essentials Kit for those new to surveying. The kit features the complete collection of Berol Verithin pencils, the Phase 1 Habitat Survey Handbook and an A4 Weather Writer (choose between Portrait and Landscape).  This kit will provide you with the tools to get out surveying whatever the weather!

List of pencil colours required for Phase 1 Habitat Surveys:

* Black (VT 01)
* Indigo Blue (VT 05)
* Sky Blue (VT 08)
* Peach (the closest equivalent to Flesh [VT 25] which has been discontinued)
* Green (VT 31)
* True Green (VT 32)
* Carmine Red (the closest equivalent to Magenta [VT 45] which has been discontinued)
* Orange (VT 46)
* Pink (VT 49)
* Purple (VT 51)
* Scarlet Red (VT 55)
* Terracotta (VT 66)
* Yellow Ochre (VT 89)
* Canary Yellow (VT 80)

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Bumblebees

by Oliver E Prys-Jones and Sarah A Corbet

What?

Revised 3rd edition of this guide to bumblebees, no. 6 in the Naturalists’ Handbook series.

Why?

Bumblebees are appealing insects, and a great subject for study. They are more approachable than honeybees and easy to observe in the garden or the open countryside. This revised edition of the classic Naturalists’ Handbook looks at species identification, ecology and conservation, and the variety of behaviours and lifestyles.

The information is presented in such a way that anyone with an interest in the natural history and conservation of bumblebees will be able to undertake their own useful investigations and add to the body of research which will hopefully allow these important pollinating insects to survive and thrive for future generations.

As well as colour plates for basic identification, there are further keys showing anatomical detail and species variation, and detailed range maps for regional identification.

Who?

Oliver E. Prys-Jones studied zoology at the University of St. Andrews and furthered a long term interest in bumblebees and their life histories with doctoral and research fellowship studies at the University of Cambridge. He subsequently qualified in medicine at Liverpool University and remains absorbed by bumblebees while working as a medical practitioner in North Wales.

Sarah A. Corbet has taught entomology and ecology in London University and the University of Cambridge. Her research interest is in pollination ecology, with a special focus on bumblebees.

“I think this hide is great value for money.”

“If, like me, you’ve spent time trying to conceal yourself from your wildlife subjects, then doubtless you will have found yourself wrestling with scrim, and swearing and cursing as it gets caught on tripods, zippers and Velcro. The other extreme – and until now the only solution – would be to buy a ‘blind’ – a wildlife hide with many of the complexities associated with putting up a tent – a puzzle of poles and guy ropes. As well as often confounding the wildlife watcher/photographer, the whole set-up was both expensive and heavy.

I’ve been aware of these Stealth Gear hides for a year or so now and judging by the high demand, they seem to have caught on – and for good reasons.

It’s a robust camping chair design with a fan of hoops that unfurl from behind and over the seat. This in turn drags with it the polyester fabric of the hide itself. There is a little mesh pocket on one of the arms for your beer, which also can function as a lens holder – pity it doesn’t have two of them! The whole caboodle comes in a Camo-Tree design (photo-realistic leaves and bark, and woodland scenes) which in my experience works, pretty much anywhere, to break up the outline of the unit – and, almost as importantly, hides the contraption and the watcher from the unwanted attentions of his own species!

I found it best to sit in the chair with my gear in front of me and simply flip the hide over my head. Once inside it can be a little fiddly, and your personal organisation is tested a little, but so it is in any blind. If you have big elbows, lots of gear, a mate or intend to be waiting a long while, consider the two-seat option, otherwise you might find it a little too cosy for comfort. But the one-man works very well for me.

There are five apertures through which you can peer or shove a telephoto lens, all of which can be opened or closed easily with Velcro attachments, either opening them fully or leaving a printed mesh panel in place which enables the hide user to see out, while nothing can see in. The five windows are adequate enough, but you can’t see behind – which would on occasion be useful. That said, it would be a bit challenging to turn around even if there were a rear-facing window, especially with a hide full of gear. If full, all-round vision is what you require then this is available in the two-seat version.

The hide comes with a bag of ground pegs, also in a Camo-Tree design. Come on guys, you put the bag down in the long grass because you are in a rush to set up, and of course the wind starts to blow and where are your pegs to secure the thing to the ground as it fills up like a balloon and its skirts start to ruffle uncontrollably in the breeze? In a camouflage bag! Which is where? Somewhere in the long grass, doing its best to be not to be seen… I’ve attached a piece of orange baler twine now I’ve recovered it, so hopefully this won’t happen again.

Slight niggles: stitching holes let through pinpricks of daylight, and water does come spattering through in a torrential downpour. Leaving the hide is difficult – keeping your set-up and not totally blowing your cover requires agility and contortional abilities that are beyond most naturalists over 40! But having said that, all these problems can be applied to all but the most expensive hides and blinds I’ve used, so on balance I think this hide is great value for money.

(Note: if you have children and are fed up with the gaudy primary coloured plastic wendy house that jars with your aesthetic sensibilities then there is a hidden bonus to this hide – 4 year olds love them! And being made of camouflage material, you can sit it in the corner near the shrubbery and barely notice it’s there. It kept my daughter occupied for hours!)”