Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

Field Guide to the Birds of Macaronesia: Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde
Eduardo Garcia-del-Rey

This is a brand new field guide from Lynx Edicions, the publishers of Handbook of the Birds of the World, and Handbook of the Mammals of the World.

A quality compact hardback field guide, with detailed distribution maps and carefully illustrated colour plates. It covers all 573 species and subspecies of resident, nesting, migrating and vagrant birds.

Helm Field Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, 2nd Edition
Martyn Kenefick, Robin Restall and Floyd Hayes

Helm do as they do best with this new second edition of Trinidad and Tobago (first published in 2007). Following a general introduction to the region and its habitats, tips for the birder, and a ‘where to watch’ section, is the ID guide in full. The essential identification of each occurring bird species is complemented by illustrated plates showing colour variations. 500 new or replacement images have been included in this edition.

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

Animal Tool Behavior

by Robert W. Shumaker, Kristina R. Walkup and Benjamin B. Beck

What?

A revised and updated edition of Benjamin B. Beck’s inspirational 1980 volume, which was the first to bring together and analyse the research on non-human tool behaviour.

Why?

This fascinating area of research opens up many questions for the behavioural sciences, and this collaboration brings the field up to date to 2010.

From the Preface:

“This book provides precise definitions of tool use and tool manufacture, a complete catalog of all reported cases of tool use and tool manufacture by extant non-human animals…This edition cites about 1,750 sources from roughly 3,000 articles…”

Who?

Robert W. Shumaker is the vice president of life sciences at the Indianapolis Zoo, the author of Orangutans, and coauthor, with Benjamin B. Beck, of Primates in Question. Kristina R. Walkup is an adjunct assistant professor at Drake University. Benjamin B. Beck is the director of conservation at Great Ape Trust.

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

Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide

by Tari Haahtela, Kimmo Saarinen, Pekka Ojalainen and Hannu Aarnio

What?

The definitive photographic guide to all 444 species of European butterflies.

Why?

The macro photography in this volume is simply stunning. The immediacy of the images and the vitality of the colour contrast will make butterfly identification even more of a pleasure. Species are generally pictured in the context of their habitat, with insets highlighting colouration details or sex differences, and the identification data and range maps are very user-friendly. Later in the book there is a focus on European Islands and Eastern European species, to cater for travellers who are looking for easy on-the-spot identification. And it all fits nicely into the average-sized jacket pocket!

Who?

Tari Haahtela, Kimmo Saarinen, Pekka Ojalainen and Hannu Aarnio are a team of dedicated Finnish naturalists that specialise in macro photography. They have travelled the length and breadth of Europe in search of butterflies for this book. Having already written several books on moths and butterflies in Finnish, this is their first English-language title.

As usual, the NHBS ornithology list has expanded over the last year to incorporate many fantastic new books for birdwatchers, conservation workers, and ecologists. We hope you enjoy browsing these, alongside featured classics and bestsellers. The Editor’s Choice selections pick out the very best recent and forthcoming titles in each main subject area.

Our wildlife equipment range is always growing – now over 2000 items – and you will find all the best bird-related gear on the Nest Boxes and Wildlife Kit pages of the catalogue.

A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Malaysia by John Bransbury – only three copies now available.

First published in 1993, A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Malaysia has proven to be a perennial favourite with our globetrotting birding enthusiasts, with its comprehensive annotated checklists and abundance of practical advice.

The book covers both West (Peninsular) Malaysia, and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). Each site section is introduced with a well-crafted and interesting written portrait of the area and its habitat, and a hand-drawn map – which makes this more than just a convenient reference.

Sadly, this  compact, detailed and informative guide has come to the end of its print run, and we now have just three copies left – so if you, or anyone you know, has an interest in, or is off to discover, the birds of this area, we recommend taking Bransbury along as a thoughtful guide and travelling companion.

This summer, Cambridge University Press publish three new volumes in the Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation series:

Save 20%

on all backlist titles in the series until 31/7/2011

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

The Private Life of Adders

by Rodger McPhail

What?

An account of the life and behaviour of the adder – one of the UK’s six native reptile species.

Why?

Full of his own close-up photographs, this book is the result of McPhail’s own investigations into the natural history of the adder. The succinct chapters cover the range of subjects from basking, sloughing and venom to predation and the life-cycle. There are also appraisals of habitat management and conservation, and an appendix providing details of further resources. His love and enthusiasm for the countryside and its birds and animals are evident throughout this work which is brought to life by the rich variety of portraits – of adders, and their neighbours.

Who?

Rodger McPhail has had a life-long fascination with adders. Born in Lancashire in 1953, he studied at the Coventry Art College at Lanchester Polytechnic for one year before being accepted at Liverpool Art College in 1972. He is widely known as one of Britain’s most outstanding wildlife and sporting artists. His work is sought after internationally.

“Its comprehensive coverage of the issues associated with woodland creation in Britain cannot fail to be of value”

Despite a slow increase in broadleaved woodland cover in Britain during the last 20 years, woodland species diversity is decreasing and woodland’s potential for enhancing our quality of life is unrealised. In view of the current public and political will to increase woodland cover in Britain, and the need to ensure that newly-created woodland is of the highest possible ecological quality, this book is most welcome.

It is a formal, often detailed and sometimes technical text aimed at countryside planners and practitioners, landowners, conservation organisations and community groups. Its entomological content is limited but, given the potential benefits of newly-created woodland and its associated habitats for so many insect taxa, it fully deserves a mention here.

The main text is divided into two parts. The first five chapters cover the general principles of woodland creation and provide necessary background to a consideration of woodland creation practice in the remaining four. Topics include an overview of woodland cover in Britain, some of the organisms that it supports and its importance for people. Issues associated with climate change and the planning, design and management of new woodland are also considered. Two case studies effectively draw together the various topics discussed in the text.

For invertebrates, the importance of woodland rides, glades and edges is emphasised, and the value of dead wood, neglected coppice and bramble is noted. A table lists invertebrate habitat in woodland. Butterflies receive the most detailed treatment. Survey and monitoring protocol is described and there are tables describing those species likely to occur in newly-created woodland, the colonisation potential of habitat specialists, and larval foodplants.

The book concludes with a useful glossary and lists of acronyms, species mentioned in the text and cited references. The latter represent a wide range of published and unpublished material. Unfortunately there is no index, and the list of species would be more valuable if page numbers referred the names to the text. Nevertheless this is an extremely useful and attractively presented handbook. It is generously illustrated with many figures and 170 images in full colour. Its comprehensive coverage of the issues associated with woodland creation in Britain cannot fail to be of value to its target readership. It also appears to be well-suited as a text for Further Education and foundation degree students studying countryside planning and land management. Certainly, many insects are likely to benefit from its sound advice.

Glenda Orledge,

Antenna – the journal of the Royal Entomological Society