The NHBS Conservation Hub – news, reviews and resources
A review of Essential Ornithology by Birdbeginner (UK)
Reader Rating: 
“Fabulous & essential reading.”
“Well presented and easy to understand, yet packed with knowledge and without the jargon. Essential text for anyone wanting a greater understanding of birds and bird behaviour. Just buy it to see what I mean – I love it!”
“Brilliant.”
This is the sister volume to Macdonald and Sillero-Zubiri’s landmark Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids. Macdonald and Loveridge draw together the world’s foremost experts on all 36 felid species to give a comprehensive account of felid conservation science, evolution and systematics, felid form and function, genetic applications, behavioural ecology, management of species that come into conflict with people and control of international trade in felid species, conservation tools/techniques, ex situ management, and felid diseases. You can also buy the two volumes in single set.
An indispensable foundation for theoretician and practitioner alike, it sets the agenda for the next decade of felid biology and conservation. The editors utilize their 50 years of combined experience in professional engagement with the behaviour and ecology of wild felids to draw together a unique network of the world’s most respected and knowledgeable experts. For the first time, this inter-disciplinary research programme is brought together within a single volume which portrays the unique attributes of the wild felids, describe their fascinating (and conflicting) relationship with humans, and create an unparalleled platform for future research and conservation measures.
A final chapter analyses the requirements of, and inter-disciplinary approaches to, practical conservation with cutting-edge examples of conservation science and action that go far beyond the cat family.
We asked Hugh Raffles, author of Insectopedia, to give us a glimpse into the intriguing subject matter of his new book. Here’s what he had to say:
Insects are fascinating. They exist in vast numbers and extraordinary diversity, and they’re ecologically and economically vital. They elicit intense and intensely ambivalent feelings from us – do they think? Do they feel? We’re not sure. Yet, as Elias Canetti put it, they’re “outlaws” and we kill them not just with impunity but, often, satisfaction. They’re mysterious, powerful, and our relations with them are very complicated. I find that a pretty inspiring combination.
When I was little, we used to go to Norfolk for a few weeks every summer. My mum would put a jam jar part-filled with water on our kitchen windowsill. Attracted by the jam, the wasps would land on the rim and fall into the trap. I’d watch for hours, fascinated but immobilized – too scared to rescue them but horrified by their struggles. I’m sure I had happier insect encounters, but that’s the one that’s stayed with me all these years!
‘Konchu-shonen’ (insect-boy) and ‘mushi (insect)-eyes’ are terms I learned in Japan while researching the chapter on Japanese beetle collecting. I was fascinated to discover that so many celebrated Japanese artistic figures, including pioneers of anime and manga such as Tezuka Osamu and Hayao Miyazaki, had been obsessive insect-lovers as children. Once you know that, you see it clearly reflected in their work. Yoro Takeshi, a well-known neuroanatomist and popular writer in Japan, was also a ‘konchu-shonen.’ He told me that spending time with insects gives you ‘insect-eyes’ – an enhanced sensitivity to small differences, to the individuality of plants, animals, and people, and to the existence of multiple, intersecting worlds. I came to a love of insects pretty late in life but like to think I developed a little mushi-vision over the course of writing this book.
I’m wary of drawing these kinds of parallels. It’s too easy to project our dreams and ideologies onto animals and find the lessons that suit our purpose. I’m an anthropologist, not an entomologist and I like to explore the worlds that humans and insects create together in our entwined lives on this planet. There’s a lot to learn about both people and insects from looking closely at these connections. One of the things I’ve loved about writing this book has been meeting people who are deeply connected to insects, maybe as artists, musicians, farmers, scientists, or collectors, and learning about insects through their experience. That’s been very inspiring.
My favorite fieldwork was in Shanghai, meeting people who trained crickets to fight and going to the casino to watch the battles. My favorite story though is about Yajima Minoru, a prominent and innovative designer of Japanese insect zoos. Mr. Minoru was present during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945. As we know, the destruction was immense, more people were killed in the raids and the firestorm they generated than in the nuclear explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr. Minoru describes wandering dazed through the smouldering city among the traumatized population, in deep shock and despair. Then, in a crater, half-filled with water, he sees a dragonfly perched on a floating twig, laying her eggs. He takes it as a sign of rebirth amidst the rubble. The sight of this insect tells him that there’s a possibility of overcoming the nightmare and that there’s still a future to live for. This was a dramatic and moving story, but it wasn’t unusual to meet people who found in insects similar emotional strength and also refuge from difficult personal experiences.
One of the 24-hour adult mayflies. I could live my entire life in the time allotted!
I do love the diversity of insects but I’m not actually a collector of specimens. I have a low-level kleptomania that makes it hard for me not to pick up stones, shells, dead insects, and other little things, and I have a desk cluttered up with that kind of stuff. But I’m not attracted to the killing and manipulation that’s involved in collecting. And, in fact, I’m not really attracted to collections. As I say somewhere in the book, they remind me of mausoleums – the transformation of living beings into aestheticized objects makes me a bit uneasy.
Oh, that kind of collector! Yes, I do have some of that early modern curiosity. Happily, insects are everywhere and I had a lot of fun following them into unexpected and obscure places, and along the way learning about all kinds of topics about which I knew very little.
It may sound clichéd, but I think of the book as a journey. It’s an exploration into our deep and varied connections with one part of the natural world. More than anything, I hope it creates reflection and helps people look at insects with slightly different eyes and slightly different feelings. If there is a message, it’s one that we already know: We’re all in this together!
I have a fondness for 19th-century naturalists which I developed when I was writing my first book, In Amazonia: A Natural History. I especially like Henry Walter Bates’ A Naturalist on the River Amazons and Alfred Russel Wallace’s Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro. Both books offer such a strong sense of first-hand experience and the unfolding struggle to understand the totality of a world so different from the one these two men left behind in England.
I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant but I don’t have heroes. However, I’ve come away from this book full of admiration for many of the people I spent time with. One of them is Cornelia Hesse-Honegger, a Swiss artist who, for more than 30 years, has been painting tiny insects she’s collected close to nuclear power plants around the world and is convinced that the high incidences of deformities she’s found are the result of low-level radiation. Her paintings are beautiful and disturbing and her discoveries should make us hesitate in the current rush to embrace nuclear power as a “green” energy source.
I’d have to say marine biology. It’s always been my fantasy to spend time in the deep ocean. It might be the only landscape on this planet even more alien than the land of insects!
I’m starting research on a book about rocks and stones. It’s a big project and I’m looking forward to getting going. Last summer I began some fieldwork in China and in a few weeks I’ll be going to the UK to visit a few megalithic sites. I’m very excited about it!
Visit Hugh Raffles’ Insectopedia site.
Norman Maclean, editor of the best-selling 
Silent Summer, talks to NHBS about his career, early home-grown experiments with nature conservation and the state of wildlife policy in Britain today.
I have been interested in wildlife since my earliest years (aged 6), being brought up amongst fields and farms on the outskirts of Edinburgh. I was equally interested in insects, birds, mammals and fish. My parents were very tolerant of my rearing caterpillars, beetles, field mice and newts at home, mostly in my bedroom.
The books of Richard and Cherry Kearton on Nature Photography in St. Kilda and elsewhere.
“Direct From Nature: The Photographic Work of Richard and Cherry Kearton” by John Bevis.
Later, “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson.
Gilbert White’s “Natural History of Selborne”.
Gilbert White, Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel, David Attenborough.
You might call me a polymath. Academically, I am Professor in Molecular Genetics, but I have strong hobby interests in wildlife, trout fishing, playing tennis, gardening, antiquities and travel.
Enormously. As a geneticist I have lived through 50 years of amazing discovery and change. In terms of wildlife, ecology and conservation I have always been a keen field biologist and have taught on student field courses in Southern Spain for over 20 years. I have also been witness to the alarming decline in insects and some birds and mammals. I have studied wildlife in over 50 countries worldwide, seeing the destruction of so much natural habitat, yet savouring the riches of what is left.
My main research topic is gene regulation, and I and my research group have made some signicant discoveries in this area. Maybe my proudest moment in youth was discovering the first breeding of the Golden Plusia moth in Scotland when I was twelve – confirmed by letter from the Edinburgh Museum of Natural History.
In genetics the sequencing of the genomes of many species including humans, and in conservation biology the return to the UK of breeding cranes, red kites, otters, pine martens and others.
The realization that you cannot effectively conserve wildlife in the UK by making fences round reserves and letting nature take its course. Ecologically speaking, almost all of Britain and Ireland has been moulded by human interference and activity so our future responsibility lies in the active management of wildlife, including judicious culling where necessary.
With increased political prioritization of wildlife conservation and the preservation of what remains of the countryside. We must urgently control further human population increase and resist further demands on space, water supplies, energy supplies and contributions to global warming. We should all be prepared to reduce our own standards of living in order to improve those of the other species with which we share the planet.
Ethiopia.
I don’t know. Any ideas welcome!
Ancient History.
Get a degree in biology or genetics at a reputable university and learn your own fauna and flora.
Over the past 20 years dramatic declines have taken place in UK insect populations. Eventually, such declines must have knock-on effects for other animals, especially high profile groups such as birds and mammals. This authoritative, yet accessible account details the current state of the wildlife in Britain and Ireland and offers an insight into the outlook for the future.
Written by a team of the country’s leading experts, it appraises the changes that have occurred in a wide range of wildlife species and their habitats and outlines urgent priorities for conservation. It includes chapters on each of the vertebrate and major invertebrate groups, with the insects covered in particular depth. Also considered are the factors that drive environmental change and the contribution at local and government level to national and international wildlife conservation. Essential reading for anyone who is interested in, and concerned about, UK wildlife.
With a foreword by Sir David Attenborough.
Over the past 20 years dramatic declines have taken place in UK insect populations. Eventually, such declines must have knock-on effects for other animals, especially high profile groups such as birds and mammals. This authoritative, yet accessible account details the current state of the wildlife in Britain and Ireland and offers an insight into the outlook for the future.
Written by a team of the country’s leading experts, it appraises the changes that have occurred in a wide range of wildlife species and their habitats and outlines urgent priorities for conservation. It includes chapters on each of the vertebrate and major invertebrate groups, with the insects covered in particular depth. Also considered are the factors that drive environmental change and the contribution at local and government level to national and international wildlife conservation. Essential reading for anyone who is interested in, and concerned about, UK wildlife.
With a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. Buy Silent Summer now from NHBS
Silent Summer is “like a Domesday Book of British Wildlife”, according to its editor, Professor Norman Maclean. In a foreword, Sir David Attenborough warns that “it is invaluable now and in the future it will be irreplaceable”. Will any real action be taken? Of course not. Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s masterpiece, alerted the world in 1962 to the effects of agricultural pollutants such as DDT and in many ways launched today’s environmental movement. Silent Summer raises more complex and local questions. Terence Blacker, The Independent
Now, in an echo of that breakthrough publication, Sir David Attenborough has written the foreword to a new book, Silent Summer. Since Silent Spring we thought we had learnt a lot. But, as Sir David and 40 ecologists make clear, that is not so. Our wildlife is in retreat thanks to modern farming and the encroachment of urban life on the countryside. The Times
Published in 1962, Silent Spring helped launch the global environmental movement and, in Britain, prompted an eventual ban on pesticides such as DDT. Maclean believes, however, that such triumphs have done little to slow the destruction. “The evidence is that we could be in the middle of the next great extinction of wildlife, both globally and in Britain,” he said.
Butterflies are among the hardest hit of insect groups. Five species are extinct and, of the 59 that regularly breed in Britain, most have seen sharp declines in population. Jeremy Thomas, professor of ecology at Oxford University, who wrote Silent Summer’s chapter on butterflies, said populations were falling faster than almost any other group. The reason, he suggests, is that the caterpillars of many species need particular plant species to feed on — but these are often targeted by farmers as weeds. “Nearly every butterfly decline can be attributed to habitat loss or the degradation and increased isolation of surviving patches of habitat,” he said. Jonathan Leake in The Times
Perhaps what I’m excitedly photographing and noting today is the cliched ‘pale shadow’ of twenty years ago. I may be incredibly lucky in that I’m seeing something that in terms of biodiversity is equivalent to fifty or even a hundred years ago, but there’s no way of knowing. 10000birds.com
A new major environmental book, entitled Silent Summer: The State of Wildlife in Britain and Ireland, offers up disturbing facts and figures about the human impact on nature in the British Isles. Celebrated naturalist, broadcaster and national treasure Sir David Attenborough has penned the forward to the book, a collaborative effort by 40 UK ecologists, which outlines the impacts of pesticides, population growth and intensive farming on British and Irish flora and fauna. Greenfudge.com
Prof Maclean argues that “the evidence is that we could be in the middle of the next great extinction of wildlife, both globally and in Britain.” Nick Collins, The Telegraph
Buy Silent Summer now from NHBS
List of contributors; Foreword David Attenborough; Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations;
1. Introduction Norman Maclean; Part I. Factors Driving Changes in Wildlife: 2. Climate change T. H. Sparks, C. D. Preston and D. B. Roy; 3. Agriculture, woodland and semi-natural habitats Ken Norris; 4. Vertebrate animal introductions Christopher Lever; 5. Plant introductions Andrew Lack; 6. Urbanisation and development Kevin J. Gaston and Karl L. Evans; 7. The great game: the interaction of field sports and conservation in Britain from the 1950s to 2008 Robin Sharp; 8. Going fishing: recent trends in recreational angling Robin Sharp and Norman Maclean; 9. Impacts of hormone disrupting chemicals on wildlife C. R. Tyler and R. M. Goodhead; 10. Water pollution: other aspects Michael Hughes and Carl Sayer; 11. 25 key questions in ecology Norman Maclean; Part II. Conservation in Action: 12. Conservation in action in Britain and Ireland Andy Clements; 13. Wildlife in the UK Overseas Territories Mike Pienkowski; 14. UK involvement in conservation outside UK territory N. Leader-Williams and A. M. Rosser; Part III. The Case Histories: 15. Mammals in the 20th century D. W. Yalden; 16. Bats Karen A. Haysom, Gareth Jones, Dan Merrett and Paul A. Racey; 17. State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland Robert A. Robinson; 18. The conservation of the Grey Partridge N. W. Sotherton, N. J. Aebischer and J. A. Ewald; 19. Reptiles Chris P. Gleed-Owen; 20. Amphibians Tim Halliday; 21. Freshwater fishes: a declining resource Peter S. Maitland and John F. Craig; 22. Riverflies Cyril Bennett and Warren Gilchrist; 23. Bumblebees Dave Goulson; 24. Butterflies J. A. Thomas; 25. Moths Richard Fox, Kelvin F. Conrad, Mark S. Parsons, Martin S. Warren and Ian P. Woiwod; 26. Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland Peter Mill, Steve Brooks and Adrian Parr; 27. Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera, and Aculeate Hymenoptera) Alan Stubbs; 28. Hemiptera Alan J. A. Stewart and Peter Kirby; 29. Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects Judith Marshall; 30. Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring Richard Harrington, Chris R. Shortall and Ian P. Woiwod; 31. Invertebrates Richard Chadd and Brian Eversham; 32. Land and freshwater molluscs Ian J. Killeen; 33. The sea shore S. J. Hawkins, H. E. Sugden, P. S. Moschella, N. Mieszkowska, R. C. Thompson and M. T. Burrows; 34. The offshore waters John Baxter; 35. Plants Andrew Lack; 36. Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland? Norman Maclean; Glossary; Index.
Norman Maclean is Emeritus Professor of Genetics at Southampton University and has a strong interest in wildlife, conservation and river management. He has helped to run student field courses for more than 20 years and has authored and edited more than a dozen textbooks and reference books in Genetics and Cell Biology. He is an Elected Fellow of the Linnaean Society and the Institute of Biology.
The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland is an authoritative account of our butterflies, accessibly written and beautifully illustrated. First published in 1991, it sold out in the early 1990s and was never reprinted.
The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland is an authoritative account of our butterflies, accessibly written and beautifully illustrated. First published in 1991, it sold out in the early 1990s and was never reprinted. This completely revised edition includes substantially revised species accounts, all including the latest information and research. Also contains nearly 100 new artworks painted by Richard Lewington.
Provides comprehensive coverage of all the resident and migratory butterflies found in Great Britain and Ireland, including the latest information on newly discovered species such as Real’s Wood White and the Geranium Bronze.
NHBS is just about to receive stock of this stunning new book about tigers by acclaimed wildlife photographer Andy Rouse. Andy is giving 25% of the profits from this book to tiger conservation projects.
Robinson Moth Traps are the preferred choice amongst many serious entomologists because they offer the highest attraction and retention rates. There are various models available and NHBS offers a comprehensive range – we’ve put together this guide to Robinson Moth Traps to help you choose the right model. We have also included our top tips to improve the efficiency of your Robinson Trap in use.
Robinson Moth Traps are the preferred choice amongst many serious entomologists because they offer the highest attraction and retention rates. There are various models available and NHBS offers a comprehensive range – we’ve put together this guide to Robinson Moth Traps to help you choose the right model. We have also included our top tips to improve the efficiency of your Robinson Trap in use.
NHBS sells a variety of Robinson moth trap types, varying in both price and specifications. However, before we get into the differences, let’s consider their similarities. All our Robinson traps are;
Before we analyse each trap individually, remember that any one of these traps will attract moths in large numbers. Robinson moth traps fitted with mercury vapour bulbs are the most successful traps for attracting and retaining moths. On a very good night you can expect 500 – 1000 moths. So, what are the types of Robinson we offer?
NHBS Robinson moth trap: we’ve specially designed this trap to make it as cheap as possible for those on a budget or those new to mothing. Robinson moth traps aren’t cheap and we’ve done all we can to reduce the price. That said, the electrics are still the same as the other Robinson moth traps and it will still attract large numbers of moths.
Standard Robinson moth trap: this long-term favourite is our most popular design and combines a superb design with affordability. It is larger and more robust than the NHBS Robinson but lacks one or two features of the Heavy Duty Robinson. This trap is an excellent choice for both professionals and enthusiasts.
Heavy Duty Robinson moth trap: this trap is robust and durable, making it ideal for prolonged use. It combines many great features of a Robinson trap to provide a durable design.
60W Actinic Robinson moth trap: this Robinson moth trap has actinic electrics rather than mercury vapour electrics. It also has the same components and dimensions as the Standard Robinson moth trap.
Midi Robinson moth trap: the Midi Robinson moth trap is the latest edition to the NHBS range of Robinson moth traps. It has the smallest dimensions of any Robinson moth trap and is available in either a Mercury Vapour or Actinic version.
When choosing between mercury vapour and actinic electrics, there are several general rules to consider. Mercury vapour bulbs will attract the largest amount of moths. However, they are also quite bright. If using the trap in a small back garden, you may want to opt for actinic electrics. These produce less light and so are less likely to annoy the neighbours. Mercury vapour bulbs run hot and so need to be protected from the rain to avoid shattering. All our mercury vapour Robinson traps come with a rain guard as standard. Actinic bulbs do not run hot and so do not need protecting from the rain.
If you decide on actinic electrics, then you can choose between the 60W Actinic Robinson and the Actinic Midi Robinson. The 60W Actinic Robinson is essentially the same trap as our Standard MV Robinson moth trap, but has 2 x 30W actinic bulbs that run off a mains supply or generator. The Actinic Midi Robinson is smaller than the 60W Actinic Robinson. The Midi has 1 x 15W actinic bulb that is designed to run off a 12V battery. Thus it is much more portable as it does not have to be plugged into mains electrics, but won’t attract as many moths as it’s not as powerful.
If you decide on a Mercury Vapour Robinson moth trap, then NHBS has a range of options to cater for various situations and budgets.
For those wanting the cheapest mercury vapour Robinson trap available, the MV Midi Robinson is the trap for you. But just because it is the cheapest, it doesn’t mean the quality of the trap has been compromised. Essentially it is the same trap as our best seller, the Standard Robinson moth trap, but with a few alterations to reduce the price. Firstly, it’s smaller with a base diameter of 45cm compared to the 60cm base of the Standard Robinson trap. This makes it more portable but means there’s less space for moths – a potential consideration if trapping on the busiest of nights. The Midi Robinson has an 80W MV bulb, as opposed to the other MV Robinson traps that all run 125W MV bulbs. This means the Midi is less powerful and so may attract fewer moths. However, the build quality and components used are identical to those used on the Standard Robinson moth trap, so the Midi will still provide a durable and effective method of trapping moths.
If you’ve decided against an actinic Robinson, and consider the Midi Robinson to be too small, or just simply want the most powerful Robinson trap available, then it’s a 125W MV Robinson you’ll be wanting! There are three 125W MV Robinson traps to choose between; NHBS MV Robinson, Standard MV Robinson, and the Heavy Duty Robinson.
When choosing between these three types of trap, you may want to consider the following;
All three trap designs fundamentally have the same 240V electrics with all the necessary chokes, capacitors, etc included. As they all run a 125W mercury vapour bulb, there won’t be any noticeable differences in light intensity or attraction rates of moths. Where they do differ is in the cable lengths. The NHBS Robinson has a short input cable (that runs from the mains plug to the waterproof control box) of approximately 1.5 metres. The Standard Robinson has approximately 5 metres of input cable, whilst the Heavy Duty Robinson has 15 metres of input cable. So, you’ll probably need an extension cable for use with the NHBS Robinson. The output cable (that runs from the control box to the bulb) is short for all three designs (1 – 2 metres).
The bases of all three traps are made of black plastic and have drainage holes. The NHBS Robinson has a smaller diameter base (approx. 50 cm) compared to the other two designs (approx. 60 cm). Therefore, the NHBS Robinson has a smaller area for moth retention. The base of the Heavy Duty Robinson is particularly durable and has a drainage hole fitted with gauze. The Standard Robinson also has a drainage hole with gauze covering, whilst the NHBS Robinson has small holes drilled into the base to provide drainage. All of the bases can be easily repaired in the event of minor cracks and breakages.
The collar of the NHBS Robinson is made of 3 mm black plastic and cannot be removed from the base. Therefore, you won’t be able to see into the trap whilst it’s on, but the thick plastic will last for many years. The collar of the Standard Robinson is made of 3 mm thick clear plastic and can be removed from the base. You’ll be able to see inside whilst the trap is on. The collar of the Heavy Duty Robinson is also made of 3 mm thick clear plastic and is removable from the base. As you can remove the collars on the Standard and Heavy Duty Robinson, you can stack the bases into each other (for bases of the same model) for storage. The collar of the NHBS Robinson is not removable so traps cannot be stacked inside each other. The collars on all three traps are made of UV stable plastic and will be more resistant to brittleness; a common complaint for less robust collar designs.
All three trap designs have a white cone and rain guard. The NHBS and Heavy Duty Robinson traps have similar designs of cone with three flight interception baffles and a sturdy rain guard design which screws tight for rigidity. The Standard Robinson has four flight interception baffles that are slightly more prominent in profile. The rain guard, whilst having four supports, does not screw down for security. Therefore, in high winds it may be prone to being blown over; although if high winds are predicted it’s unlikely you’ll be using the trap anyway!
If you’ve got any other questions regarding the three trap types then please contact customer services.
Regardless of the Robinson design, there are several ways to improve the efficiency of your Robinson moth trap.
Remember to think about the moths too! Avoid trapping on consecutive nights in small gardens as you may be trapping the same moths, thus preventing them from feeding and mating. You can reduce the chance of re-trapping the same moths by releasing moths at least 50 metres from the trap site. Ideally release the moths into dense vegetation so that they have a daytime refuge from predators. If leaving the trap overnight, try and check it early in the morning. Occasionally you may find wasps and hornets in the trap. Wasps may kill moths and hornets will eat them, but both wasps and hornets are docile in the morning so can be removed with minimal effort. Avoid trapping near known hornets nests. If you can’t inspect your trap until later in the day, ensure it is in a shady area and place a damp cloth or sponge in the bottom of the trap to reduce the chances of dehydration.
We also provide trap electrics, bulbs and individual trap component separately. Not all components are listed on the website, so if you can’t find what you’re looking for then get in touch with customer services. Similarly, if you have any other questions then please get in touch.
Ian Newton is the author of numerous ornithological books and scientific papers including the famous New Naturalist Finches (Vol. 55). His recent best-selling titles include: The Migration Ecology of Birds, Population Limitation in Birds and Speciation and Biogeography of Birds. Now Ian returns to Collins New Naturalist series with Volume 113 Bird Migration – this will be published in early April.
Ian Newton is the author of numerous ornithological books and scientific papers including the famous New Naturalist Finches (Vol. 55). His recent best-selling titles include: The Migration Ecology of Birds, Population Limitation in Birds and Speciation and Biogeography of Birds. Now Ian returns to Collins New Naturalist series with Volume 113 Bird Migration – this will be published in early April.
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.
Pre-order to get your copy first and save £11.00
No Way Home: The Decline of the World’s Great Animal Migrations
