Read more
The Migration Ecology of Birds, Second Edition covers all aspects of this absorbing subject, including migratory processes, problems of navigation and vagrancy, timing and physiological control of migration, large-scale movement patterns, the effects of recent climate change, the problems that migrants face, and the factors that limit their populations. This book provides a thorough and in-depth review of the state of the science, with the text supplemented by abundant tables, maps and diagrams. Written by a world-renowned avian ecology and migration researcher, this book reveals the extraordinary adaptability of birds to the variable and changing conditions across the globe.
This book represents the most updated and detailed review of bird migration, its evolution, ecology and bird physiology. Written in a clear and readable style, it will appeal not only to migration researchers in the field and ornithologists, but to anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.
List of contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
Part 1. The Migratory Process 3. Migratory flight
4. Weather effects and other aspects
5. Fueling the flights
6. Incredible journeys
7. Raptors and other soaring birds
8. Migration speed, stopovers and duration of journeys
9. Finding the way
10. Vagrancy
Part 2. The timing and control of migration 11. Annual cycles
12. Control mechanisms
Part 3. Large scale movement patterns
13. Geographical patterns
14. Seasonal occupation of breeding areas
15. Sex and age differences in migration
16. Variations on a migratory theme
17. Site fidelity and dispersal
18. Irruptive migrations: boreal seed-eaters
19. Irruptive migrations: owls, raptors and waterfowl
Part 4. Evolution of movement patterns 20. Evolutionary aspects
21. Recent changes in bird migrations
22. Biogeographical legacies
23. Distribution patterns
Part 5. Migration systems and population limitation 24. The Palearctic-Afrotropical Migration system
25. The Nearctic-Neotropical migration system
26. Population limitation - breeding and wintering areas
27. Population limitation - conditions on stopover
28. Mass mortality of migrants
About the author
Dr. Ian Newton is respected world-wide both as a biologist with a special interest and expertise in this subject and as a communicator. He is a seasoned and popular keynote speaker at National and International meetings, and his talks are often the high point of conferences. Ian Newton was born and raised in north Derbyshire. He attended Chesterfield Boys Grammar School, followed by the universities of Bristol and Oxford. He has been interested in birds since boyhood, and as a teenager developed a particular fascination with finches, which later led to doctoral and post-doctoral studies on these birds. Later in life he became known for his penetrating field studies of bird populations, notably on raptors. He is now a senior ecologist with the Natural Environment Research Council and visiting professor of ornithology at the University of Oxford.
