Nature : Birds & Birdwatching

Part 1. Prelude. 1. Darwinism and Wallacism: A Brief Account of the Long History of the Study of Plumage Coloration. 2. A Red Bird in a Brown Bag: An Introduction to the House Finch. 3. In the Eye of the Beholder: Color Vision and the Quantification of Color. Part 2. The Proximate Control and Function of Red Plumage. 4. You Are What You Eat: Plumage Pigments and Carotenoid Physiology. 5. A Matter of Condition: The Effects of Environment on Plumage Coloration. 6. Darwin Vindicated: Female Choice and Sexual Selection in the House Finch. 7. Fine Fathers and Good Genes: The Direct and Indirect Benefits of Female Choice. 8. Studs, Duds, and Studly Duds: Plumage Coloration, Hormones, and Dominance. 9. The Feeling's Mutual: Female Plumage Coloration and Male Mate Choice. Part 3. Biogeography and the Evolution of Colorful Plumage. 10. From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli (New York): Populations, Subspecies, and Geographic Variation in Ornamental Coloration. 11. Why Red?: The Evolution of Color Display. 12. Epilogue. Glossary. References. Index more...

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Price: $9.99

Copiously illustrated with maps, line drawings, and full-color photographs, each of these large-format (8 1/2 x 10 7/8) paperback books contains the essential information that backyard nature enthusiasts want and need -- to attract, identify, and understand birds and butterflies, and to grow and identify beautiful wildflowers at home. more...

Price: $13.99

Why do we see pigeons as lowly urban pests and how did they become such common city dwellers? Courtney Humphries traces the natural history of the pigeon, recounting how these shy birds that once made their homes on the sparse cliffs of sea coasts came to dominate our urban public spaces. While detailing this evolution, Humphries introduces us to synanthropy: The concept that animals can become dependent on humans without ceasing to be wild; they can adapt to the cityscape as if it were a field or a forest. Superdove simultaneously explores the pigeon's cultural transformation, from its life in the dovecotes of ancient Egypt to its service in the trenches of World War I, to its feats within the pigeon-racing societies of today. While the dove is traditionally recognized as a symbol of peace, the pigeon has long inspired a different sort of fetishistic devotion from breeders, eaters, and artists—and from those who recognized and exploited the pigeon's astounding abilities. Because of their fecundity, pigeons were symbols of fertility associated with Aphrodite, while their keen ability to find their way home made them ideal messengers and even pilots. Their usefulness largely forgotten, today's pigeons have become as ubiquitous and reviled as rats. But Superdove reveals something more surprising: By using pigeons for our own purposes, we humans have changed their evolution. And in doing so, we have helped make pigeons the ideal city dwellers they are today. In the tradition of Rats, the book that made its namesake rodents famous, Superdove is the fascinating story of the pigeon's journey from the wild to the city—the home they'll never leave. more...

Price: $18.99

A guide to where to see birds in and around Sydney - from Wollongon to the Central Coast and west to the Blue Mountains. more...

Price: $21.00