
Extinct Birds
Errol Fuller(Author)
Oxford University Press
2nd Edition
Published on 1. September 2001
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-0-19-850837-3 (ISBN)
Description
Since 1600 some 80 bird species have become extinct. The author has drawn on a wide range of sources for his accounts of these birds, their habits and demise, with evidence of preserved specimens brought to life by the eye-witness accounts of early travellers and explorers. Their stories are sometimes tantalisingly slight: isolated sightings of a single bird may be the only evidence that a species ever existed. By contrast, the expeditions of Nineteenth Century naturalists are often well documented and their descriptions accompanied by detailed drawings and paintings. In more recent cases our knowledge about an extinct species can be so extensive that even the precise time and place of death of its last surviving member is recorded. Virtually all of the species documented here are illustrated with colour plates from archival sources, including the work of such acknowledged masters as Audubon, Keulemans and Lear. These artists often had the advantage of working from fresh specimens or even from living birds, and besides its beauty their work is a primary source of scientific knowledge in its own right.
Where no appropriate picture exists, new paintings have been produced especially for the book. The stories of these birds are sometimes fantastic, often touching and humorous, but ultimately sad. Extinct Birds is a fascinating record of those species of birds which have been unable to adapt and survive, and a timely reminder of the human capacity to change the environment for the worse.
Where no appropriate picture exists, new paintings have been produced especially for the book. The stories of these birds are sometimes fantastic, often touching and humorous, but ultimately sad. Extinct Birds is a fascinating record of those species of birds which have been unable to adapt and survive, and a timely reminder of the human capacity to change the environment for the worse.
More details
Edition
2nd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Revised edition
Illustrations
ill., halftone
numerous colour and halftone illustrations
ISBN-13
978-0-19-850837-3 (9780198508373)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
CONTENTS LIST - PAGE 1; PREFACEINTRODUCTIONRATITESTINAMOUS, PENGUINS, DIVERS, GREBESALBATROSSES AND PETRELSPELICANS AND RELATED BIRDSHERONS, STORKS AND RELATED BIRDSWATERFOWLBIRDS OF PREYGALLINACEOUS BIRDSRAILS AND RELATED BIRDSGULLS, WADING BIRDS AND MURRESPIGEONS AND DOVESPARROTSCUCKOOS, OWLS AND GOATSUCKERSKINGFISHERS, WOODPECKERS, ETC.PERCHING BIRDSHYPOTHETICAL SPECIES AND MYSTERY BIRDSBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX