RSPB Spotlight Crows

RSPB Spotlight Crows
Author: Mike Unwin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2021-03-18
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472971760

From Ravens to Jackdaws and Choughs to Jays, crows are among some of Britain's most familiar, abundant and opinion-dividing birds. The UK's eight crow species all belong to the Corvidae family, and they have been deeply intertwined in our lives and culture since prehistoric times. Crows have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as scavengers, crop raiders and jewellery thieves, these birds – known to scientists as corvids – have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet behind crows' supposed misdemeanours lies exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness, which both explain their success and have taught us much about animal behaviour. In Spotlight Crows, Mike Unwin introduces the UK's eight corvid species, outlining their fascinating natural history and offering essential identification tips. He also explores the mythology and folklore that have embedded these remarkable birds so deeply in our culture, from nursery rhymes to horror movies. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photography and informative expert text.

RSPB Spotlight Crows

RSPB Spotlight Crows
Author: Mike Unwin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2021-03-18
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472971752

From Ravens to Jackdaws and Choughs to Jays, crows are among some of Britain's most familiar, abundant and opinion-dividing birds. The UK's eight crow species all belong to the Corvidae family, and they have been deeply intertwined in our lives and culture since prehistoric times. Crows have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as scavengers, crop raiders and jewellery thieves, these birds – known to scientists are corvids – have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet behind crows' supposed misdemeanours lies exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness, which both explain their success and have taught us much about animal behaviour. In Spotlight Crows, Mike Unwin introduces the UK's eight corvid species, outlining their fascinating natural history and offering essential identification tips. He also explores the mythology and folklore that have embedded these remarkable birds so deeply in our culture, from nursery rhymes to horror movies. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photography and informative expert text.

Crow

Crow
Author: Boria Sax
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2004-04-04
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1861894872

Though not generally perceived as graceful, crows are remarkably so—a single curve undulates from the tip of the bird’s beak to the end of its tail. They take flight almost without effort, flapping their wings easily and ascending into the air like spirits. Crow by Boria Sax is a celebration of the crow and its relatives in myth, literature, and life. Sax takes readers into the history of crows, detailing how in a range of cultures, from the Chinese to the Hopi Indians, crows are bearers of prophecy. For example, thanks in part to the birds’ courtship rituals, Greeks invoked crows as symbols of conjugal love. From the raven sent out by Noah to the corvid deities of the Eskimo, from Taoist legends to Victorian novels and contemporary films, Sax’s book ranges across history and culture and will interest anyone who has ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed, or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds.

RSPB Spotlight Frogs and Toads

RSPB Spotlight Frogs and Toads
Author: Jules Howard
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2019-07-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 147295582X

RSPB Spotlight: Frogs and Toads is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct and detailed text written by an expert on these amphibians. They were bestowed with magical properties in folklore, they were sought after as ingredients of witches' broth, and they are comic characters that have invaded popular culture, from Kermit the Frog to Toad of Toad Hall. Frogs and toads are charismatic members of Britain's wildlife. But what do you really know about them? Scratch beneath the surface, and you will discover some of nature's weirdest creatures, amphibians whose ecology we are only now coming to understand. Spotlight Frogs and Toads is a compelling account of Britain's four native amphibian species: the Common Frog, the Pool Frog, the Common Toad and the rare and secretive Natterjack Toad. New research suggests that, in the next ten years, three out of four UK species are likely to be listed as threatened. Revealing a host of secrets, including how they migrate, what they eat, and how they got to the UK in the first place, Jules Howard inspires us all to look down, rather than up, in spring. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photographs and informative expert text.

RSPB Spotlight: Robins

RSPB Spotlight: Robins
Author: Marianne Taylor
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2015-06-18
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472912128

Robins is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable expert. Our most iconic bird, the Robin, is one of the most characterful and familiar of all our garden visitors. Their melodious voices, bright red breasts and cheeky attitudes always endear them to us, but how much do we really know about them? Despite their cute appearance, Robins are aggressively territorial and hold their territories all year. Their year-round presence has helped them become a beloved and instantly recognisable species. In this delightful book, Marianne Taylor provides a revealing account of their life cycle, behaviour and breeding, what they eat and how they hold their territories, and she looks into the many cultural representations of these much-loved little birds. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals.

RSPB Spotlight: Eagles

RSPB Spotlight: Eagles
Author: Mike Unwin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2016-07-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472943716

The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text. Eagles are among the most impressive hunters of the animal world. Their predatory prowess and flying skills have imbued them with a romance and mystique that runs deep in our culture and has elevated them to emblems of freedom and power across the globe. At the same time, however, people have long seen eagles as competitors. Reviled by farmers and gamekeepers as snatchers of livestock, many species have been driven into decline by persecution and disturbance. Two species of eagle occur in Britain - among 60 worldwide - and are the focus of this book. The regal Golden Eagle is the definitive 'true' eagle and occurs in wilderness areas across the northern hemisphere; the even larger White-tailed Eagle, reintroduced to the UK after historic extinction, belongs to the separate 'sea eagles' genus. These two spectacular birds are both very rare – confined largely to the remote Scottish Highlands – and a sighting of either is one of the UK's most exciting and sought-after wildlife experiences. This highly readable study looks separately at both UK eagles, exploring how each is adapted as an apex predator in its own environment, and explores the relationship between the two. Separate chapters cover all aspects of the birds' biology and lifestyle, from defending their vast territories to raising their young. Fascinating secrets are revealed, including the brutal truth behind 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. The book also takes a look at other eagles around the world, placing the two UK species within this broader context. Finally, it examines the complex relationship that humans have enjoyed with eagles since time immemorial, spanning both culture and conservation, and offers expert tips on where and how you can watch these magnificent birds for yourself.

RSPB Spotlight Woodpeckers

RSPB Spotlight Woodpeckers
Author: Gerard Gorman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2018-10-04
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1472951190

Woodpeckers are fascinating birds, filling our forests with their unmistakable drumming, and capturing our imaginations with their incredible ability to drill holes in trees and their bright, colourful plumage. Three species of woodpecker are resident in the UK: the Green Woodpecker, often seen on lawns and in fields; the Great Spotted Woodpecker, a frequent visitor at garden bird-feeders; and the tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, sadly now in decline. The Wryneck – which twists its neck 'like a snake' when threatened – also passes through the UK on its yearly migration and has captivated people throughout the ages. Gerard Gorman provides a close-up look at the lives of these birds, from their anatomy, diet and nesting habits to their iconic drumming behaviour. He also explores the relationship that humans have enjoyed with woodpeckers for centuries, in folklore, myth and conservation, and gives tips on how to observe these wonderful birds in the wild. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photographs and informative expert text.

In the Company of Crows and Ravens

In the Company of Crows and Ravens
Author: John M. Marzluff
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2008-10-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0300135262

“Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.”—from the Preface From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authors of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well. John Marzluff and Tony Angell examine the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact. The authors contend that those interactions reflect a process of “cultural coevolution.” They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamic—a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves. Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.

Gifts of the Crow

Gifts of the Crow
Author: John Marzluff
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2013-02-05
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1439198748

Offers insight into crows' ability to make tools and respond to environmental challenges, explaining how they engage in human-like behaviors, from giving gifts and seeking revenge to playing and experiencing dreams.

The Pocket Book of Bird Anatomy

The Pocket Book of Bird Anatomy
Author: Marianne Taylor
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2020-05-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1472976916

What is a bird? To answer that, we must understand how birds are different from all other living things and how they fit into the diversity of life on Earth. This excellent RSPB guide to bird anatomy looks at the avian body, system by system, how it evolved, and how it functions. Chapters explore traits that are unique to birds, including their remarkable one-way breathing cycle, their trimmed-down skeleton, how feathers permit flight, provide weather-proofing and add beauty, and the avian bill – a lightweight replacement for both teeth and food-handling forelimbs. Each chapter tackles a particular body system and includes detailed anatomical illustrations, from cells and organs to skeletons and muscles, to show how birds' anatomical adaptations enable all their physical feats and fascinating behaviour. Feature spreads offer more in-depth analysis on topics like birdsong, temperature control, ornamentation, unusual diets, social behaviour, nocturnal adaptations, mutation and natural selection. Featuring more than 300 diagrams and colour photos, this fascinating new book also looks at the human impact on the avian world and reveals how behaviour and anatomy work together to produce these vibrant living beings that delight and inspire us so much.