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Birds of Paradise
Paradisaeidae
Clifford B. Frith and Bruce M. Beehler
Illustrated by William T. Cooper
676 pages
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15 plates, numerous halftones and line figures
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246x189mm
978-0-19-854853-9
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Hardback
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09 July 1998
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This item is printed to order and supplied on a firm sale basis. Items which are printed to order are normally despatched and charged within 5-10 days.
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- 12 magnificent colour plates and numerous line drawings by acclaimed bird artist William T. Cooper
- Combines scientific rigour and accuracy with lively, accessible style
- New systematic treatment of the entire family - the most ornate and interesting group of birds on earth
- Authors have first hand knowledge of the birds they describe
Birds of paradise have long played a central role in the mythologies, ceremonies, dress and dance of the peoples of New Guinea and its neighbouring islands. For the few centuries that these magnificent birds have been known outside of Australasia, their striking nuptial plumages and elaborate courtship rituals have captured the imagination of collectors, scientists, and naturalists throughout the world. The first part of the book provides a comprehensive and scientifically accurate overview of the biology, ecology, and history of the group, written so as to be interesting and accessible to the lay-reader as well as the scientist. The authors' intimate
observations of the birds have enabled them to describe for the first time how the extravagant tails and plumage are used in courtship and mating as well as to describe their nesting biology, about which little has been written previously. The role of the birds of paradise in human culture and tradition is explored in chapter 7, and a final chapter discusses issues of conservation and threats to the survival of these unique and beautiful birds. The second part of the book consists of species accounts of the 42 species of birds of paradise, describing their plumage, size, habitat, distribution, and behaviour in detail and accompanied by distribution maps and sonograms. 12 superb colour plates by William T. Cooper, one of the world's most acclaimed bird artists, illustrate all the
species, their known hybrids, and many juveniles and sub-species. His original fine line provide a vivid record of how the birds use their famous ornaments during reproductive behaviour. As with the other books in the Oxford Bird Families of the World series, the Birds of Paradise is written by authors who have dedicated much of their professional lives to researching the birds and observing them at first hand. It includes previously unpublished material and provides a synthesis of the huge literature that has been published over the last few years. As such it will be the most comprehensive review ever to be published on the birds of paradise, the most ornate and interesting group of birds on earth. Nothing comparable exists in
print.Readership: Professional ornithologists and researchers with an interest in the birds of paradise or in bird ecology, sexual selection, mating behaviour, and nesting biology generally, Amateur ornithologists and naturalists.
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"'The first comprehensive overview of this dramatic group of birds..." - BBC Wildlife
"'...an exhaustive summary of literally everything known about all 42 birds of paradise...I must also comment onf Frith and Beehler's organizational skill, from which any would-be author could learn. Masses of details are renedered digestible...Questions for future research are highlighted throughout, making this book another treasure trove for studnet sin search of PhD theseis topics." - Jared Diamond Nature
"'...this book will stimulate interest in the habits and conservation of these magnificent birds and the paradise in which they live.'" - World Birdwatch
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Preface and acknowledgement
List of colour plates
List of abbreviations
Plan of the book
Diagrams of bird topography
Diagrams of bird of paradise structural morphology
Map showing some more important locations mentioned in the text
Boundaries of the regional maps used in the species accounts of Chapter 9
Part I
1: The incredible birds of paradise - an introduction
2: Discovery of the birds of paradise and history of their study
3: Evolution and biogeography of the birds of paradise
4: Ecology of the birds of paradise
5: Reproductive behaviour
6: Nesting biology and parental behaviour
7: Birds of paradise in human tradition and culture
8: Conservation
Part II
Family, subfamily, genus and species accounts
Appendices
References
Index
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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