Flightless Birds

Publishing Details

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Physical Properties

Description

We share the earth with a wide variety of animal species, each of which brings something special to the diversity of the planet. By knowing more about how animals behave and live, we gain a greater understanding of how life evolved and the importance of biodiversity. This volume provides a complete guide to those birds that have evolved a trait that would seem to harm their ability to survive - flightlessness. Flight has its advantages - why would some birds be flightless Flightless Birds covers the loss of flight in birds, both permanently after years of evolution, and temporarily as a result of unusual molting behavior, and those species that are in various stages of losing their flight. The book provides a thorough guide, perfect for research papers in biology classes, for understanding the behavior and biodiversity of a fascinating and unusual group of animals. Flightless Birds includes sections on the major groups of flightless birds: Rarities whose ancient ancestors were on the continents when they broke away millions of years ago, and who survived despite competing with mammals; birds that were marooned on islands in the ocean, where food was plentiful and predators absent; penguins, which evolved alongside seas teeming with food and had no need to fly, and the special case of New Zealand's many flightless species which evolved in a predator-free paradise but could not cope with the settlers and their alien animals; and the many species which have become extinct within historic times. Beautifully illustrated, with numerous color photos, Flightless Birds provides copious material for understanding these unusual animals.

Reviews

This title has been reviewed jointly with Nocturnal Animals and Hibernation, both by Clive Roots..These three titles fill a niche. Most available books on flightless birds, nocturnal animals, and hibernation are for a juvenile audience, or they focus narrowly on particular animals (e.g., penguins) rather than giving a broad overview. Undergraduates in zoology will find these books useful. Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates, two-year technical program students, and general readers. * Choice *
Roots, a zoo director, describes the flightlessness of wild birds whose ancestors could fly, including how their abilities changed due to evolution. He also discusses temporary and compromised flightlessness and the birds' habitat, range, physiology, food, breeding, predation, and threats. Species covered: ratites such as ostriches and emus; the rallidae family, which includes woodhens and rails; gliders; penguins; grebes and cormorants; waterfowl; and extinct species. Color and B&W photos are incorporated. * SciTech Book News *

Author Bio

Clive Roots has been a zoo director for many years. He has traveled the world collecting live animals for zoo conservation programs. Roots has acted as a masterplanning and design consultant for numerous zoological gardens and related projects around the world, and has written many books on zoo and natural history subjects.