Atlas of Rare Birds (Mit Press)

I never realized there were that many rare birds. I was also nice to read about the birds I knew and learn more.

Dominic Couzens' guide to 50 of the rarest birds of the world is as stunning photographically as it is saddening psychologically. The reader is treated to page after page of marvelous images of rarely-seen ducks, condors, mockingbirds, warbler, falcons, sandpipers, doves and macaws, over 200 pix in all. The accompanying text often reveals many of those lovely creatures are threatened with extinction, never to be seen and enjoyed again. The reader cannot help but be affected by this absorbing MIT Press/BirdLife International 2010 release.Couzins divides his topic into ten categories/chapters that emphasize different aspects of bird extinction: 'Back from the Brink,' 'Perils of Island Living,' 'Threats in Many Guises,' 'Unexpected Calamities,' 'Lost Causes,' 'Controversies,' 'Rediscoveries' and so on. As brought out in these chapters, many factors make bird conservation difficult - sensitive habitat, size of habitat, economic conditions of the country where the species resides, the trade-off between human and bird interests, etc. Difficulties only increase with migrating birds.Each chapter makes for enlightening reading. The first chapter,'Back from the Brink,' for example, relates the success achieved in attempts to bring a particular species back using surviving examples. Species covered include the California Condor, Kakpo, Laysan Duck, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Crested Ibis. Each bird gets a four-page spread with several color photographs and a color map. Couzin relates that species' history, recounting causes of decline, efforts to build up the population, future prospects, etc.The 'Threats in Many Disguises' chapter may be the most fascinating of all as it deals with some really unusual threats faced by birds such as the Tristan Albatross (giant mice), Black-eared Miner (mating with Yellow-throated Miners), Montserrat Oriole (hurricanes/volcanos), Houbara Bustard (falconer poachers) and Colourful Puffleg (loss of habitat).The final chapter - 'The Pending Tray' - is the most poignant, covering, as it does, species that may be out there or not! Most of the illustrations in this chapter - covering Long-Whiskered Owlets, Night Parrots, Pink-headed Ducks, White-eyed River Martins and Ivory-billed Woodpeckers - are drawings or black-and-white photographs, indicating the MIA status of those birds.In summary, ATLAS OF RARE BIRDS is a rara avis itself, equal parts inspiration and despair. It is a stunning tribute to some of God's most beautiful and fragile creatures and a definite call to action. Highly recommended.

This is a truly magical book and I can't rate it highly enough. Each of the 50 birds described are superbly photographed, or illustrated where no photographs exist, over four pages with excellent text, maps and other pictures of their habitats. Before purchasing it, I didn't notice how new a publication this is, just 2010, so I was somewhat shocked to see it being resold for as little as just one penny (no fault of the sellers, obviously the general market!). I am going to make at least one donation of the book's original cost to BirdLife International and hope that in a decade or two, the vast majority of the birds noted within (beautifully) are still with us. Humankind has a lot to answer for with regard to the decimation of these wonderful beings and it would be fitting to hope that any donation to the charity will readdress this. Dominic Couzens has created a masterpiece here.

its a book !!

very good book it hasn't got all the rarities in but concentrates on some of the best examples of why they're rare and covers them well. You won't regret buying it.i

Just as it says on the label, stories, in the main, that we should be ashamed of.

livre anglophone relié rigide grand format récent (2010) consacré aux oiseaux rares et espèces aviaires en voie d'extinction après six pages d'introduction et de généralités dont une consacrée à Birdlife international, l'auteur, ornitho anglais réputé traite le sujet en dix sections elles-même divisées en 5 chapitre de 4 pages traitant chacun d'une espèce avec carte de distribution et nombreuses photos couleur:1 ils ont été au bord de l'extinction (22p)2 le péril de la vie insulaire (22p)3 menaces de toutes sortes (22p)4 migrants (22p)5 catastrophes inattendues (22p)6 causes perdues (22p)7 controverses (22p)8 découvertes de nouvelles espèces (22p)9 redécouvertes d'espèes éteintes (22p)10 en suspens (22p)cet ouvrage passionnant à l'iconographie sublime nous fait rentrer dans l'intimité des 50 espèces les plus rares du monde enchantera tous les amateurs d'oiseaux, y compris les ornithologues les plus exigeants pour leur bibliothèque