Second Nature -- Birds -- Extreme Birds
--by Hanje Richards
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One of our recent additions to the collection is so intriguing that it’s inspired me to start a new blog series – “Second Nature.” In it, I plan to highlight some of the most interesting titles in the Copper Queen Library’s Science, Nature, and Natural History collections.
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One of our recent additions to the collection is so intriguing that it’s inspired me to start a new blog series – “Second Nature.” In it, I plan to highlight some of the most interesting titles in the Copper Queen Library’s Science, Nature, and Natural History collections.
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This inaugural post features an extraordinary book by Dominic Couzens, an author, birder, and journalist specializing in avian and natural history subjects who contributes regularly to Bird Watching and BBC Wildlife magazines and who is also a professional field trip guide.
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Extreme Birds: The World’s Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds (Dominic Couzens)
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A photographic showcase of 150 birds at the extremes of nature, Extreme Birds reveals nature's ingenuity and, sometimes, its sense of humor. The species showcased in this book are chosen for their extraordinary characteristics and for behaviors far beyond the typical. They are the biggest, the fastest, the meanest, the smartest. They build the most intricate nests, have the most peculiar mating rituals, and dive the deepest or fly the highest. These are the overachievers of the avian world.
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Some examples:
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...*Most skilled nest builder: The tiny southern masked weaver reveals a surprising grasp of the principles of architecture. In just five days, it weaves and knots thousands of fine grass strands to build a complex sphere-like nest that hangs from the tip of an overhead branch.
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...*Deadliest enemy: Native to the Australian rainforests, the southern cassowary is big (140 pounds), tall (6 feet) and fast (30 mph). This flightless bird can also leap 5 feet into the air and has 5-inch long claws that are capable of stabbing and disemboweling a human being.
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...*Most creative decorator: The blue bower bird creates an elaborate "bachelor pad" bower and decorates it with colorful baubles – blue preferred, and the shinier the better.
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Enlivened with entertaining facts and anecdotes, Extreme Birds is an engaging celebration of nature's enormous imagination and will appeal to all readers, especially birders and naturalists.
.
.This inaugural post features an extraordinary book by Dominic Couzens, an author, birder, and journalist specializing in avian and natural history subjects who contributes regularly to Bird Watching and BBC Wildlife magazines and who is also a professional field trip guide.
.
Extreme Birds: The World’s Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds (Dominic Couzens)
.
A photographic showcase of 150 birds at the extremes of nature, Extreme Birds reveals nature's ingenuity and, sometimes, its sense of humor. The species showcased in this book are chosen for their extraordinary characteristics and for behaviors far beyond the typical. They are the biggest, the fastest, the meanest, the smartest. They build the most intricate nests, have the most peculiar mating rituals, and dive the deepest or fly the highest. These are the overachievers of the avian world.
.
Some examples:
.
...*Most skilled nest builder: The tiny southern masked weaver reveals a surprising grasp of the principles of architecture. In just five days, it weaves and knots thousands of fine grass strands to build a complex sphere-like nest that hangs from the tip of an overhead branch.
.
...*Deadliest enemy: Native to the Australian rainforests, the southern cassowary is big (140 pounds), tall (6 feet) and fast (30 mph). This flightless bird can also leap 5 feet into the air and has 5-inch long claws that are capable of stabbing and disemboweling a human being.
.
...*Most creative decorator: The blue bower bird creates an elaborate "bachelor pad" bower and decorates it with colorful baubles – blue preferred, and the shinier the better.
.
Enlivened with entertaining facts and anecdotes, Extreme Birds is an engaging celebration of nature's enormous imagination and will appeal to all readers, especially birders and naturalists.
What a fun and visually delightful book! It I can currently be found on the “New Non-Fiction” shelf at the Copper Queen Library.
posted by msbw @ 12:49 PM
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