From the tufted puffin in the Pacific Northwest to the hook-billed
hermit in the Brazilian rainforest, birds suffer from the effects of
climate change in every corner of the globe. Scientists have found
declines of up to 90 percent in some troubled bird populations and
unprecedented reproductive failure in others. The most recent studies
suggest dire prospects: 1,227 avian species are threatened with
extinction and an additional 838 near-threatened species are urgent
priorities for conservation action.
As much an indispensable guide as a timely call to action, Bird Watch
is an illustrated tour of these endangered birds and their habitats.
Encyclopedic in scope, this book features all 1,227 species on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List,
thoroughly detailing the environmental pressures and conservation
prescriptions that hold their futures in the balance. After introducing
readers to the main threats to birds and regions at high risk, Bird
Watch presents a visually stunning and scientifically accurate flight
over the major bird habitats, including tropical forests; temperate and
northern forests; deserts; mountains; grasslands; and Mediterranean,
marine, freshwater, and oceanic islands. The volume concludes with an
overview of bird species by region--categorized by family within each
region, and a guide to the world's best birding sites. Produced in
cooperation with BirdLife International, Bird Watch is a celebration
of the beauty and diversity of birds and their habitats--and a warning
of the dangers they face around the world.
