A brand-new, completely revised second edition of Jenni and Winkler's
classic guide, updated and improved for the next generation of ringers
and professional ornithologists.
Lukas Jenni and Raffael Winkler have studied moult across a wide range
of bird species for decades, and in this book bring their observations
together to produce a valuable reference for both professional
ornithologists and bird ringers. This second edition has been completely
updated and revised, with 16 new species accounts added, bringing the
total covered to 74.
The first part of the book provides an up-to-date summary of the moult
strategies and moult sequences of European passerines, and discusses the
ecological consequences of moult. Throughout the book, the authors draw
on the enormous amount of data on moult that they have collected over 40
years of study and which, combined with data from the literature, allow
them to present a thorough synthesis of the subject.
The second part is of particular value to ringers. Following a general
introduction to ageing, detailed moult profiles are given for 74
European passerine species, illustrating all of the major moult
strategies and including useful summary statistics, schematic diagrams
of the extent of moult and indications of the variation within each
species. The main moult strategies are illustrated with schematic
graphs, and the moult strategies and extent of moult of every European
passerine species are summarised in tabular form.
The crowning feature of this book is its collection of more than 600
full-colour photographs of extended wings, which show the entire range
of moult patterns and plumage-ageing criteria. An appendix gives
supplementary information on ageing birds by the degree of
pneumatisation of the skull.
Large in format, packed with high-quality photography and lavish in
production specifications, this second edition of Moult and Ageing in
European Passerines is both a major reference for ornithologists,
zoologists, bird ringers and dedicated birdwatchers, and a work of great
scholarship and beauty.
