Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens : Maluridae (Bird Families of the World, number 4) [Hardcover]

Ian Rowley (Author), Eleanor Russell (Author), Peter Marsack (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 1997

The brilliant plumage, jaunty gait, and acceptance of man-made suburban gardens as a suitable habitat make fairy-wrens a favorite with anyone lucky enough to see them. They are small--no larger than 40 grams--and feed mainly on the ground or in low vegetation. Fairy-wrens have a fascinating social organization, with groups consisting of long-lasting pairs and their progeny, retained long after independence. This book is the culmination of forty years of field studies by the author. It follows up the work published by Richard Schodde in 1982, while emphasizing more recent interest in cooperative breeding and sexual selection. The first eight chapters look at the family as a whole, describing their taxonomy, evolution, biology, behavior, and conservation. Next are accounts of 25 species, each one giving comprehensive information on the bird in its natural state. Distribution maps, sonograms, and a full glossary are included; all species are illustrated in color in superb plates specially commissioned for this volume. It will be a valuable reference to ornithologists, bird-watchers, and anyone involved in animal behavior.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`...it provides an excellent and clearly written introduction to the bizarre lives of the Maluridae, as well as carefully compiled summaries of life histories, morphology, plumage variation, communication and other aspects of behaviour...this book is an important scientific contribution and should be part of the library of anybody interested in ornithology or behavioural ecology.' Andrew Cockburn, IBIS 140: 541-556, 1998.

`This is a scholarly, fully referenced treatise on the Maluridae, but is easy to read or to dip into to explore specific aspects of the birds' biology.' Peter Ryan Africa Birds and Birding 3:4, 1998.

About the Author

Ian Rowley is at CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Eleanor Russell is at CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Peter Marsack is at Freelance Artist.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (December 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198546904
• ISBN-13: 978-0198546900
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,639,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating fairy-wrens, June 23, 2000

By 

Anne Peters (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens : Maluridae (Bird Families of the World, number 4) (Hardcover)

This book provides an overview of some of Australia's and Papua New Guinea's most intriguing and beautiful little birds. Fairy-wrens have fascinated ornithologists and lay-people alike from early European settlement in Australia. And rightly so. The males are strikingly coloured in deep blues, brilliant cobalts, daring reds and purples. They have a lovely, far-reaching song, well-known to many Australian with a suburban garden. Their social system is intricate and fascinating, living in small social groups of varying complexity. Plus the fariry-wrens are the least faithful of all birds, with females routinely cuckolding their social partners. Emu-wrens and grass-wrens are somewhat more modest in their appearance, and more elusive to the uninitiated bird watcher. But the beauty of the emu-wrens lies in the detail of their feathered tail, whereas the grasswrens are the most cryptic of them all. This book is a delight, well written by Australia's two leading - and most sympathetic - wren-biologists, providing a plethora of interesting facts presented in an appealing style that can captivate experts and interested lay-people alike. The plates by Peter Marsack are delightful, accurate and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the essence and beauty of these wonderful birds.