Harriers are a charismatic group of birds of prey with a worldwide distribution that have long fascinated bird watchers and scientists. Here for the first time the biology of the world's harriers is treated within one over, in readily accessible language. There are detailed comparisons of northern and southern species, descriptions of mating systems and population dynamics life histories, and insights into the selection pressures shaping the birds' life histories. The author addresses such questions as how females choose partners against their apparent self- interest, how they adjust to prevailing circumstances to produce the perfect clutch size, and what underlies variations in size dimorphism and copulation patterns. New information resulting from a DNA examination of the group reveals three new harrier species and allows construction of a new phylogeny of the harriers. The author's twin brother brings the book to life by fine original line drawings of these impressive birds. It will be a treat for all raptor biologists, amateur raptophiles, and behavioral ecologists interested in birds of prey.
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Editorial Reviews
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"[R]emarkably compact, written in an engaging and easily accessible style ... rich with fascinating ideas on the evolution and ecology of a spectacular group of birds. We recommend that anyone with even a passing interest in how and why birds do what they do, as well as all those who take the study of behaviour, ecology and evolution more seriously, should add this volume to their bookshelves."--Africa Birds and Birding
About the Author
Ornithologist/Specialist Scientist,Research Associate,Fitzpatrick Institute, University of Cape Town and Tourism, Namibia
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Harriers - a metaphor for human sexuality !,
By Rex Circus "harrier king" (united kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Harriers of the World: Their Behaviour and Ecology (Oxford Ornithology Series) (Paperback)
The intriguing sexual diversities & behavioral exploits of the 17 species of that beautiful Bird of Prey - The Harrier - are brought to life in rich detail.
This book unravels the Harriers complex world and provides a vivid insight into many of the amazing aspects of the life of this hugely diverse species found across the worlds unfrozen continents. The parallels with our own lifestyle and sexual behavior leave you wanting more in this fascinating exploration. Curious ? Read on .....
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
In the tangled bank, at the conclusion of his masterpiece The origin of species, Charles Darwin mused on the ecological forces that shape and continue to shape the species that live there: It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
unfed birds, experimental food supplements, temperate congeners, aerial food transfers, foraging yield, reversed size dimorphism, adult harriers, harrier eggs, harrier populations, total clutch volume, mean egg volume, polygynous females, reversed dimorphism, provisioning rates, provisioning performance, higher predation levels, marsh harriers, breeding harriers, male harriers, supplemented birds, swamp harrier, prey deliveries, laying larger clutches, harrier breeding, mouse availability Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Brunswick, North America, South Africa, South America, Longwinged Harrier, Spotted Harrier, The Netherlands, Black Harrier, Life-Dinner Principle, New Zealand, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Reunion Harrier, Tantramar Marsh, New Guinea, Australasian Swamp Harrier, Eddie Balfour, Pied Harrier, European Kestrel, Lesser Kestrels, American Kestrel, Cinereous Harriers, Expected Fecundity, Madagascar Harrier, Tengmalm's Owls, Wahlberg's Eagle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In the tangled bank, at the conclusion of his masterpiece The origin of species, Charles Darwin mused on the ecological forces that shape and continue to shape the species that live there: It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
unfed birds, experimental food supplements, temperate congeners, aerial food transfers, foraging yield, reversed size dimorphism, adult harriers, harrier eggs, harrier populations, total clutch volume, mean egg volume, polygynous females, reversed dimorphism, provisioning rates, provisioning performance, higher predation levels, marsh harriers, breeding harriers, male harriers, supplemented birds, swamp harrier, prey deliveries, laying larger clutches, harrier breeding, mouse availability Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Brunswick, North America, South Africa, South America, Longwinged Harrier, Spotted Harrier, The Netherlands, Black Harrier, Life-Dinner Principle, New Zealand, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Reunion Harrier, Tantramar Marsh, New Guinea, Australasian Swamp Harrier, Eddie Balfour, Pied Harrier, European Kestrel, Lesser Kestrels, American Kestrel, Cinereous Harriers, Expected Fecundity, Madagascar Harrier, Tengmalm's Owls, Wahlberg's Eagle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 18
books:
See all 18 books this book cites
4
books
cite this book:
- The Marsh Harrier (Hamlyn species guides) by Roger Clarke on 5 pages
- Neotropical Ornithology (Ornithological Monographs) by P. A. Buckley in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Pied Flycatcher (T & AD Poyser) by Arne Lundberg in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Avian Growth and Development: Evolution within the Altricial-Precocial Spectrum (Oxford Ornithology Series) by J. Matthias Starck in Front Matter
- Birds of New Guinea by Bruce M. Beehler in Back Matter
See all 18 books this book cites
- Bird Migration: A General Survey (Oxford Ornithology Series) by Peter Berthold in Front Matter
- Avian Flight (Oxford Ornithology) by John J. Videler in Front Matter
- Bird Migration: A General Survey (Oxford Ornithology Series) by Peter Berthold in Front Matter
- Hawks and Owls of Eastern North America by Donald S. Heintzelman in Back Matter
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