Customer Reviews

Poyser Species Monograph: the Skylark

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I study seabirds for a living and still found the book very insightful. In contrast to some of Gaston's earlier books on murres and murrelets, Seabirds: a natural history is very easy reading. Particularly illuminating were the discussions on the "seabird syndrome"--the life history attributes (long lives and small clutches) that separate seabirds from most other birds--and the population processes that underlie that syndrome. I also really enjoyed the anecdotes at the start of each chapter, describing Gaston's adventures with seabirds around the world. The diagrams and photos are also good quality.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm currently perusing it a second time. The author is a biologist who writes very well for a general audience. One of the strengths of the book is that it presents a decidedly "big picture" view of seabirds - comparing seabird natural histories around the globe, through time, and with other groups of animals. It asks and attempts to answer many "why" questions about seabird life history strategies in an entertaining and thoughtful way. I highly recommend this book to birders and naturalists who are interested in these fascinating and sometimes mysterious birds. I caution, however, that this book is not about the field identification of seabirds and does not treat particular families of seabirds in a specific way - but there are more and more field guides and books that cover that area separately.