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The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation

Whether we live in cities, in the suburbs, or in the country, birds are ubiquitous features of daily life, so much so that we often take them for granted. But even the casual observer is aware that birds don’t fill our skies in the number they once did. That awareness has spawned conservation action that has led to notable successes, including the recovery of some of the nation’s most emblematic species, such as the Bald Eagle, Brown Pelican, Whooping Crane, and Peregrine Falcon. Despite this, a third of all American bird species are in trouble—in many cases, they’re in imminent danger of extinction. The most authoritative account ever published of the threats these species face, The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation will be the definitive book on the subject.

The Guide presents for the first time anywhere a classification system and threat analysis for bird habitats in the United States, the most thorough and scientifically credible assessment of threats to birds published to date, as well as a new list of birds of conservation concern. Filled with beautiful color illustrations and original range maps, the Guide is a timely, important, and inspiring reference for birders and anyone else interested in conserving North America’s avian fauna. But this book is far more than another shout of crisis. The Guide also lays out a concrete and achievable plan of long-term action to safeguard our country’s rich bird life. Ultimately, it is an argument for hope. Whether you spend your early weekend mornings crouched in silence with binoculars in hand, hoping to check another species off your list, or you’ve never given much thought to bird conservation, you’ll appreciate the visual power and intellectual scope of these pages.

See sample pages (PDF format, 1.4Mb).


456 pages | 600 color plates | 6 3/10 x 9 | © 2010

Biological Sciences: Biology--Systematics, Conservation, Natural History

Reviews

"Hands down, this is the most important book of the year, one every birdwatcher should own. It provides distribution, threats, and conservation status for all 212 Watch List species in the United States. It describes the habitats all birds rely on—the authors have organized these into twelve beautiful ’birdscapes.’ . . . It analyzes the human causes of bird mortality. And most important, it lays out an achievable plan of action for safeguarding our country’s rich birdlife and how you can help."

Birder's World

“The particular beauty of this book is that it’s not just another shout of crisis. It also lays out a concrete and achievable plan of long-term action to safeguard our country’s rich bird life. . . . Even if you’re only a little bit interested in birds, and have never thought much about bird conservation, you’ll appreciate the visual power and intellectual scope of these pages.”

Jonathan Franzen

"A fine layman’s introduction to the species and regions that ABC believes need the most conservation. It is for today’s birders what Roger Tory peterson’s guide was for Americans in 1934, a specialist’s gift to the curious layman.”--Books and Culture

Books and Culture

“This appears to be a first of its kind, a guide of needed conservation actions across the Western Hemisphere with particular emphasis on the United States. . . . It is my hope that this informative and delightful volume will entice more people to become involved in conservation.”

Mark Robbins | Quarterly Review of Biology

Table of Contents

Foreword
George Fenwick

About this book

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

  Bird Conservation Basics 
  Conservation History

SPECIES

  (Introduction)
  (Accounts) 

HABITATS

  (Introduction) 
  Hawaii BCR: 67
  Arctic Tundra    "BCR: 1,2,3"
  Northern Forests "BCR: 4,6,7,8,12,14" 
  Western Forests "BCR: 5,10,15,16,34"
  Eastern Forests "BCR: 13,23, 24, 28, 29, 30" 
  Southern Forests "BCR: 25, 26,27, 31"
  Grasslands & Prairies "BCR: 11, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 37" 
  SC Arid Lands "BCR: 20, 35, 36" 
  SW Arid Lands "BCR:  9, 32, 33" 
  Wetlands
  Marine "(Beaches, Coasts & Marine)" 
  Human Landscape    

ISSUES (Threats)

  Drivers of Habitat Loss
  Invasive & Over-abundant Species
  Exploitation
  Pollution
  Climate Change

INTERNATIONAL

  Neotropical Species
  Neotropical Habitats 
  Social Issues 
  Drivers of Habitat Loss
  Habitat Protection 
  Issues (threats) 

TOOLS

  Reader Tools

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