Understanding Bird Behaviour

by Stephen Moss

Recognizing how individual bird species behave can give vital clues to accurate identification. This book will help readers to do just that, and also understand why birds behave in a particular way. As an experienced birder himself, author Stephen Moss knows exactly what information is needed to make the reader's birdwatching more successful and rewarding. With authority, charity and enthusiasm, he investigates the fundamental types of behavior at each stage of a bird's life, how these vary between different species, and how they are influenced by outside factors such as habitat, weather and season. Readers will gain valuable insight into bird psychology and survival tactics, into feeding patterns mating displays and breeding, and into movement and migration. Life expectancy and death. The book also focuses on the bird themselves and describes the behaviours that are characteristic to each of them. Many full-color photographs and fine art illustrations capture the essential character of birds and the environments in which they live. Understanding Bird Behaviour is essential foundation reading for the novice birdwatchers, and valuable background reference for more experienced birders.

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Biology

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Moss is a naturalist, broadcaster, television producer and author. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain. His books include The Robin: A Biography, A Bird in the Bush, The Bumper Book of Nature, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds and Wild Kingdom. He is also Senior Lecturer in Nature and Travel Writing at Bath Spa University. Originally from London, he lives with his family on the Somerset Levels, and is President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian.

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Отличная книга, ответила на вопросы, которые я даже не знала, что у меня есть. Заодно подтянула научный английский немного.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a useful book on UK bird behaviour. The first section is more general; covering movement, feeding, breeding, migration, roosting etc. For the beginner bird-watcher this might help clear up a few queries but it's the second section with species specific behaviour that is most useful. Not only will this help a learning bird-watcher to help identify birds when plumage is hard to see or obscured but it also provides you with some interesting behaviour to watch out for and takes the appreciation of the birds beyond mere identification and listing and into the life cycle and natural history of the bird.

Nature documentaries beguile us on television almost entirely with animal behaviour and this book hopefully will show the reader that there is plenty of interesting drama going on on this drab temperate island as there is in exotic jungles, deserts and tundra.

[Jonathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great read.
The first half of the book discussed bird behaviour generally, including how they drink, feed, roost, migrate, navigate, and perform everyday activities. The second half discusses specific species and their individual behaviours, and other aspects.

All in all, it was very easy to understand for someone who hasn't read a book about birds at all. The language was clear and concise, and was separately into topics which made it easier to take in.

[Jasmine Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend for bird watchers and those looking to get into ornithology.

[Amar Pai · Rating 3 out of 5]

UK specific but still pretty interesting. Did you know:

-birds can sleep while they fly

-swifts can stay aloft for months at a time

-owls are stone cold killers

-robins are jerks

I want to see some birds of prey. I really want to see an owl in its natural habitat, but they only come out at night

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read.