A Visitor S Guide To The Birds Of The Christmas Island Indian Ocean

"Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean. It is home to three main ethnic groups, the smallest of which are European Australians. Christmas Island is also where those who arrive "illegally" to seek asylum in Australia are accommodated. Christmas Island has played a key role in Australian security, located as it is at the northern extremity of Australian territory; much closer to Indonesia than to the nation to which it belongs, and from whose territory it has recently been excised for migration purposes." "This anthropological exploration - the very first one ever undertaken of this strategically important island - focuses closely on the sensual engagements people have with place, shows how Christmas Islanders make recourse to the animals, birds and topographic features of the island to create uniquely islandic ways of being at home - and ways of creating "others" who will never belong - under volatile political circumstances."--BOOK JACKET.

A fully comprehensive, modern field guide to all of the bird species in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Featuring numerous colour illustrations and detailed descriptions of the key identification features, the book will be equally valuable for ornithologists and birdwatchers.

Possibly the most successful urban birds, pigeons and doves in the Order Columbiformes are one of the most easily recognised groups. They are an ancient and very successful group with an almost worldwide distribution and are most strongly represented in tropical and subtropical regions, including Australia. In most species simple plumage patterns feature mainly grey and brown with black, white or dull reddish markings, but the highly colourful fruit-doves include some of the most beautiful of all birds. From dense rainforests of north Queensland, where brilliantly plumaged Superb Fruit-Doves Ptilinopus superbus are heard more easily than seen, to cold, windswept heathlands of Tasmania, where Brush Bronzewings Phaps elegans are locally common, most regions of Australia are frequented by one or more species. For more than a century after arrival of the First Fleet, interest in these birds focused on the eating qualities of larger species. In addition to contributing to declines of local populations in some parts of Australia, excessive hunting brought about the extinction of two species on Lord Howe Island and another species on Norfolk Island. In Pigeons and Doves in Australia, Joseph Forshaw and William Cooper have summarised our current knowledge of all species, including those occurring on Christmas, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, and with superb artwork have given readers a visual appreciation of the birds in their natural habitats. Historical accounts of extinct species are also included. Detailed information on management practices for all species is presented, ensuring that Pigeons and Doves in Australia will become the standard reference work on these birds for ornithologists and aviculturists.

Based on 41 years of Hong Kong Bird Watching Society records and surveys, including the first comprehensive breeding bird survey carried out in Hong Kong. A detailed analysis of the changing status and distribution of each species in Hong Kong, together with a review of 20 years of waterbird count data, an assessment of the effect of the wild bird trade on birds in Hong Kong and a summary of data collected as part of a long-term ringing programme make this an essential reference to the status and distribution of the birds of south China.

This fully revised second edition describes the best-known sites for all of Australia's endemic birds, plus regular migrants such as seabirds and shorebirds. Covers all states and territories, plus all Australia's island and external territories.