Birds of New Guinea

Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press - bOLLINGEN sERIES XX, 1986. Fourth Printing . Hard Back. Very Good/Very Good. 6 1/2" X 9 1/2. Zimmerman, Dale A.; Coe, James. 293 Pages Indexed. Handbook No.9 of the Wau Ecology Institute in Papua New Guinea. Dark gray cloth with silver lettering on spine. Used book in great condition. Interior text pages are flawless. This book is the first definitive ornithological field guide to New Guinea, the world's second largest island and one of the richest tropical environments in the Old World. Because of its isolation, New Guinea's biota includes spectacular radiations of unusual plants and animals of which the birds of paradise are perhaps best known. The region has long attracted naturalists, ecologists, and anthropologists. This book treats all of the more than 700 species of birds recorded from the region, illustrating more than 600 of them in forty-seven fine color plates and eight black-and-white halftone plates. The text contains species accounts treating identification, distribution, ecology, vocalizations, and behavior. This is preceded by a detailed introduction to the region, with sections on climate, biogeography, rain forest ecology, and conservation. A chief contribution of the book is the wealth of information on the habits of many of the region's little-known species. Included is an ornithological gazetteer, along with four maps showing natural features and important ornithological localities. Bruce Beehler is Scientific Assistant to the Secretary Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. Dale A. Zimmerman is Professor of Biology at Western New Mexico University. Thane K. Pratt is a wildlife biologist with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Commonwealth Northern Marianas.