Pelicans, cormorants and their relatives : Pelecanidae, Sulidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Anhingidae, Fregatidae, Phaethontidae /
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| Author / Creator: | Nelson, Bryan, 1932- |
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| Imprint: | Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2005. |
| Description: | 1 online resource (ix, 661 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations (some color), maps. |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | Bird families of the world ; 17 Bird families of the world ; 17. |
| Subject: | |
| Format: | E-Resource Book |
| URL for this record: | http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11143530 |
| Summary: | The pelecaniformes are a large and important group of seabirds, containing many spectacular species. This book addresses the breeding biology of the six pelecaniform families, which comprise the closely-related core groups (pelicans, cormorants/shags, darters, gannets/boobies) and their more distant relatives, the frigate birds and tropic birds. Many fundamental questions can be addressed through the pelecaniformes: Why do they breed in colonies? What are the links between their feeding methods and their reproduction? What part does territorial and pairing behaviour play in their life-cycles? These and scores of comparable issues, including those related to man, are woven here into a richly interpretative text. The author's approach to the subject is threefold. First, the pelecaniformes are placed within the framework of four discrete disciplines, with chapters on evolutionary relationships, comparative behaviour, ecology, and the birds' relationship with humans. Secondly, each of the six families is discussed, elucidating the range of taxonomy, behaviour, and ecology within each. Finally, we progress to specific level, using the same structure as for the family accounts.; In this way, each of the 60-odd species can be understood not just as discrete units, but as part of their family and order. The book is unique in its coverage of the entire order and in its combination of facts and interpretation. "Pelicans, Cormorants, and their Allies" will enable readers not only to identify the many spectacular species which make up this large and important group of seabirds, but also to understand their breeding biology. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (ix, 661 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations (some color), maps. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 1423768124 9781423768128 0198577273 1280758279 9781280758270 9786610758272 6610758271 0191547263 9780191547263 |