Ornithology: Foundation, Analysis, and Application

The essential text for ornithology courses, this book will leave students with a lifelong understanding and appreciation of the biology and ecology of birds.

Aves, the birds, is the wildlife group that people most frequently encounter. With over 10,000 species worldwide, these animals are part of our everyday experience. They are also the focus of intense research, and their management and conservation is a subject of considerable effort throughout the world. But what are the defining attributes that make a bird a bird?

Aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, Ornithology provides a solid modern foundation for understanding the life and development of birds. Written by renowned experts from around the globe, this comprehensive textbook draws on the latest research to create an innovative learning experience. Moving beyond bones, muscle, and feathers, it provides the core information needed to “build” the bird, linking anatomy and physiology with ecology and behavior.

As it reviews the major orders of birds, the book highlights their wide diversity and critically evaluates ornithological concepts and theories. Incorporating brief biographies of leaders in the field, the text describes their contributions in the context of key historical events in bird science. Each chapter ends with a summary of the material covered, a discussion of potential management and conservation applications, and suggested study questions that will stimulate thought and discussion.

Contributors: Peter Arcese, George E. Bentley, Lori A. Blanc, William M. Block, Alice Boyle, Leonard A. Brennan, Luke K. Butler, Zac Cheviron, Luis M. Chiappe, Melanie R. Colón, Caren B. Cooper, Robert J. Cooper, Jamie M. Cornelius, Carlos Martinez Del Rio, John Dumbacher, Shannon Farrell, Maureen Flannery, Geoffrey Geupel, Patricia Adair Gowaty, Thomas P. Hahn, Ashley M. Heers, Fritz Hertel, Geoffrey E. Hill, Matthew Johnson, Lukas F. Keller, Dylan C. Kesler, Pablo Sabat Kirkwood, John Klicka, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Ashley M. Long, Scott R. Loss, Graham R. Martin, John M. Marzluff, Susan B. McRae, Michael L. Morrison, Timothy J. O’Connell, Jen C. Owen, Marco Pavia, Jeffrey Podos, Lars Pomara, Jonathan F. Prather, Marco Restani, Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Amanda D. Rodewald, Vanya G. Rohwer, Matthias Starck, Michael W. Strohbach, S. Mažeika P. Sullivan, Diego Sustaita, Kerri T. Vierling, Gary Voelker, Margaret A. Voss, Jeff R. Walters, Paige S. Warren, Elisabeth B. Webb, Michael S. Webster, Eric M. Wood, Robert M. Zink, Benjamin Zuckerberg

Michael L. Morrison is a professor and the Caesar Kleberg Chair of wildlife ecology and conservation at Texas A&M University. He is the author of Restoring Wildlife: Ecological Concepts and Practical Applications and the coauthor of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships: Concepts and Applications and Wildlife Study Design.

Amanda D. Rodewald is a professor at Cornell University, where she is the director of conservation science at the Lab of Ornithology.

Gary Voelker is a professor at Texas A&M University, where he is the faculty curator of birds in the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections.

Melanie R. Colón is a postdoctoral research associate at Louisiana State University’s School of Renewable Natural Resources.

Jonathan F. Prather is an associate professor at the University of Wyoming, where he is the director of the Life Sciences Program.