Raptors: A Field Guide for Surveys and Monitoring

‎2009 Stationery Office Books paperback 2nd edition plus CD. Light reading wear else very good condition. Contents: Foreword by Ian Newton 1. Introduction 1.1 Why monitor raptors? 1.2 The development of raptor monitoring in Britain and Ireland 1.2.1 Raptor Study Groups 1.2.2 The UK Raptor Working Group 1.2.3 The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme 1.3 International perspectives on raptor monitoring 1.4 The status of raptors in Britain and Ireland 1.5 A survey and monitoring guide for raptors 2. Survey, surveillance and monitoring 2.1 Definitions 2.2 Choice of survey methods 2.2.1 Counts of occupied home ranges and active nests 2.2.2 Alternative survey methods: transects and point counts 2.3 Surveys and monitoring in Britain and Ireland 3. Population estimates 3.1 Population sampling 3.2 Breeding birds 3.2.1 Occupied sites 3.2.2 Territorial pairs 3.2.3 Breeding pairs 3.3 Non-breeding birds 4. Breeding season parameters 4.1 Home range and territory 4.2 Nest sites, nesting ranges and alternatives 4.3 Nests 4.4 Occupancy 4.5 Proof of breeding, breeding success and fledging 4.6 Productivity 4.7 Breeding failure 4.7.1 Natural reasons for non-breeding or failure 4.7.2 Persecution 5. Identification and breeding behaviour of raptors 5.1 Identification of raptors 5.2 Identifying raptor signs 5.2.1 Kills 5.2.2 Pellets 5.2.3 Droppings 5.2.4 Feathers 5.3 Breeding behaviour of raptors 5.3.1 Display 5.3.2 Egg laying and incubation 5.3.3 Hunting and feeding 5.3.4 Interpretation of behaviour 5.4 Vocalisations 6. Additional techniques for studying raptors 6.1 Ringing 6.2 Wing-tagging 6.3 Remote tracking 6.3.1 Radio-tracking 6.3.2 Satellite tracking 6.3.3 PIT tags 6.4 Biological and chemical 'markers' 6.4.1 Genetic markers 6.4.2 Chemical markers 6.5 Nomograms 6.5.1 Egg density 6.5.2 Chick growth 6.6 Nest boxes 7. Good practice for fieldwork 7.1 Legal considerations 7.1.1 Licences 7.1.2 Access 7.2 Minimising disturbance and good field craft 7.3 Weather 7.4 Time of day 7.5 Frequency of site visits 7.6 Observer effort 7.7 Recording observations and site features 7.7.1 Recording sightings of birds, nests or other signs 7.7.2 Recording details of survey visits 7.8 Handling and measuring eggs and young 7.8.1 Wing length 7.8.2 Tarsus (leg) length 7.8.3 Tarsus width and depth 7.8.4 Foot span and hind claw 7.8.5 Bill (culmen) and total head length 7.8.6 Mass 7.8.7 Measuring and weighing eggs 7.8.8 Other measurements 7.9 Wildlife crime 7.9.1 Site confidentiality 7.10 Health and safety 7.10.1 Diseases 7.10.2 Health and safety legislation and responsibilities Part 2 Introduction to species accounts Honey-buzzard (European honey buzzard) Pernis apivorus Red kite Milvus milvus White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Marsh harrier (western marsh harrier) Circus aeruginosus Hen harrier (northern harrier) Circus cyaneus Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus Goshawk (northern goshawk) Accipiter gentilis Sparrowhawk (Eurasian sparrowhawk) Accipiter nisus Buzzard (common buzzard) Buteo buteo Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Osprey (western osprey) Pandion haliaetus Kestrel (common kestrel) Falco tinnunculus Merlin Falco columbarius Hobby (Eurasian hobby) Falco subbuteo Peregrine (peregrine falcon) Falco peregrinus Barn owl (western barn owl) Tyto alba Snowy owl Bubo scandiacus Little owl Athene noctua Tawny owl Strix aluco Long-eared owl Asio otus Short-eared owl Asio flammeus Raven (northern raven) Corvus corax Species occurring irregularly in Britain and Ireland Black kite Milvus migrans Pallid harrier Circus macrourus Rough-legged buzzard Buteo lagopus Gyr falcon (gyrfalcon) Falco rusticolus Eagle owl (Eurasian eagle-owl) Bubo bubo Part 3 Introduction Wing and tail feathers Feather morphology Moult Introduction to the feather plates Identification of species Plates 1-57 Part 4 Appendices 1 Status and trends of raptors in Britain and Ireland 2 Contacts 3 Examples of raptor recording forms 4 Scientific names of species mentioned in the text.…