Fjedsa : Grebes : Podicipedidae

| 2004 | | Geb/SU, F:18,9x24,6 cm, 320 S, 16 Farbtafeln, 116 s/w-Illustrationen. 31 Verbreitungskarten. | WG: Buch | »Bird Families of the World«-Band über alle Lappentaucher der Erde. | Those who are unfamiliar with grebes tend to think of them as odd ducks, but their strange behaviours reveal them to be fascinating and intriguing birds. Grebes are unusual and unique in many ways; their habit of feather-eating; their method of sunbathing; their special method of underwater propulsion; the unusual structure of their feet; their courtship behaviour; and their floating nests. The author aims to provide the reader with an overview of the results of all the research that has been done on grebes. As the birds are dependent upon shallow wetlands, they are strongly affected and threatened by our use of their habitats, leading to dwindling populations and even extinction of some species. Part I contains a brief presentation of the grebe family, constraints of diving, the relationships between grebes and divers, and the morphology of grebes. Part II covers their biogeography, ecological distribution, feeding ecology, behaviour and communication, breeding biology, environmental threats, and conservation. Part III follows with 22 species accounts, including distribution maps. The Grebes, like its companions in the series, is an indispensable work of reference for everyone interested in birds. Contents List: Foreword. Acknowledgements. Abbreviations. Plan of the book. Part I: Specializations for the life as a diver. Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Constraints of diving. Chapter 3: Relationships of grebes and divers. Chapter 4: The morphology of grebes. Part II: Thematic chapters. Chapter 5: The biogeography of grebes. Chapter 6: The ecological distribution of grebes. Chapter 7: Feeding ecology. Chapter 8: Behaviour and communications. Chapter 9: Breeding biology. Chapter 10: Environmental threats. Chapter 11: Conservation. Part III: Classification and species accounts for grebes. Glossary. References. Index. Appendices. Chapter 1: Description of 80 morphological characters used for the phylogenetic analysis for grebes. Chapter 2: Matrix of character states used for the phylogenetic anaylsis for grebes. About the Author: Jon Fjeldsa is the Professor of Biodiversity at the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. His research is systematics and biogeography of birds with special emphasis on the tropical Andes region of South America and eastern Africa. He also teaches tropical ecology. | [E] | | Bird Families of the World