The Atlas of Birds: Diversity, Behavior, and Conservation
by Mike Unwin is a wonderfully crafted global context of birds through their geography. Birds are found all over the globe, and The Atlas of Birds covers each continent with detailed maps, colorful infographics, and highlighted species.
The first section begins with an overview of how birds evolved and the form and function they took on.
Part two covers habitats, species per country, endemic birds, important bird areas, and each continental region.
“Where birds live is determined by wider landscapes to which they have adapted over millennia, not by arbitrary lines on a map. And yet it is often on a national level that threats to birds arise and action is taken.” – The Atlas of Birds
The third section includes the birds of the world by family, providing an overview of similar families and maps showing where they are found. For example, seabirds and shorebirds are put together in a two-page spread.
Passerines (the perching or songbirds) are given just two pages as well, despite making up 60% of all bird species.
Part four covers how birds live: from eating to courting, migration and more.
Part five is on birds and people with topics on culture, hunting, conflicts, and pleasure (birding!).
Part six focuses on the threats birds face. Extinction, pollution, the pet trade, and habitat loss are just a few of the dangers illustrated.
Part seven details the organizations, campaigns, and people that are working towards protecting birds and their habitat.
The final section is a detailed table of stats about birds in each country of the world.
Overall, The Atlas of Birds: Diversity, Behavior, and Conservation is a beautiful representation of birds all over the world and an overview to every aspect about them.
The book is both artistically done and informationally enjoyable, making it easy to read, understand, and learn from.
Disclaimer: We received this book from the publisher to review on Birdfreak.com. The links are Amazon Affiliate links.