Bird Migration

The migration of birds is one of the most amazing and thought-provoking of all natural phenomena. How do countless numbers of birds overcome enormous distances and then manage to find their way back to a precise breeding site? How do they navigate over great oceans, deserts and mountain ranges? What do they use as fuel for the journey? How do they cope with severe weather on the way? In this superbly illustrated book, eminent naturalist Robert Burton answers these and many other questions as he provides an informative and entertaining summary of this fascinating subject. Writing in a clear, concise style, Burton skillfully blends results from the latest research with historical records and personal observations. Bird Migration begins by addressing the question of why birds bother to migrate at all, and then describes some of the methods used to study bird migration including the latest high-tech devices such as radio-tagging. The book then explores navigation, fuel economy, hazards and delays, life in the wintering areas and the birds' race back to the breeding grounds in spring. Robert Burton describes migration as an integral part of the life cycles of many birds, and as a strategy for survival and improving the chances of successful breeding. Bird Migration will appeal to anyone with an interest in birds and in the natural world. It is illustrated throughout in full color with the work of some of the world's finest bird photographers, together with state-of-the-art maps, charts, graphs and drawings.