Intended for sea-watchers, this is a comprehensive field guide to pelagic
birds - the albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels and diving
petrels. A total of 46 colour plates highlight key ID criteria of the birds in
flight, with close-ups of diagnostic regions of the plumage. The plates are
accompanied by accurate distribution maps.Famous for their size and elegance in flight, albatrosses are familiar to
anyone who has travelled through the southern oceans, and are a flagship family
of conservation concern. However, albatrosses are just one of several groups of
'pelagic' birds - those that visit land only to breed, and spend the rest of
their lives far from the coast, soaring from ocean to ocean in a never-ending
search for food. Mysterious and graceful, these birds can present a formidable
identification challenge to even the most experienced birder. This book
provides the answer - the first comprehensive guide to pelagic birds, the
albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels and diving petrels. A total of
46 spectacular colour plates highlight key ID criteria of the birds in flight,
with close-ups of diagnostic regions of the plumage. The plates are accompanied
by accurate distribution maps, while the sparkling text brings the world of
these amazing birds to life. Several extremely rare species, such as Beck's
Petrel, are illustrated for the first time, while the New Zealand Storm-petrel,
rediscovered as recently as 2004, is also included.; Sea-watchers all around the world will find this superb field guide
indispensable.
