Bird Senses

How and What Birds See, Hear, Smell, Taste and Feel

Graham R Martin author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pelagic Publishing

Published:14th Sep '20

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Bird Senses cover

This insightful exploration of avian life highlights how birds perceive their world through various senses. Bird Senses offers a unique perspective on ornithology.

In Bird Senses, readers are invited to explore the rich and intricate world of avian life through a unique perspective that emphasizes the sensory experiences of birds. Author Graham Martin takes us beyond the traditional ecological viewpoint, illustrating how birds utilize all their senses—not just sight—to navigate their environments. This comprehensive approach reveals the complex interplay between different sensory modalities, showing how they work together to inform each bird's daily activities. From locating food to avoiding predators, the information gathered through their senses is crucial for survival.

The book delves into the fine-tuned adaptations of various bird species, shaped by natural selection to meet the challenges of their habitats. Martin discusses how birds have evolved to excel in tasks such as spotting carrion from afar, catching fish in murky waters, and even navigating vast distances across the globe. By examining these behaviors through the lens of sensory perception, readers gain a deeper understanding of how birds interact with their surroundings.

Additionally, Bird Senses addresses the modern challenges birds face due to human encroachment, including obstacles like power lines and windowpanes. By considering these issues from the birds' sensory perspectives, effective solutions can be developed to mitigate hazards. With over 100 color illustrations and photographs, this engaging book is a valuable resource for birdwatchers, naturalists, and researchers alike, providing a wealth of information in an accessible format that captivates the reader's interest.

Useful analogies abound and the explanations given allow us, however briefly, to submerge into the sensory environment of birds, in their incredible diversity. This is a book you will want on your shelves and may well revisit.

-- Bo Beolens * Fatbirder *

Bird Senses bundles the available knowledge and will be a milestone for a long time.

-- Walter Belis * Alauda *

Bird Senses will undoubtedly appeal to (amateur) ornithologists, nature lovers and specialists.

-- Walter Belis * Natuur.oriolus *

A very impressive and enjoyable read... Fascinating at a technical level and also at a more philosophical level... The more we can put ourselves into the minds of other sentient beings, the better we understand ourselves

-- Mark Avery

Excellent and extremely comprehensive...This is not simply of academic interest; it also has important conservation implications.

-- Tim Birkhead * British Birds *

So rich in explanation and surprises that it would be a dull reader who does not experience some appreciation of the worlds that birds perceive.

-- Douglas J. Futuyma * Quarterly Review of Biology *

Very instructive for those who wish to put themselves inside the skin of a bird, this book offers an excellent approach.

-- Bertrand Posse * Nos Oiseaux *

The book should be invaluable for scientists in the field, especially physiologists...For bird lovers, this title is inviting, well illustrated, and obviously the product of a ranking expert in the field. 

-- H. T. Armistead * CHOI

ISBN: 9781784272166

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 610g

270 pages