RSPB
9 total works
Most of the UK's crow species - carrion crow, hooded crow, rook, jackdaw, raven, chough, magpie and jay - are very familiar birds to urban householder and countryside dweller alike. Together they make up the Corvidae family, and they have been deeply intertwined in our lives and culture since prehistoric times.
However, familiarity often breeds contempt, and crows - also known as corvids - have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as raiders of crops, feeders on carrion, thieves of jewellery and bullies of smaller birds, crows have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet the more we learn about them, the more fascinating they become.
Behind the behaviour some find objectionable lie exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness. These qualities have long captivated scientists and excited the admiration of anyone who takes the time to know crows better. In Spotlight Crows, Mike Unwin looks at the biology and ecology of all eight UK corvids and investigates why these birds have become deeply embedded in our culture, from children's rhymes and Norse mythology to Shakespeare's plays and the poems of Edgar Allen Poe.
However, familiarity often breeds contempt, and crows - also known as corvids - have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as raiders of crops, feeders on carrion, thieves of jewellery and bullies of smaller birds, crows have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet the more we learn about them, the more fascinating they become.
Behind the behaviour some find objectionable lie exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness. These qualities have long captivated scientists and excited the admiration of anyone who takes the time to know crows better. In Spotlight Crows, Mike Unwin looks at the biology and ecology of all eight UK corvids and investigates why these birds have become deeply embedded in our culture, from children's rhymes and Norse mythology to Shakespeare's plays and the poems of Edgar Allen Poe.
A beautiful picture book about garden birds that will appeal to families with young children. Rachel Lockwood's wonderful illustrations will delight children aged from two to seven, and will help them to discover and identify the most common birds in their everyday surroundings. Each bird is introduced on a right-hand page in an illustration where it is partly obscured or turned away from the viewer. The text gives some clues and invites readers to guess the bird's identity. The reader then turns the page to find out more.
'A beautiful picture book that will appeal to children aged 2 to 7 and will help them identify common birds in their everyday surroundings.' Publishing News
'This beautifully illustrated book by the RSPB is a lovely way to introduce younger juniors to the UK's birds.' Scholastic's Junior Education, April 2007
'A beautiful picture book that will appeal to children aged 2 to 7 and will help them identify common birds in their everyday surroundings.' Publishing News
'This beautifully illustrated book by the RSPB is a lovely way to introduce younger juniors to the UK's birds.' Scholastic's Junior Education, April 2007
Take a journey through the garden and discover the bugs that are living there. The beautiful illustrations create the world of the garden, combined with text that leads young readers to the hiding places of various bugs. inviting them to guess what creature they have found.
My First Book of Garden Bugs is the perfect introduction to the names of some common garden insects, along with interesting facts about them.
My First Book of Garden Bugs is the perfect introduction to the names of some common garden insects, along with interesting facts about them.
Eagles are among the most impressive hunters of the animal world. Their predatory prowess and flying skills have imbued them with a romance and mystique that runs deep in our culture and has elevated them to emblems of freedom and power across the globe. At the same time, however, people have long seen eagles as competitors. Reviled by farmers and gamekeepers as snatchers of livestock, many species have been driven into decline by persecution and disturbance.
Two species of eagle occur in Britain - among 60 worldwide - and are the focus of this book. The regal Golden Eagle is the definitive 'true' eagle and occurs in wilderness areas across the northern hemisphere; the even larger White-tailed Eagle, reintroduced to the UK after historic extinction, belongs to the separate 'sea eagles' genus. These two spectacular birds are both very rare - confined largely to the remote Scottish Highlands - and a sighting of either is one of the UK's most exciting and sought-after wildlife experiences.
This highly readable study looks separately at both UK eagles, exploring how each is adapted as an apex predator in its own environment, and explores the relationship between the two. Separate chapters cover all aspects of the birds' biology and lifestyle, from defending their vast territories to raising their young. Fascinating secrets are revealed, including the brutal truth behind 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. The book also takes a look at other eagles around the world, placing the two UK species within this broader context. Finally, it examines the complex relationship that humans have enjoyed with eagles since time immemorial, spanning both culture and conservation, and offers expert tips on where and how you can watch these magnificent birds for yourself.
The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.
Two species of eagle occur in Britain - among 60 worldwide - and are the focus of this book. The regal Golden Eagle is the definitive 'true' eagle and occurs in wilderness areas across the northern hemisphere; the even larger White-tailed Eagle, reintroduced to the UK after historic extinction, belongs to the separate 'sea eagles' genus. These two spectacular birds are both very rare - confined largely to the remote Scottish Highlands - and a sighting of either is one of the UK's most exciting and sought-after wildlife experiences.
This highly readable study looks separately at both UK eagles, exploring how each is adapted as an apex predator in its own environment, and explores the relationship between the two. Separate chapters cover all aspects of the birds' biology and lifestyle, from defending their vast territories to raising their young. Fascinating secrets are revealed, including the brutal truth behind 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. The book also takes a look at other eagles around the world, placing the two UK species within this broader context. Finally, it examines the complex relationship that humans have enjoyed with eagles since time immemorial, spanning both culture and conservation, and offers expert tips on where and how you can watch these magnificent birds for yourself.
The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.
Inspired by the RSPB's learnbirding.com website this great new book will launch beginner birders of all ages into the world of birds and birdwatching. The book has been split into six sections which cover: principles of identification and tips on making notes and recording; birdwatching equipment and field skills; how birds are built, how they work and where they come from; behaviour including breeding, feeding, migration and adaptation; bird habitats and distribution; how to help wild birds in your garden and beyond, current threats to birds and how to get involved in conservation.
The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.
Hero or villain? Few animals divide opinion like the Red Fox. This most successful of the world’s wild canids has lived alongside people from time immemorial. Celebrated by some for its resourcefulness and lush pelt, reviled by others for plundering chicken runs and overturning bins, it has worked its way deep into Western. Behind the folklore and tabloid headlines, however, lies a remarkable natural history success story.
In Spotlight: Foxes Mike Unwin explores how the Red Fox’s versatility has allowed it to thrive across the northern hemisphere, from desert and mountain to farmland and urban jungle. This informative book covers all aspects of the Red Fox biology and lifestyle, including hunting and catching food, defending a territory, raising a litter and communication strategies.
Finally, it examines the complex, often troubled relationship that the fox has both enjoyed and endured with humankind, and suggests what the future might hold.
Hero or villain? Few animals divide opinion like the Red Fox. This most successful of the world’s wild canids has lived alongside people from time immemorial. Celebrated by some for its resourcefulness and lush pelt, reviled by others for plundering chicken runs and overturning bins, it has worked its way deep into Western. Behind the folklore and tabloid headlines, however, lies a remarkable natural history success story.
In Spotlight: Foxes Mike Unwin explores how the Red Fox’s versatility has allowed it to thrive across the northern hemisphere, from desert and mountain to farmland and urban jungle. This informative book covers all aspects of the Red Fox biology and lifestyle, including hunting and catching food, defending a territory, raising a litter and communication strategies.
Finally, it examines the complex, often troubled relationship that the fox has both enjoyed and endured with humankind, and suggests what the future might hold.
Captivating illustrations and lively text make this the perfect first introduction to garden animals.
Inside, young readers meet twenty common garden animals, birds and insects in a fun question-and-answer format. Try to guess the animal from the clues then turn over the page to discover its name and more facts.
Inside, young readers meet twenty common garden animals, birds and insects in a fun question-and-answer format. Try to guess the animal from the clues then turn over the page to discover its name and more facts.
RSPB Nature Guide is full of activites for every season and every weather. Get out and about by tracking animals, learn how to draw a frog, create a wild patch in your back garden, and much more. Or exciting things to make and do, including plenty of pages to customize and revisit as the reader builds their personalized nature journal. With activities and new skills for every season, readers will enjoy getting active as they explore the wild world around them.
This new RSPB-endorsed book is a practical, exciting and comprehensive introduction to watching birds, for children aged 8-12 years. Lavishly illustrated throughout with full-colour photographs and paintings, it begins by discussing general birding - where to go and when, what equipment to take with you, tips on attracting birds to your garden, how to take field notes etc. The second half of the book comprises a field guide to more than a hundred and thirty of the commonest species of Britain and Ireland, using clear illustrations backed up by concise, straightforward text describing key identification points, such as behaviour, voice and habitat. This informative and lively book will greatly enhance children's enjoyment of birdwatching, and will help to engender a lifetime of enthusiasm for birds and birding.