Moult and Ageing of European Passerines: Amazon.co.uk: Lukas Jenni, Raffael Winkler: Books

Product Description

The moult strategies of birds are not only of importance in their impact on a species' ecology and energetics but as a valuable tool for anyone studying the migration and population dynamics of bird species. A proper understanding of how tethers are replaced, and the precise differences in appearance of the various feather generations, can allow ringers, scientists and the keen birdwatcher to age first-year and adult birds and to detect the moult strategy of the bird in question. Lukas Jenni and Raffael Winkler have combined these themes and produced a book which will be valuable both to the professional ornithologist and the bird ringer. The first part gives an up to date summary of the moult strategies and moult sequences of European pesserines and discusses the ecological consequences of moult. Throughout the book, the authors draw on the enormous amount of data on moult collected by them over 15 years of study which, combined with data from the literature, allow them to present a new synthesis of the subject. The second part of the book is part of value to ringers. Following a general introduction to ageing, detailed moult profiles are given for 50 species of European passerines representing all the major moult strategies, backed up with useful summary statistics, schematic diagrams of the extent of moult and indications of the variation within each species. For the first time, the extent of partial and suspended moults is presented in detail. This book features over 480 colour photographs of extended wings which show the entire range of moult patterns and of plumage ageing criteria. An appendix gives supplementary information on ageing birds by the degree of pneumatization of the skull. This book is both a major reference for ornithologists, zoologists, bird ringers and dedicated birdwatchers, and a work of great scholarship and beauty.

About the Author

Lukas Jenni was a volunteer at the Swiss Ornithological Institute while studying zoology, botany, geology and chemistry at Basel University. His interest in moult and ageing arose while working with Raffael Winkler. His main research interests are in ecology and the physiology of bird migration, as well as moult biology. Raffael Winkler graduated with a PhD thesis on the pneumatization of the skull roof in birds. In 1980 he was elected curator of the bird collection at the Natural History Museum, Basel. Since then, he has edited the Avifauna of Switzerland and carried on the Museum's own tradition in moult research. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

a poor reprint of a fabulous original 18 Dec 2011

By Mrs. M. S. Scattergood

Format:Hardcover

This copy is a reprint of an earlier edition. It is a very detailed book with numerous pictures. As a means of identifying and ageing birds it requires to be accurate in all aspects. However some of the colour reproduction is very poor and is therefore of no use.eg the Great Tit I am very disappointed.
This is meant to be my husband's Christmas present.

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Dissapointed 2 Dec 2011

By devonexile

I agree wholly with the previous reviewer, the book is a real dissapointment. The reproduction of the colour plates are aweful when compared to an original edition. I have contacted Amazon and the publishers customer services (who were helpful), tel: 02076 315600 and made them aware of the problem. I suggest everyone who has purchased a 2nd edition already, do likewise. A real opportunity has been missed here and it looks as if we will have to wait yet again for a new print run. Also, please be aware that the positive review is for the first edition!

Dissapointment 21 Nov 2011

By Jens Mikkel Lausten

This new edition published in autumn 2011 is a very big dissapointment. All photos are very badly reproduced compared to the original first edition. You can not age a bird from these poor pictures. Find a first edition if you can. This book is also extremely expensive. Not recommendable.