
The Ancient Murrelet
A Natural History in the Queen Charlotte Islands
- 267 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Breeding along the northern Pacific coast from British Columbia to Japan, this little known bird dwelt in relative obscurity until it became the focus of a conservation debate which has resulted in a new National Park in the Queen Charlotte Islands, where half the world's population breeds. It made the headlines again when a lost, lone bird suddenly appeared at Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, England, in May 1990 and again in April 1991. The Ancient Murrelet and its three congeners are unique amongst seabirds in that their young are entirely precocial, leaving the nest as soon as they hatch to grow up at sea. Tony Gaston has carried out the only detailed study of the bird, in the fine mature coastal forests of the Queen Charlotte Islands. His work has revealed their complex social behaviour, the song behaviour of the males and the species' response to the variety of predators which they face - from Peregrines to Deer Mice. His story is set against a survey of the species worldwide and the grandeur of the northwest Pacific coast. The illustrations of Ian Jones, who also assisted with the research, capture the bird and its environment beautifully.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Dedication
- Copyright page
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of plates
- List of tables
- Acknowledgements
- Chapter 01 - Introduction
- Part 01 - A GLOBAL GLIMPSE OF THE ANCIENT MURRELET
- Chapter 02 - A History of the Ancient Murrelet
- Chapter 03 - Distribution, Status and Breeding Habitat
- Chapter 04 - The Ancient Murrelet’s Year
- Chapter05 - The Ancient Murrelet at Sea
- Part 02 - STUDIES AT REEF ISLAND
- Chapter 06 - Introduction
- Chapter 07 - The Island and the Work
- Chapter 08 - Attendance and Behaviour at the Colony
- Chapter 09 - The Behaviour of Non-Breeders
- Chapter 10 - Behaviour on the Gathering Ground
- Chapter 11 - Breeding Habitat and Burrows
- Chapter 12 - Eggs and Chicks
- Chapter 13 - Timing of Breeding and its Effects
- Chapter 14 - Population Dynamics
- Chapter 15 - Why Ancient Murrelet Chicks are Precocial
- Chapter 16 - Conservation
- Appendix 1 - Scientific names of animals and plants mentioned in the text
- Appendix 2 - Census details for Reef Island, 1989
- References