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migration books (1 Viewer)

pimpelmees

Well-known member
hello, what books about migration are the best,
ian newton's "bird migration " or "the migration ecology of birds" or
the older books like alerstroms "bird migration"
 
hello, what books about migration are the best, ian newton's "bird migration " or "the migration ecology of birds" or
the older books like alerstroms "bird migration"

The best for the lay person, IMHO, would be Ian Newton's Bird Migration (his Migration Ecology of Birds is much more technical and more for the biology student). Both cover much the same ground. Both are substantial books but I constantly refer to them.

Thomas Alerstam's work of course is excellent, but as you say isn't quite as up to date.

Peter Berthold's 1999 book may now be out of print, but I found it very helpful because it concentrates on genetic control of migration events. (Berthold, P. 1999. Bird Migration: a general survey. 2nd edn. OUP. Oxford. UK.)
MJB
 
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Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds by Miyoko Chu is a good look at American migration and the challenges of tracking it. It also has some ideas on the best places to watch migration events over there.
 
The best for the lay person, IMHO, would be Ian Newton's Bird Migration (his Migration Ecology of Birds is much more technical and more for the biology student). Both cover much the same ground. Both are substantial books but I constantly refer to them.

Thomas Alerstam's work of course is excellent, but as you say isn't quite as up to date.

Peter Berthold's 1999 book may now be out of print, but I found it very helpful because it concentrates on genetic control of migration events. (Berthold, P. 1999. Bird Migration: a general survey. 2nd edn. OUP. Oxford. UK.)
MJB

Of note Newton's 'Migration Ecology of Birds', and two books by / edited by Berthold on the subject of migration are currently in the NHBS sale significantly discounted. http://www.nhbs.com/webcat/bb11i2.html
 
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Is it correct that Newton's "Bird Migration" is more focused on migration patterns on the British Isles than "Migration ecology of birds" and that that's more focused on WP/world patterns? Or will I find those covered in first mentioned elaborate enough for a non-Brit like me?
 
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Thanks Jalid, read it on this review

He has followed up this triumph with his second tome in the New Naturalist series, a treatise on migration that he presents as an abridged and updated version of MEB, albeit with a greater emphasis on Britain & Ireland and ostensibly directed towards a less academic readership. The 25 chapters cover both pattern and process in a similar order to MEB. The book begins with an introduction to the different types of migratory movements, the methods used to investigate them, and the principal migration patterns around Britain & Ireland.
https://britishbirds.co.uk/article/bird-migration-by-ian-newton/

Knowing myself, the bigger (and quite more expensive, 2ndhand) book would be just that bit too much academic for me to not delve into it with fun (had that with Cramps 9vols and got the concise after that). So when you say Bird Migration is European relevant enough, that would be nice :) Still, a bigger book always lures a bit more too, doesn't it haha
 
Yes, it's on my shelf already, with both Couzens' and Newton's "Bird migration". First I'm head deep in the Poyser "Weather and bird behavior". Thanks for the pointer! :)
 
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