RECOMMENDED READING

Hawaiian Birds and Birdlife	Hawaiiana - including Insects, Animals and Plants of Hawai'i and Travel Guides	General Bird & Birdwatching Books	General Natural History and Wildlife Books

HAWAIIAN BIRDS AND BIRDLIFE Hawai'i's Birds Hawai'i Audubon Society Regularly revised. Latest edition 1997. Full color with photographs of all the species likely to be seen on an average trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Small enough to fit in a pocket, the book gives a description of each species, voice, distribution, habitat and likely times of occurrence. To order from the Hawai'i Audubon Click Here to go to their on-line store. Voices of Hawai'i's Birds Hawai'i Audubon Society and H.D. Pratt. 1995. Hawai'i Audubon also produces "Voices of Hawai'i's Birds", an indispensable audio tape of all of Hawai'i's birds, essential for learning the calls and songs of native forest birds. Includes a haunting recording of the Kaua'i O'o, a species unfortunately now extinct. Two 60 minute tapes of songs of more than 100 species of birds found in Hawai'i. Includes a booklet. To order from the Hawai'i Audubon Click Here to go to their on-line store. A Fieldguide to the Birds of Hawai'i and the Tropical Pacific H. Douglas Pratt, Phillip L. Bruner and Delwyn G. Berrett. Princeton University Press. 1981. The only true guide to all the species of the Pacific region. This is essential for all birders visiting the region. Color plates and authoritative text with plumage, behaviour, voice and distribution. Unmissable. Enjoying Birds and other Wildlife in Hawai'i H. Douglas Pratt. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu. 2002. Not Yet Published - Due December 2002. The successor to Enjoying Birds in Hawai'i - a bird finding guide to the 50th State. As would be expected from this well-established author the book is thorough and extremely useful. A site by site guide to finding all of the species in the State with drawings and maps and color photographs. Click Here for updates by the author and a review of the book. The Birdwatchers Guide to Hawai'i. Rick Soehren. University of Hawai'i Press. 1996. The book contains more than sixty birding sites in the Hawaiian Islands and describes the habitats and the species observable there. Birds of greatest interest and those most likely to be seen at each site are given particular attention with information on seasonal occurrences to help visitors plan their birding trips. Site descriptions note activities and nearby points of interest, detailed directions to the sites, and available facilities, including visitor centers, access for the disabled, restrooms etc. "The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai'i is a handy volume for bird-loving hikers and picnickers as well as an excellent reference for teachers and environmental educators". The Birds of Kaua'i Jim Denny University of Hawai'i Press. 1999. A nice little book with photographs of almost all of Kaua'i's bird species. The photographs of Kaua'i's endemic forest birds are particularly noteworthy, not surprising, given that they are taken by one of Hawai'i's, and Kaua'i's best bird Photographer. More details by Clicking Here. Birds of the Rainforest - The Native Forest Birds of Kaua'i. A Birdwatcher's Guide. Jim Denny. Jim Denny Productions. 2002. A fantastic video highlighting the amazing native forest birds of Kaua'i. The forested upland of Kaua'i is home to some of the most sought after birds in the World. Thirteen species of endemic forest birds, including nine remarkable Honeycreepers, once thrived here. Many of them can still be seen. This documentary takes you on an incredible journey that ventures far into the remote valleys of the Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve. More details and a review by Clicking Here. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Bird Families of the World H. Douglas Pratt. Oxford University Press. Expected to be published late 2003. This book is the most up to date work on Honeycreepers, covering the life history, relationships, and biology of the birds. The Honeycreepers, with their bright colouration and canary-like songs, are famed for their unique evolutionary history as a geographically isolated group that has undergone a spectacular burst of adaptions to the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are typified by nectar feeding, their bright colouration and canary-like songs. They are considered one of the finest examples of adaptive radiation, even more diverse than Darwin's Galapagos finches, as a wide array of different species has evolved in all the different niches provided by the Hawaiian archipelago. The book should therefore be of interest to evolutionary biologists and ecologists as well as professional ornithologists and amateur bird watchers. As with the other books in the Bird Family of the World series, the work is divided into two main sections. Part one is an overview of the Hawaiian Honeycreeper evolution and natural history and Part two comprises accounts of each species. The author has produced his own outstanding illustrations of these birds to accompany his text. A Pocket Guide to Hawai'i's Birds Text: H. Douglas Pratt Photos: Jack Jeffrey and H.D. Pratt Mutual Publishing Company. 1996. A pocket-sized guides crammed full of color photos and readable text. The Pocket guide to Hawai'i's Birds has photos by Jack Jeffrey, probably Hawai'i's best known bird photographers, as well as one of the best. More details by Clicking Here. Hidden Treasures of O'ahu Hawai'i Audubon Society. 1996. A great little map-guide with sites for birdwatching, hiking, seeing native plants and sites of historic and cultural interest. Large size map highlights a wide range of habitats to see the largest variety of birds possible. Includes detailed directions to sites and access details, species likely to be observed and visitor amenities. Proceeds of the map go to support the activities of the Hawai'i Audubon Society, which has been involved in ongoing education and conservation efforts since 1939. To order from the Hawai'i Audubon Click Here to go to their on-line store. Evolution, Ecology, Conservation and Management of Hawaiian Birds: a vanishing avifauna. Studies in Avian Biology #22. J. Michael Scott, S. Conant and C. Van Riper. Cooper Ornithological Society, Kansas. 2001. An excellent and thorough coverage of Hawai'i's endemic birds and the threats faced by them. Any birder visiting Hawai'i should read this to help locate where birds can be found and more importantly, what might be able to be done to try to help slow the decline of the unique species found in the Islands. A worthy successor to Forest Bird Communities of the Hawaiian Islands: Their Dynamics, Ecology and Conservation. (Studies in Avian Biology #9) by J.M.Scott et al. (Allen Press, Kansas. 1986), which is now out of print and only available from a few sources. Seabirds of Hawai'i. Natural History and Conservation. C.G.Harrison Cornell University Press. New York. 1990. A great work on all of Hawai'i's breeding seabirds with population trends, feeding behaviour and prey items. Illustrated with many color photographs of birds in their Hawaiian Island home. Hawai'i's Beautiful Birds H.D.Pratt and J.Jeffrey Mutual Publishing, Honolulu. 1996. A large format book filled with stunningly beautiful photographs of Hawai'i's birds taken by two of the best-known names in Hawaiian Ornithology - Doug Pratt and Jack Jeffrey. More details by Clicking Here. North American Birds American Birding Association Colorado Springs, Colorado. Published Quarterly. Formerly called Fieldnotes, this publication reports sightings of migrants and vagrants from all the American States, as well as the West Indies and Central America. It also highlights trends in population and distribution of resident and breeding/wintering birds and is a useful indicator of what is happening throughout the Continent. The Hawaiian Islands are included and this publication is a good source of information for visitors to find out some of the locations where certain species are recorded regularly. Illustrated throughout with Black and White photographs and a color section - "Pictorial Highlights". The 'Elepaio Hawai'i Audubon Society. The journal of Hawai'i and Pacific conservation and wildlife news. Published by the Hawai'i Audubon Society every month. The Hawaii Audubon Society has been involved in conservation advocacy for more than 50 years. Where to Watch Birds in Australasia and Oceania Nigel Wheatley Princeton University Press. 1998. Where to Watch Birds in Australasia and Oceania is the fourth guide in a series that will ultimately cover the whole world. It describes over two hundred major sites in detail and many more in passing, from New Guinea to New Zealand and across the Pacific to Hawaii. Most important, it answers crucial questions you find yourself asking before you go: Where can I see birds that epitomize the region? Which country supports the best cross section of species and the most endemics, and which sites do I need to visit to see most of them? How long do I need, and when is the best time to go? "This vast area [covered in this volume] includes about 1,563 species of birds (16% of the world's species), and Wheatley provides advice on how to seek almost every one of them. . . . The amount of information provided in this pocket-size book is truly impressive."--The Quarterly Review of Biology. Birds in Jeopardy. The Imperiled and Extinct Birds of the United States and Canada, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico by PR Ehrlich, DS Dobkin and D Wheye. 1992. 272pp. Stanford University Press, USA.

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HAWAIIANA - INCLUDING INSECTS, VERTEBRATES, OCEAN WILDLIFE, PLANTS, HAWAIIAN NATURAL HISTORY and ECOLOGY, GEOLOGY, TRAVEL GUIDES & MISCELLANEOUS INSECTS Hawai'i's Butterflies - A field guide to the Butterflies and Moths of Hawai'i. D. Jamieson and J. Denny Mutual Publishing Company, Honolulu. 2002. Hawai'i's Butterflies and Moths reveals the fascinating island micro-world of these beautiful, strange and exotic creatures. From the lovely Monarch and Kamehameha butterflies to the tiny Dancing Moth and amazing Carnivorous Caterpillar - here are the life cycles, habits and histories of Hawai'i's most easily observed species. Species descriptions and colorful photographs of caterpillars, cocoons, common plant habitats and full-grown adult butterflies and moths identifies over 30 species easily encountered in backyards and low-altitude hikes. Includes details of the two endemic Hawaiian butterflies, the Kamehameha and Blackburn's Blue and endemic moths. More details and review by Clicking Here. Hawaiian Insects and their Kin F.G. Howarth and W.P. Mull University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. 1992. A useful guide to some of the many insect species that are endemic to the Islands, illustrated with color photographs. Hawaiian Damselflies D. Polhemus and A. Asquith Bishop Museum press. 1996. A small guide to the Damselflies of the Hawaiian Islands, with color photographs to help identification, as well as maps and locations to observe them best. What Bit Me? Identifying Hawaii's Stinging and Biting Insects and Their Kin GM Nishida and JM Tenorio. 1993. 72pp. Hawaii University Press. What's Bugging Me? Identifying and Controlling Household Pests in Hawaii J Tenorio and G Nishida. 1995. 183pp. Hawaii University Press, USA. Pests of Paradise. First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawaii's Animals S Scott and C Thomas. 2000. 190pp. Hawaii University Press. Back to Category List VERTEBRATES Field Guide to the Mammals in Hawai'i S.G. van Riper and C. van Riper The Oriental Publishing Company, Honolulu. 1982. A small book with color photographs of many of the species likely to be encountered by a visitor to Hawai'i. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands S. Mckeown Diamond Head Publishing Company, California. 1996. A great guide to the reptiles and amphibians which inhabit the Islands with many color photographs and useful text for identifying each species. Back to Category List OCEAN WILDLIFE Marine Mammals of the Eastern North Pacific Alaska Whale Foundation & University of Alaska Alaska Whale Foundation and Sea Grant Alaska. 2000. A great little four page waterproof card with pictures of all the marine mammals present in the Eastern portion of the North Pacific. Hawai'i's Sea Creatures - A guide to Hawai'i's Marine Invertebrates. J.P. Hoover Mutual Publishing, Honolulu. 1998. A large book with great photographs of many species of Hawai'i's marine species - a must for any fan of the underwater world in the Islands. Back to Category List PLANTS Wayside Plants of the Islands W.A. Whistler Isle Botanics, Honolulu. 1995. A useful pocket sized guide to the plants that a visitor may observe on a trip to the Islands. Also has distribution and abundance information for other island groups in the Pacific, such as Guam. A Pocket Guide to Hawai'i's Trees and Shrubs H.Douglas Pratt Mutual Publishing Company. 1998. This is a pocket-sized guide which is crammed full of color photos and readable text and anybody going out in the field with this guide is unlikely to be disappointed as it provides nearly all the information one would need to identify most trees and shrubs observed. Hawaiian Forest Plants and Hawaiian Coastal Plants Both by Mark Merlin Pacific Guide Books, Honolulu. 1999. Two very useful companion guides to the plants of the coast and mountainous regions of Hawai'i. Color photographs help to identify most of the plants of interest that a visitor might come across, without having to carry around some of the larger, more detailed books that are available. A Pocket Guide to Hawai'i's Flowers Douglas Peebles and Leland Miyano Mutual Publishing Company. 1997. This is a pocket-sized guide which is crammed full of color photos and readable text and anybody going out in the field with this guide is unlikely to be disappointed as it provides nearly all the information one would need to identify most flowers encountered. Plants and Flowers of Hawai'i S.H.Sohmon and R. Gustafson University of Hawai'i Press. 1987. A great guide to the flora of the Hawaiian Islands. Alien Plant Invasions in Native Ecosystems of Hawaii Management and Research Edited by CP Stone, CW Smith and JT Tunison . 1993. 904pp. Hawaii University Press, USA. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore. A Guide to the Littoral Plants of Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Micronesia WA Whistler. 1992. 154pp. Hawaii University Press, USA. Poisonous Plants of Paradise. First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawaii's Plants S Scott and C Thomas. 2000. 178pp. Hawaii University Press, USA. Back to Category List HAWAIIAN NATURAL HISTORY and ECOLOGY Isles of Refuge - Wildlife and History of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands M.J. Rauzon University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. 2001. A superbly written and illustrated book about the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands detailing the natural and unnatural history of these unique islands which few visitors ever get to see. Written in a style which promotes empathy with the islands and the species they are home to, this book helps to emphasize the role which man has played in the recent fortunes of so many species and perhaps will be a starting point from which to reassess the path that is being created by man for island species. "Over the course of two decades, field biologist Mark Rauzon visited nine of the ten islands. In Isles of refuge, the first book solely devoted to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Rauzon shares his extensive, first-hand knowledge of their natural history while providing an engaging narrative of his travels. Braving seasickness, bad weather, and biting bird ticks, he journeyed from Nihoa to Kure to study and photograph plants and animals for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: rare palms, sharks, turtles, seals, and thousands of birds". Excerpt taken from the cover of the book. The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide - Hawai'i Les Beletsky Academic Press. New York. 2000. A useful guide to natural history in the Hawaiian Islands, includes color plates showing birds, mammals, rodents, amphibians, crustaceans and insects. Also color photographs. Interesting text gives good information on conservation, environment, ecology, threats and getting around, amongst other topics. Many items give more detail and are more in-depth than most other books available. Hawai'i - A natural History S. Carlquist Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Kaua'i. 1980. A thorough and well executed volume on all aspects of Hawaiian natural history with many essays. One of the best books produced on Hawai'i and its natural history. Remains of a Rainbow : Rare Plants and Animals of Hawai'i David Liittschwager and Susan Middleton Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology and Evolution Alan C Ziegler. Hawaii University Press, USA. 2002. This book traces the natural history of the Hawaiian Archipelago and focuses on specific topics such as island formation by plate tectonics, plant and animal evolution, flightless birds and their fossil sites, Polynesian migrational history and ecology, the effects of humans and exotic animals on the environment, current conservation efforts, and the contributions of the many naturalists who visited the islands over the centuries and the stories behind their discoveries. Hawaii: The Islands of Life Gavan Daws. 1989. 156pp. Kegan Paul, USA. Hawaii's Terrestrial Ecosystems: Preservation and Management Edited by CP Stone and JM Scott. 1986. 616pp. Hawaii University Press, USA. Alien Species in North America and Hawaii. Impacts on Natural Ecosystems George W Cox. 1999. 387pp. Island Press, USA. Hawai'i's Invasive Species: A Guide to the Invasive Alien Animals and Plants of the Hawaiian Islands Edited by GW Staples and RH Cowie. 2001. 118pp. Bishop Museum Press, Hawai'i. Hawaiian Biogeography: Evolution on a Hot Spot Archipelago Edited by WL Wagner and VA Funk. 1995. 467pp. Smithsonian Institute Press, USA. Back to Category List GEOLOGY Roadside Geology of Hawai'i R.W. Hazlett & P.W. Hyndman Mountain Press Publishing Company, Montana. 1996. A great book which enables visitors to Hawai'i to identify geological features around the islands, even as they drive by! A rather heavy book and so it may be wise to buy it when one arrives, rather than carry it over to the islands. The best book on general geology of Hawai'i. Atlas of Hawai'i - 3rd Edition S.P. Juvik and J.O. Juvik, Eds. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. 1998. A fantastic work on all aspects of Hawai'i from population to rainfall to industry and agriculture to natural history, this book has almost everything! . Back to Category List TRAVEL GUIDES TO HAWAI'I Hawai'i - Lonely Planet Guidebook G. Bendure and N. Friary Lonely Planet, Victoria. 1997. Eds.1-4 An extremely useful book in the ever popular series of Lonely Planet guides. Information on all aspects of a trip to Hawai'i are covered and should be an essential part of any visitors packing - don't leave home without it! The National Geographic Traveler - Hawaii R. Ariyoshi National Geographic, Washington D.C.. 2000. "Take a tour of Hawai'i guided by the National Geographic - for generations synonymous with the thrill of discovery and exploration. Featured sites include both famous and lesser-known places, selected to help you experience the state in a fresh and exciting way". Hawaii - The Rough Guide Greg Ward Rough Guide Books, London. 2nd Ed. 1998. Another very useful travel guide to the Hawaiian Islands with expert coverage for each Island, reviews of places to go, eat and stay, practical tips for exploring the Islands, in-depth features for activities and culture, illustrated with several color photographs. Hawaiian Parklands Marnie Hagmann Falcon Press Publishing Company, Montana. 1988. An interpretive companion to Hawai'i's national, state, county and private parks. Full of color photographs and interesting text for exploring Hawai'i's natural areas. Large format makes the book more suitable for home-reading rather than a fieldguide. The Sierra Club Guides to the National Parks of the Pacific Southwest and Hawaii Joseph E Brown et al. 1996. 340pp. Sierra Club, USA. Moon Travel Handbooks: Hawaii, the All-Island Guide JD Bisignani. 1995. 1004pp. Moon, USA. Adventuring in Hawaii: Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai Richard McMahon. 1996. 356pp. Sierra Club, USA. Hawaii's Hidden Treasures Cynthia Russ Ramsay. 1993. 200pp. National Geographic, USA. Back to Category List MISCELLANEOUS Hawaiian Dictionary. M.K. Pukui and S.H. Elbert. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. 1986. Useful little pocket-sized dictionary which will help out with all those vowels and glottal stops! Atlas of Hawai'i - 3rd Edition Eds. S.P. Juvik and J.O. Juvik University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. 1998. A fantastic work on all aspects of Hawai'i from population to rainfall to industry and agriculture to natural history, this book has almost everything! Place Names of Hawaii M.K. Pukui, S.H. Elbert and E.T. Mookini. 1974. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.

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GENERAL BIRD & BIRDWATCHING BOOKS Field Guide to the Birds of North America 3rd Edition National Geographic Society NGS, Washington D.C. 1999. The most useful and convenient of the American Fieldguides should help a visitor to identify most of the migrants or vagrants which occur in Hawaii from time to time. Seabirds - An Identification Guide P.Harrison Helm, Kent. 1983 The guide for identifying seabirds. The standard work since its publication in 1983. Many plates showing most plumage variations as well as useful text and distribution maps. Shorebirds - An Identification Guide P. Hayman, J. Marchant and T. Prater Helm, Kent. 1986. The celebrated book on Shorebirds covers every species known with excellent color plates, distribution maps and authoritative text, enabling identification of all those migrant waders which have occurred in the State. Wildfowl - An Identification Guide S. Madge and H. Burn Helm, Kent. 1988. Another in the Helm identification series with color plates enabling identification of all the Swans, Geese and Ducks of the World, including those resident and migratory which occur in Hawaii. Extinct Birds E. Fuller Oxford University Press, U.K. 2000. A book with illustrations and photographs of all the known extinct bird species including many from Hawai'i. The North American Bird Guide D. Sibley Christopher Helm, London. 2000. This monumental work covers the regions species with high quality illustrations by David Sibley and is widely regarded as the premier guide to North American birds. The large number of pages make it a little unwieldy to carry out in the field, but the concise text and useful identification pointers on the illustrations make it an excellent reference point to identify species seen earlier in the field. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour D. Sibley Christopher Helm, London. 2001. The companion guide to David Sibley's North American Bird Guide. Designed to enhance the birding experience and to enrich the popular study of North American birds. The book has more than 795 full-color illustrations with authoritative text by 48 expert birders and biologists. Gulls: A Guide to Identification. Peter J. Grant, London. Poyser. 1997. The book on Gulls for the enthusiast of Laridae. Useful text and photographs from the acclaimed master - the late Peter Grant. Handbook of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 -8 (so far, of 15) Editors J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott and J. Sargatal Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 1992 onwards. Link: www.hbw.com One of the most ambitious book projects ever undertaken with the aim of illustrating all the known bird species in the World. These large volumes contain the most up-to-date references and text and are superbly illustrated by a large team of artists, illustrators and photographers. Although the task was a hard one to undertake successfully the editors have managed it with a great deal of accuracy and attention to detail. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are scheduled to be published in Volume 14. Seabirds of the World Peter Harrison Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 1987. A photographic guide to the World's Seabirds, covering all species from Albatross and Auks to Grebes, Petrels, Boobies and Shearwaters. Photographic Guide to the Waders of the World D. Rosair and D. Cottridge Hamlyn, London. 1995. A large sized guide with photographs of the Worlds Waders or Shorebirds including some of the rarest species such as Jerdon's Courser and Tuamotu Sandpiper. Photographic Handbook of the Seabirds of the World J. Enticott and D. Tipling New Holland, London. 1997. A large size photographic handbook covering the World's Seabird species. Wildfowl of the World M. Ogilvie and S. Young. New Holland, London. 1998. In the same series and therefore style as the last two titles, this book illustrates with stunning color photographs all the World's Wildfowl from Geese and Swans to Seaducks. Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand B. Heather, H. Robertson and D. Onley Oxford University Press, Oxford.1997. The only field guide to New Zealand's birds which is officially endorsed by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand which features the latest up to date research with great illustrations, useful text and distribution maps, as well as sections on conservation, populations, habitat, breeding, behaviour and feeding habits. Useful in the North Pacific for its illustrations of Seabirds, Shorebirds and Wildfowl, which may be encountered there and near Hawai'i. Rare Birds of the World G. Mountfort and N. Arlott Collins, London. 1988. A useful book detailing all the World's rare and threatened species. produced in association with the ICBP (now Birdlife International) the main text is concise but detailed and is illustrated with fine full-page plates. Includes many species from the Hawaiian Islands. The Origin and Evolution of Birds Alan Feduccia Yale University Press, London. 1996. An important work on the origin of birds and the inferred relationship of the known living and fossil kind of birds. Feduccia speculates about the timing of major events in history of birds and particularly the causes of extinction. Feduccia begins by discussing one of the most controversial problems in vertebrate paleontology: whether birds evolved directly from bipedal, terrestrial dinosaurs, or from the the small arboreal thecodonts. North American Birds American Birding Association Colorado Springs, Colorado. Published Quarterly. Formerly called Fieldnotes, this quarterly publication reports sightings of migrants and vagrants from all the American States, as well as the West Indies and Central America. It also highlights trends in population and distribution of resident and breeding/wintering birds and is a useful indicator of what is happening throughout the Continent. The Hawaiian Islands are included and this publication is a good source of information for visitors to find out some of the locations where certain species are recorded regularly. Illustrated throughout with Black and White photographs and a color section - "Pictorial Highlights". The Birds of North America The American Ornithologists' Union and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Washington, D.C. The reference to North American birds. Published as a part-work, each species is covered in a separate booklet and cover such topics as life history, breeding, populations, threats, history, feeding techniques, migration, habitat preferences and a whole host of other useful information. Unfortunately the price of this work is rather high, and although other similar works for other geographical areas around the world are in the same price range, The Birds of North America is perhaps less accessible than those works due to the way it has been published (i.e. not in taxonomic order and not bound in single volumes). However, this is a must for any truly serious academic interested in North America's avifauna.

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GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND WILDLIFE BOOKS Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Mark Cawardine Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995. A great full-colour guide to the World's Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises with illustrations of every species and information on distribution, habitat, habits, population status and threats. World maps enable simple observation of which species is likely to be seen where and clear well-drawn pictures show identification features and other physiological features. A great soft-back book which would be useful in the field anywhere. The Song of The Dodo D. Quammen Hutchinson, London. 1996. A great book detailing Island biogeography in an age of extinction. A must-read for all biologists, wildlife enthusiasts and anybody interested in distribution and evolution of birds and animals across the planet. "The new mode of thought focuses particularly on one single question: Why have island ecosystems always suffered such high rates of extinction? In our own age, with all the World's landscapes...now being carved into islandlike fragments by human activity, the implications of island biogeography are more urgent than ever". The Sixth Extinction Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London. 1995. "Over the last 530 million years there have been five mass extinctions of species - the last, 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs disappeared. The biodiversity of our planet now may be on the verge, Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin believe, of a sixth extinction, caused this time by human beings. Informed by the personal experience of a world-famous scientist, The Sixth Extinction celebrates the dazzling diversity of animal ad plant life still surviving on Earth at the end of the twentieth century, and demonstrates how the science of biodiversity uses insights from paleontology, biology, ecology and even economics to create a true appreciation of the diversity of life and its fate. Only if we can learn from our evolutionary past, and critically examine our present, can we avert the Sixth Extinction". A thought-provoking and extremely interesting read. A Gap in Nature: Discovering the World's Extinct Animals T. F. Flannery and P. Schouten

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