Books in the Poyser Monographs series

The Barn Swallow is one of the most widely distributed bird species, breeding in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa and wintering in South America, southern Africa, southern Asia and even northern Australia. This book examines various aspects of the life of this bird, with chapters on its flying skills and feeding habits, and more.

A detailed monograph on an iconic bird of tropical wetlands around the world, the flamingo.

An authoritative yet highly readable monograph on one of Britain's rarest yet most spectacular breeding birds, the Golden Oriole. This is the latest title in the acclaimed series of Poyser monographs.

A detailed, authoritative yet highly readable monograph on one of Britain's best-loved farmland birds, the Lapwing.

The arrival of thousands of Bewick's Swans from their Arctic breeding grounds to lakes and wetlands throughout northern and eastern Britain is an unforgettable sight. Telling the story of these birds, this monograph showcases one of the flagship species of wetland conservation in Britain.

A large and spectacular bird of prey, the Goshawk lives in boreal forests throughout the Northern hemisphere. The Goshawk is an authoritative yet highly readable monograph of the species.

This guide is fascinating reading for everyone who has an interest in migration and vagrancy in Britain, has made the journey to see any of the birds concerned, or has ever dreamed of finding a 'first' of their own.

This is the first monograph on one of the most beautiful and admired birds in the world. The Gyrfalcon is the world's largest and most powerful falcon - a truly awe-inspiring bird which inhabits the ferociously inhospitable Arctic taiga, from Greenland and Iceland right across Siberia and northern Canada.

A common sight around the more northerly shores of the British Isles, the Common Eider is the largest duck in the northern hemisphere. The eider is particularly well adapted to cold-water environments; the insulating properties of eider down are iconic. The species is taxonomically interesting, with a range of well-marked subspecies reflecting the patterns of ice coverage during ancient glaciations, and these ducks have also provided the focus for a number of important behavioral studies, especially on feeding ecology and energy budgets.Eiders have a long association with humans, and have deep cultural significance in many societies. However, modern lifestyles are exposing these ducks to a wide range of new pressures.This monograph provides a comprehensive portrait of the Common Eider; authors Chris Waltho and John Coulson bring together an extensive and diverse international literature, with sections on taxonomy, habitats, breeding biology, population dynamics, diet and foraging, dispersal and migration, and conservation.

For its size, Kenya probably has the most diverse range of habitats of any country in Africa, if not the world. Within its borders there are alpine peaks, montane forests, high plateaux, savannas, lowland forests, coastal woodlands and wetlands, and a string of varied lakes in the Great Rift Valley. The range of wildlife to be found in the region is correspondingly diverse. this book explores the wildlife and habitats in great detail and gives a thorough overview of Kenya''s natural history.