Habitat selection in birds /

An important contribution from 22 authorities who review the state of knowledge on habitat selection in birds, a diverse and often difficult subject area. After an historical overview of habitat selection comes discussion of habitat selection by specific avian taxa: the pied flycatcher; Old World sylviine warblers in the Northern Hemisphere; New World parulid warblers; and birds of prey, primarily falconiforms. Habitat selection is then examined from the perspective of specific habitat types: grasslands, shrub-steppes, marshes, temperate hardwood forests, and neotropical forests. Other topics covered include habitat selection by birds practicing two feeding specialities-frugivory and nectarivory; the physiological, morphological, and behavioral aspects of habitat selection; the difficulties in choice and use of habitats available to birds migrating between breeding and wintering areas; a comparison of habitat selection in insular and continental birds; and a review of the theoretical aspects of habitat selection. Each chapter is followed by an extensive list of useful references. The book is well indexed. Most tabular and graphic materials are excellent in quality. Recommended for libraries at colleges and universities with curricula in vertebrate ecology and wildlife management. Most useful to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.-J.R. Koplin, Humboldt State University