Birds of the world/ Les Beletsky ; illustrated by David Nurney ... [et al.].

Introduction: Birds and Birdwatching
Ratites: Ostrich, Emu, Cassowaries, Rheas, and Kiwis
Tinamous
Penguins
Loons
Grebes
Albatrosses
Petrels and Shearwaters
Storm-petrels; Diving-petrels
Tropicbirds; Frigatebirds
Pelicans
Boobies and Gannets
Cormorants; Anhingas
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
Storks; Shoebill; Hamerkop
Ibises and Spoonbills
Flamingos; Screamers
Ducks, Geese, and Swans
New World Vultures
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites; Osprey; Secretary-bird
Falcons
Megapodes
Pheasants, Grouse, and Partridges; Buttonquail
New World Quail
Curassows, Guans, and Chachalacas
Guineafowl; Turkeys
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
Cranes
Limpkin; Trumpeters; Seriemas
Sungrebes; Sunbittern; Kagu; Mesites
Bustards
Jacanas
Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Snipes; Painted-snipes
Plovers and Lapwings
Thick-knees; Seedsnipes; Plains-wanderer
Oystercatchers; Crab-plover
Stilts and Avocets; Ibisbill
Pratincoles and Coursers
Gulls and Terns
Skuas; Skimmers; Sheathbills
Puffins and Auks
Sandgrouse
Pigeons and Doves
Parrots
Cockatoos
Turacos
Cuckoos
Ground-cuckoos; Anis; Hoatzin
Owls
Nightjars
Frogmouths; Owlet-Nightjars; Potoos; Oilbird
Swifts; Treeswifts
Hummingbirds
Mousebirds
Trogons
Kingfishers
Todies
Motmots
Bee-eaters
Rollers; Ground-Rollers; Cuckoo-Roller
Hornbills
Jacamars; Woodhoopoes; Hoopoes
Puffbirds
Barbets
Toucans
Honeyguides
Woodpeckers
Pittas
Broadbills; Asities; New Zealand Wrens
Woodcreepers
Ovenbirds
Antbirds
Tapaculos; Gnateaters
Cotingas
Manakins
New World Flycatchers
Creepers; Australasian Treecreepers; Philippine Creepers (Rhabdornises)
Lyrebirds; Scrub-birds
Bowerbirds
Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens
Thornbills, Scrubwrens, and Pardalotes
Honeyeaters and Australian Chats
Australasian Robins
Whistlers
Logrunners; Australasian Babblers; Australian Mudnesters; New Zealand Wattlebirds
Whipbirds, Quail-thrushes, and Jewel-babblers
Monarch Flycatchers and Fantails
Drongos
Jays, Crows, Ravens, and Magpies
Birds-of-Paradise
Woodswallows
Butcherbirds and Currawongs; Magpie-larks
Leafbirds, Ioras, and Fairy-bluebirds
Old World Orioles
Cuckoo-shrikes, Trillers, and Minivets
Vireos
Shrikes; Helmetshrikes
Bushshrikes
Vangas
Wattle-eyes, Batises, and Shrike-flycatchers
Waxwings; Silky-flycatchers; Palmchat
Thrushes; Dippers
Old World Flycatchers
Starlings, Mynas, and Oxpeckers
Mockingbirds and Thrashers
Nuthatches; Sittellas
Wrens
Gnatcatchers; Kinglets
Parrotbills; Penduline Tits
Long-tailed Tits
Tits and Chickadees
Swallows
Bulbuls; Hypocolius
White-eyes
Cisticolas, Prinias, and Apalises
Old World Warblers
Babblers; Rockfowl
Larks
Old World Sparrows
Weavers
Waxbills
Indigobirds and Whydahs
Wagtails and Pipits
Accentors
Sugarbirds; Flowerpeckers; Berrypeckers
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
Finches, Siskins, Crossbills, and Canaries
Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Wood Warblers
Flowerpiercers; Conebills
Tanagers
New World Sparrows and Old World Buntings
Cardinals, Saltators, and Grosbeaks
New World Blackbirds
Avian Diversity and Biogeography
1. Avian diversity: How many kinds of birds are there?
2. How does bird diversity compare with that of other vertebrate groups?
3. There are vast numbers of individual birds, but why is there great variation among
species in numbers of individuals?
4. Why are bird species distributed unevenly among various families - that is, why are
some families large, others small?
5. Avian biogeography: How are bird species distributed?
A. Zoogeographic regions - describing bird distributions.
B. The tropics - where most birds occur.
C. Islands - size and distance matter.
D. Endemics - some birds occur in very limited areas.
6. Decline in avian diversity: Environmental threats.
A. How many birds are threatened and what are the main threats?
B. Which kinds of birds are threatened, and where are they located?