Selected by Forbes.

Selected by Forbes.com as one of the 12 best books about birds and birding in 2016 This much-anticipated third edition of the Handbook of Bird Biology is an essential and comprehensive resource for everyone interested in learning more about birds, from casual bird watchers to formal students of ornithology. Wherever you study birds your enjoyment will be enhanced by a better understanding of the incredible diversity of avian lifestyles. Arising from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology and authored by a team of experts from around the world, the Handbook covers all aspects of avian diversity, behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation. Using examples drawn from birds found in every corner of the globe, it explores and distills the many scientific discoveries that have made birds one of our best known - and best loved - parts of the natural world. This edition has been completely revised and is presented with more than 800 full color images. It provides readers with a tool for life-long learning about birds and is suitable for bird watchers and ornithology students, as well as for ecologists, conservationists, and resource managers who work with birds. The Handbook of Bird Biology is the companion volume to the Cornell Lab's renowned distance learning course, Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology.

Intellectually and visually inspiring. [...] I can't imagine a better textbook or general reference for aspiring or established ornithologists and naturalists. - Craig W. Benkman, Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology, University of Wyoming ... provides readers [...] a vast but digestible set of general evolutionary, behavioral, and physiological concepts, rigorous scientific appraisals, and diverse, data-driven examples. - Mark E. Hauber, Editor of The Auk and Interim University Vice Provost for Research City University of New York Serve[s] equally well as an introduction to bird biology for the interested layperson or a text[book]. [...] Truly remarkable and comprehensive. - Richard T. Holmes, Harris Professor of Environmental Biology Emeritus, Dartmouth College [A] deeply informative and visually stunning book, [...] written in a straightforward and engaging style. The visual layout is superb. - Darren E. Irwin, Professor of Zoology and Curator of Birds at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia Provides so many up-to-date and inspiring examples, beautifully illustrated and professionally described (with direct links to audio-visual media). - Arnon Lotem, Professor, Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University [The] subject matter experts have done a wonderful job assembling [an] enormous amount of information into 15 succinct [...] chapters. - Peter Marra, Director, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center An unrivaled resource. Drawing upon classic literature [and] the latest peer-reviewed data sets, the Handbook will take you on a journey. - Rebecca Safran, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder Written and edited by some of the leading experts in the field [...] with a clear style and well-chosen examples. - Pablo Luis Tubaro, Curator of Ornithology and Director, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Intellectually and visually inspiring. [...] I can't imagine a better textbook or general reference for aspiring or established ornithologists and naturalists." - Craig W. Benkman, Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology, University of Wyoming "... provides readers [...] a vast but digestible set of general evolutionary, behavioral, and physiological concepts, rigorous scientific appraisals, and diverse, data-driven examples." - Mark E. Hauber, Editor of The Auk and Interim University Vice Provost for Research City University of New York "Serve[s] equally well as an introduction to bird biology for the interested layperson or a text[book]. [...] Truly remarkable and comprehensive." - Richard T. Holmes, Harris Professor of Environmental Biology Emeritus, Dartmouth College "[A] deeply informative and visually stunning book, [...] written in a straightforward and engaging style. The visual layout is superb." - Darren E. Irwin, Professor of Zoology and Curator of Birds at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia "Provides so many up-to-date and inspiring examples, beautifully illustrated and professionally described (with direct links to audio-visual media)." - Arnon Lotem, Professor, Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University "[The] subject matter experts have done a wonderful job assembling [an] enormous amount of information into 15 succinct [...] chapters." - Peter Marra, Director, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center "An unrivaled resource. Drawing upon classic literature [and] the latest peer-reviewed data sets, the Handbook will take you on a journey." - Rebecca Safran, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder "Written and edited by some of the leading experts in the field [...] with a clear style and well-chosen examples." - Pablo Luis Tubaro, Curator of Ornithology and Director, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales