Princeton University Press
The Bird Name Book: A History of English Bird Names
Key Metrics
- Susan Myers
- Princeton University Press
- Hardcover
- 9780691235691
- -
- -
- Nature > Animals - Birds
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
A marvelously illustrated A to Z compendium of bird names from around the globe
The Bird Name Book is an alphabetical reference book on the origins and meanings of common group bird names from accentor to zeledonia. A cornucopia of engaging facts and anecdotes, this superbly researched compendium presents a wealth of incisive entries alongside stunning photos by the author and beautiful historic prints and watercolors. Myers provides brief biographies of prominent figures in ornithology--such as John Gould, John Latham, Alfred Newton, and Robert Ridgway--and goes on to describe the etymological history of every common group bird name found in standardized English. She interweaves the stories behind the names with quotes from publications dating back to the 1400s, illuminating the shared evolution of language and our relationships with birds, and rooting the names in the history of ornithological discovery.
Whether you are a well-traveled birder or have ever wondered how the birds in your backyard got their names, The Bird Name Book is the ideal companion no matter where your journeys in nature may lead you.
Author Bio
Susan Myers has led specialist birding tours in the Asian and Australasian region for more than fifteen years. She now works with WINGS Birding Tours, based in Arizona. Myers is the author of Birds of Borneo (Princeton)
For more than 20 years Susan has led tours throughout Asia, including countless trips to the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indonesia, over 30 tours to Vietnam, and many tours of India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Japan, Thailand, China, Cambodia, Burma and the Philippines, as well as Madagascar, West Papua, the Pacific islands and, of course, Australia. She is fluent in Japanese as well as Indonesian/Malaysian.
Her experiences in Asia started at an early age when a short trip to Singapore cast a spell on her, never to be broken. That first sighting of a sunbird in the tropical rainforest led to the purchase of King’s The Birds of South East Asia, which she obsessively memorized. After her university studies in biological sciences, she moved to Japan where she lived for four years, learning the language and studying the natural history and culture, she has traveled there regularly ever since. A few years in Japan and extended travel and birding all over the region further strengthened her deep love of the wildlife and culture of Asia. Susan has also worked as a scuba instructor on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, showing international visitors this marine wonder of the world.
She has published many papers and articles on ornithology and general ecology in a variety of respected magazines, scientific journals and books. She is the author of the revised edition Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, published in 2016, and has recently finished a general guide to the wildlife of South East Asia. Susan’s deep affection for and appreciation of Asia and its wildlife, her language skills, and her understanding of the different cultures of this region ensure an enriching dimension to your tour.
Susan is also an accomplished photographer. You can enjoy her images of birds and other wildlife at susanmyersphotography.com
Source: Princeton University Press and WINGS Birding Tours
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