Lawrence Kilham was a Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union, professor of microbiology emeritus of Dartmouth Medical School, and a distinguished virologist. He passed away in 2000. "This definitive study is a gem for both American birders and serious ornithologists." --The Indianapolis News " . . . remarkable behaviors are reviewed and discussed with a rich assortment of anecdotes from the author's 8,000 hours of field observations. . . . This book explains especially the social systems of these birds, from cooperative breeding to predator mobbing. Difficult topics such as 'play' and...

Thousands of tourists visit Peten, Guatemala, each year primarily to experience the magnificent ruins of Tikal in a unique tropical rainforest setting. An increasing number of visitors, however, are traveling to the region to see the abundant and diverse birdlife that exists there. "An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tikal National Park and ""Peten"," Guatemala" is designed especially for these bird enthusiasts. This detailed account of the bird species found in the region provides information on when, where, and in what numbers each species should be expected.
In addition to the...

"Texas Range Plants" offers a handy and attractive identification guide for the soil conservationist, range ecologist, amateur botanist, land appraiser, college or high school student, 4-H member or leader, and rangeland manager. The book describes and illustrates the 140 grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees that are economically important on Texas rangelands because of their important forage characteristics, poisonous attributes, or "weedy" or aggressive nature.
Each plant is described in detail, in both technical and lay terminology, and depicted with a line drawing that clearly shows the...

Whether this is your first trip to the Big Thicket or your five hundredth, this handy guide will lead you down paths and waterways that are a nature lover's dream.
America's first designated national preserve, the Big Thicket in Southeast Texas harbors at least a thousand species of flowering plants, two hundred species of birds, fifty kinds of reptiles, twenty species of mammals, two hundred species of wild trees and shrubs, and even four kinds of carnivorous (meat-eating) plants. The ten different ecosystems that support this unique diversity range from arid sandylands to cypress...

A manual for the identification and study of grasses of the prairies and marshes adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico from northern Mexico to western Louisiana.

For many aquarists, information on their hobby is limited to goldfish and exotic tropical fishes commonly available in local pet stores. Existing guides ignore native American species simply because few people have collected, kept, and successfully propagated them, and reliable information is difficult to find. In "American Aquarium Fishes," Robert J. Goldstein and other serious aquarists, applying their specialized expertise on North American fishes, have compiled a comprehensive guide to hundreds of native fishes suitable for the home aquarium. "American Aquarium Fishes" corrects...

In the early years of the twentieth century, South American fire ants crossed the Caribbean and invaded the shores of the southeastern United States. These imported fire ants quickly found a niche in Gulf Coast fields and lawns, overpowered the native species, and began spreading. In the process they became a notorious pest to some, a beneficial ally to others, and a potential killer to allergy sufferers. As a result, they are among the most intensely studied insects in the world. Near the turn of the millennium the dominant species, the red imported fire ant, finally made its long-feared...

The American Southwest""is famous for its dramatic vistas and the exotic animals and plants that inhabit the region. Along with Gila monsters, scorpions, and mountain goats, majestic birds, bring their own unique beauty to the area. California condors fight their way back from extinction in southern California's remote Los Padres National Forest, roadrunners reside in the saguaro deserts west of Tucson, elegant trogons haunt Arizona's Cave Creek Canyon, and drippers bob in cataracts of New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
"Birds of the Southwest" provides detailed information on...

The American Southwest""is famous for its dramatic vistas and the exotic animals and plants that inhabit the region. Along with Gila monsters, scorpions, and mountain goats, majestic birds, bring their own unique beauty to the area. California condors fight their way back from extinction in southern California's remote Los Padres National Forest, roadrunners reside in the saguaro deserts west of Tucson, elegant trogons haunt Arizona's Cave Creek Canyon, and drippers bob in cataracts of New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
"Birds of the Southwest" provides detailed information on...

The vast, open plains of the Texas Panhandle appear deceptively void of bird life, but subtle regional variations provide rich and varied avifauna. Of the approximately six hundred species of birds sighted in Texas, more than two-thirds have been confirmed on the Texas Panhandle.
The wooded waterways of the plains of the eastern Panhandle attract such eastern nesting species as the Red-headed Woodpecker and Carolina Chickadee. The gently rolling terrain of the High Plains and its scattered rainwater lakes, or playas, provide a winter habitat for a variety of migrating waterfowl. Canyons...