This glossary defines the common, generic, family, and order names of birds. It is primarily aimed at bird and nature lovers who seek definitions for unfamiliar bird names that they encounter in ornithological literature. It is also a valuable reference work for the interested non-specialists who would like a small definition for any unfamiliar bird name that they may come across in their day to day lives. An introduction to birds in general has also been provided, including brief accounts on feathers and flight, migration, evolutionary history, and classification of birds. The author has...

Ornithology is a fascinating subject. It is perhaps the only discipline in zoology that has benefited greatly from the contributions of amateurs. This dictionary is a valuable source of reference for the whole range of birders from the person interested merely in the birds that visit his or her home garden to the more serious bird watchers who wander far and wide in search of birds. Definitions for more than 5000 ornithological and related terms have been provided and a number of informal and colloquial terms have also been included.

Ornithology is the scientific study of birds. It is perhaps the only discipline in zoology that has benefited greatly from the contributions of amateurs. Much has been learned about the distribution, migratory movements, and ecology of birds from the observations of amateurs and such observations by ordinary people often have the advantage of being completely unbiased. This dictionary has been prepared as an aid for bird enthusiasts seeking definitions for unfamiliar terms or bird names that they may encounter in ornithological literature. It is a much enlarged and enhanced...

Pteridophytes, popularly known as ferns and their allies, are a familiar group of vascular plants. They are the most primitive group among vascular plants. They thrived during the Carboniferous Period, some 350 million years ago, when the climate was mild with no significant seasonal fluctuations of temperature. There were luxuriant growths of giant tree ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses in swamp forests. When angiosperms began to proliferate during the Cretaceous Period gymnosperms declined but pteridophytes continued to thrive which still survive today in much greater species diversity than...