Ornithology: An Ecological Approach (Spectrum Book)

Rating:
Summary: ornithology made simple
Review: Faaborg's textbook for ornithology was published in 1988. It is composed of 16 chapters for a total of 470 pages, and deals with topics from an introductory chapter to conservation and management. A the time of its publication, nothing original had been published since Pettingill's classic ornithology texts (>25 yr old) and it sure was a significant change from the previous approach.

The subtitle of the book, "an ecological approach" informs the reader about the scope of the contents. Although morphological, anatomical, and physiological chapters are included (co-authored by S. Chaplin), these are not the main emphasis of this volume, but a more organismal-to-community ecology type of book, and being Faaborg direct offspring of the MacArthurian paradigm this was expected.

Students using this book in undergraduate ornithology courses will find an easy to digest narrative, abundant and easily understandable figures and tables, and a body of information with direct applications to conservation and management, besides its children-proof binding. When compared to similar recent ornithology books (e.g. F. Gill's) it is pretty obvious the professional ornithologist will chose the more in-depth, recent and abundantly researched volume of the later, but for people looking for an excellent introductory level ornithology textbook the objectives of the author are more than fulfilled.

It is a shame it can be so expensive in the used book market and that the author and publisher haven't put produced a second edition, perhaps with a lower-priced paperback section.

Rating:
Summary: ornithology made simple
Review: Faaborg's textbook for ornithology was published in 1988. It is composed of 16 chapters for a total of 470 pages, and deals with topics from an introductory chapter to conservation and management. A the time of its publication, nothing original had been published since Pettingill's classic ornithology texts (>25 yr old) and it sure was a significant change from the previous approach.

The subtitle of the book, "an ecological approach" informs the reader about the scope of the contents. Although morphological, anatomical, and physiological chapters are included (co-authored by S. Chaplin), these are not the main emphasis of this volume, but a more organismal-to-community ecology type of book, and being Faaborg direct offspring of the MacArthurian paradigm this was expected.

Students using this book in undergraduate ornithology courses will find an easy to digest narrative, abundant and easily understandable figures and tables, and a body of information with direct applications to conservation and management, besides its children-proof binding. When compared to similar recent ornithology books (e.g. F. Gill's) it is pretty obvious the professional ornithologist will chose the more in-depth, recent and abundantly researched volume of the later, but for people looking for an excellent introductory level ornithology textbook the objectives of the author are more than fulfilled.

It is a shame it can be so expensive in the used book market and that the author and publisher haven't put produced a second edition, perhaps with a lower-priced paperback section.