Seabirds: A Natural History

This readable guide to the seabirds of the world provides updated material on every aspect of this fascinating group of birds. Ornithologist Anthony J. Gaston has devoted decades to the study of these beautiful and engaging birds, and he explains in detail what is special about being a seabird and why-like us-they live a long time and reproduce very slowly. Enriched with personal anecdotes from the field and remarkable photographs from John Chardine and Tim Lash, this book will appeal to students, birdwatchers, ornithologists, and naturalists alike.

The book covers the gamut of seabirds. It includes information on seabird types, adaptation and plumage, how they are distributed into communities, feeding behavior, migration, breeding, and the consequences of coloniality. The author concludes with a thoughtful analysis and discussion of the population dynamics and life-history strategy of seabirds.

Anthony J. Gaston has worked for the Canadian Wildlife Service on the ecology of seabirds for nearly thirty years. Most of his research has been in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, which he has visited annually since 1975 to study Thick-billed Murres and other seabirds. He specializes in researching birds that other ornithologists cannot reach.