Some details from Cornel Uni Press
Tony
THE EAGLE WATCHERS
Observing and Conserving Raptors around the World
Ruth E. Tingay (Editor); Todd E. Katzner (Editor); Keith L. Bildstein
(Foreword); Jemima Parry-Jones , MBE (Foreword)
A Comstock Book
$29.95t cloth
2010, 256 pages, 6.125 x 9.25, 14 color photographs, 29 halftones, 1
chart/graph, 1 table
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4873-7
Eagles have fascinated humans for millennia. For some, the glimpse of a
distant eagle instantly becomes a treasured lifelong memory. Others may
never encounter a wild eagle in their lifetime. This book was written by
people who have dedicated years to the study of eagles, to provide an
insider's view for all readers, but especially those who have never been up
close and personal with these magnificent yet often misunderstood creatures.
In their stories, twenty-nine leading eagle researchers share their
remarkable field experiences, providing personal narratives that don't
feature in their scientific publications. They tell of their fear at being
stalked by grizzly bears, their surprise at being followed by the secret
police, their embarrassment when accidentally firing mortar rockets over a
school gymnasium, and their sense of awe at tracking eagles via satellite.
The reader experiences the cultural shock of being guest of honor at a
circumcision ceremony, the absurdity of sharing an aquatic car with the
Khmer Rouge, and the sense of foreboding at being press-ganged into a
frenzied tribal death march through the jungle.
The Eagle Watchers covers twenty-four species on six continents, from well
known (bald eagle; golden eagle), to obscure (black-and-chestnut eagle; New
Guinea harpy eagle), and from common (African fish eagle) to critically
endangered (Philippine eagle; Madagascar fish eagle). The diverse
experiences vividly described in this book reveal the passion, dedication,
and sense of adventure shared by those who study these majestic birds and
strive for their conservation.
Featuring stunning color photographs of the eagles, information on raptor
conservation, a global list of all eagle species with ranges and
conservation status, and a color map of the sites visited in the book, The
Eagle Watchers will appeal to birders, conservationists, and adventure
travelers alike. To further support the conservation programs described in
this book, all royalties are being donated to two leading nonprofit
organizations for raptor conservation training and fieldwork: Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary Intern Program and the National Birds of Prey Trust.
Contributors: Bill Clark (Solitary Eagle, Mexico); Rob Davies (Verreaux's
Eagle, South Africa); Miguel Ferrer (Spanish Imperial Eagle, Spain); Martin
Gilbert (New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guinea); Justin Grant (White-tailed Sea
Eagle, Scotland); Teryl G. Grubb (Bald Eagle, United States); Alan R.
Harmata (Bald Eagle, United States); Björn Helander (White-tailed Sea Eagle,
Sweden); Andrew Jenkins (Martial Eagle, South Africa); Sarah Karpanty
(Madagascar Serpent Eagle, Madagascar); Todd E. Katzner (Eastern Imperial
Eagle, Kazakhstan); John A. Love (White-tailed Sea Eagle, Scotland); Carol
McIntyre (Golden Eagle, United States); Bernd-U. Meyburg (Lesser Spotted
Eagle, Czechoslovakia and Germany); Hector C. Miranda Jr. (Philippine Eagle,
Philippines); Malcolm Nicoll (Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Cambodia); Vincent
Nijman (Javan Hawk-Eagle, Indonesia); Penny Olsen (Wedge-tailed Eagle,
Australia); Keisuke Saito (Steller's Sea Eagle, Japan); Susanne Shultz
(African Crowned Eagle, Ivory Coast); Robert E. Simmons (Wahlberg's Eagle,
South Africa); Ruth E. Tingay (Madagascar Fish Eagle, Madagascar); Janeene
Touchton (Harpy Eagle, Panama); Ursula Valdez (Black-and-chestnut Eagle,
Peru); Munir Z. Virani (African Fish Eagle, Kenya); Jeff Watson (Golden
Eagle, Scotland); Mark Watson (New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guinea); Richard
T. Watson (Bateleur, South Africa); Jason Wiersma (White-bellied Sea Eagle,
Tasmania)
Reviews
"The Eagle Watchers is literary alchemy, putting an engaging, human face to
the great birds of prey that have, since the beginning of human history,
awed and inspired us. It has already won a strategic spot on my bookshelf
but that honor still awaits a time when the book finds itself free of my
hands."—Pete Dunne, Vice-president New Jersey Audubon Society
"Eagles are the most riveting of all the world's wild birds—and eagle
biologists, who brave some of the harshest conditions on the planet, are
among the most intrepid of scientists. The Eagle Watchers explores the
twinned worlds of observer and observed, from the rain forests of Asia,
Africa and South America to the steppes of Kazakhstan and the mountains of
Alaska, with dozens of ornithologists who recount experiences with poachers,
land mines, wilderness camps, guerrillas and even a tense face-off between
warring New Guinea tribesmen—all to learn more about some of the world's 75
species of eagles."—Scott Weidensaul, author, Of a Feather: A Brief History
of American Birding
About the Author
Ruth Tingay is a wildlife ecologist and studies eagles in Scotland,
Madagascar, Cambodia, the Solomon Islands, and Mongolia. She is the current
President of the Raptor Research Foundation. Todd E. Katzner is Director of
Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and an
Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and at Duquesne
University. He studies eagles in Kazakhstan, the Philippines, and the United
States. Keith L. Bildstein is Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation
Science at the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary and author of books including Migrating Raptors of the World:
Their Ecology and Conservation, also from Cornell. Jemima Parry-Jones, MBE,
is director of the International Centre for Birds of Prey and author of
books including The Really Useful Owl Guide.
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