"In this elegant narrative, celebrated naturalist Ted Floyd guides you through a year of becoming a better birder. Choosing 200 top avian species to teach key lessons, Floyd introduces a new, holistic approach to bird watching and shows how to use the tools of the 21st century to appreciate the natural world we inhabit together whether city, country or suburbs." -- From book jacket.

Being the biggest fish in the world seems like it would help the whale shark survive. However, its size actually makes it slow and easy to attack. Similarly, giraffes’ height allows them to grab food other animals can’t, but it makes drinking from a pool on the ground very awkward! Readers find out many more cases of extreme animal adaptions and their drawbacks. Fact boxes accompany full-color photographs of each animal, describing the animal’s most interesting physical features as well as their range, size, and lifespan.

A well-illustrated look at the solutions birds utilize - be it a matter of size, speed or behavior - including their intricate nests, elaborate courtships, deadly attacks and food foraging, this book explores the most extreme ways they've found to do it.

Presents a collection of miscellaneous facts about the extreme mating rituals, nests, characteristics, and behaviors of birds.

Successive chapters take up energy and population dynamics and evolution.

In this dazzling photo essay, Laman and Scholes present gorgeous full-color photographs of all 39 species of the Birds of Paradise that highlight their unique and extraordinary plumage and mating behavior.

"Explains why the Arctic and Antarctic are extreme environments and examines how polar bears, penguins, and other animals have adapted to the cold"--Provided by publisher.