The gull is a familiar sight by the seaside, and one of the most recognisable bird species, but most people know surprisingly little about the lives and habits of these seafaring birds. John C. Coulson remedies this with a comprehensive overview of the gull.

The gull is a familiar sight by the seaside, and one of the most recognisable bird species, but most people know surprisingly little about the lives and habits of these seafaring birds. Professor John Coulson remedies this with a comprehensive overview of the gull. There are more than 50 known species of gulls, and many of these are well-adapted to living in urban areas and in close proximity to humans. But there are also less familiar species to discover, which keep their distance from beachgoers. This long-overdue addition to the New Naturalist library explains the thorny issues of gull taxonomy and classification, then introduces readers to what it means to be a gull, physically and genetically. Chapters are divided by larger gull groups, and within these, distribution, lifecyles and behaviours are examined, as well as acclimation to the human world. Colour photography throughout offers ample opportunity to get a sense of the variation within the gull group, and makes this book a pleasure to look through.

A history of the most successful, significant and long-running natural history series in the world.

An easy-to-use, fully illustrated guide to the birds of Ireland

An exuberant and vibrant illustrated exploration of birds and our relationships with them From the Common Swift, which can stay in the air continuously without landing for up to ten months at a time, to the tiny Goldcrest, Europe's smallest bird, which can lay a clutch of a dozen eggs in two weeks totaling one-and-one-half times its body weight, the class of animals we call birds is filled with incredible feats of beauty, intellect, and wonder. With enthralling facts, humorous anecdotes, and gorgeous artwork, artist Misha Blaise pays loving homage to these amazing beings that populate our skies and share the planet with us. Using her own adoration of birds as a starting point to explore avian minutiae both strange and fascinating, Blaise winds through the interconnectedness between humans and our feathered friends, from the eccentric people who obsess about birds to the compelling ways people have integrated birds into culture throughout history, as well as our similar behaviors, kindred intelligence, and shared habitats. Thoughtful, philosophical, and delightful, Crazy for Birds pairs beautiful artwork with whimsical writing to explore the many wonders of birds, shedding light on our abiding connection with nature, the diversity of life, and the idiosyncrasy of the human psyche.

This is a guide to the main developments in the history of British and Irish literature, charting some of the main features of literary language development and highlighting key language topics.

This New Naturalist volume provides a much-anticipated overview of these fascinating birds – the first book on the natural history of British and Irish terns since 1934.