Chickens are by far the world’s most widely farmed animal, kept for both meat and egg production. They are at the centre of many debates regarding housing and production systems, causing significant interest in what lies behind chicken behaviour. This accessible book covers sensory biology, behavioural development, preferences and aversions, social behaviour, learning and cognition, behavioural issues in different systems and solutions for behavioural problems. Authored by an authority on chicken ethology, it brings together the fields of animal behaviour, neuroscience, psychology and epidemiology to provide a comprehensive understanding of chicken behaviour and help improve the lives of farmed chickens around the world.

Selected by Forbes.com as one of the 12 best books about birds and birding in 2016 This much-anticipated third edition of the Handbook of Bird Biology is an essential and comprehensive resource for everyone interested in learning more about birds, from casual bird watchers to formal students of ornithology. Wherever you study birds your enjoyment will be enhanced by a better understanding of the incredible diversity of avian lifestyles. Arising from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology and authored by a team of experts from around the world, the Handbook covers all aspects of avian diversity, behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation. Using examples drawn from birds found in every corner of the globe, it explores and distills the many scientific discoveries that have made birds one of our best known - and best loved - parts of the natural world. This edition has been completely revised and is presented with more than 800 full color images. It provides readers with a tool for life-long learning about birds and is suitable for bird watchers and ornithology students, as well as for ecologists, conservationists, and resource managers who work with birds. The Handbook of Bird Biology is the companion volume to the Cornell Lab's renowned distance learning course, www.birds.cornell.edu/courses/home/homestudy/.

Liberating today's chicken from cartoons, fast food, and other demeaning associations, The Chicken Book at once celebrates and explains this noble fowl. As it traces the rise and fall of Gallus domesticus from the jungles of ancient India to the assembly-line hatcheries sprawled across modern America, this original, frequently astounding book passes along a trove of knowledge and lore about everything from the chicken's biology and behavior to its place in legend and mythology. The book includes lively discussions of the chicken's role in literature and history, the cruel attractions of cockfighting, the medicinal uses of eggs and chicken parts, the details of the egg-laying process, the basics of the backyard coop, recipes, and much more. Entertaining and insightful, The Chicken Book will change the way we regard this too often underappreciated animal.

Books on both chicken immunology and developmental biology are rare. This one, however, summarizes all aspects of both areas and therefore represents a valuable compendium for experienced researchers as well as for all newcomers to the field. Following a lengthy discussion of the origin of hemopoietic cells, regulatory elements for the differentiation of these cells and B and T cell lymphopoiesis, the book goes on to describe the generation of transgenic chickens as well as an additional basic feature in embryogenesis: the positioning of organ anlage, e.g. the limb bud. To round off, a valuable compilation of monoclonal antibodies further enhances the practical usefulness of this important book.

Hawaii’s forest bird community is the most insular and most endangered in the world and serves as a case study for threatened species globally. Ten have disappeared in the past thirty years, nine are critically endangered, and even common species are currently in decline. Thane K. Pratt, his coeditors, and collaborators, all leaders in their field, describe the research and conservation efforts over the past thirty years to save Hawaii’s forest birds. They also offer the most comprehensive look at the reasons for these extinctions and attempts to overcome them in the future. Among the topics covered in this book are trends in bird populations, environmental and genetic factors limiting population size, avian diseases, predators, and competing alien bird species. Color plates by award-winning local photographer Jack Jeffrey illustrate all living species discussed or described.