Rees Eileen Rees Bewick's Swan

Annotation

A fascinating and highly readable monograph, showcasing one of the flagship species of wetland conservation in Britain to superb effect. The arrival of thousands of Bewick's Swans from their Arcticbreeding grounds to lakes and wetlands throughout northern and easternBritain is an unforgettable sight. Popular among both birders and thewider public, these elegant birds are among the best-studied waterfowlin the world. Beginning with the work of the late Sir Peter Scott inthe 1950s, Britain's Bewick's have been the subject of intensivebehavioural study, while their population ecology has provided asimilar focus for research. In Bewick's Swan, Eileen Rees tellsthe story of these birds in rich detail. Rees discusses their biologyin full, with sections on population and distribution, breedingbiology, wintering behaviour, food and feeding ecology, taxonomy andphylogeny, migration, and conservation; much original research isincluded, and there is frequent reference to the Bewick's siblingsubspecies, the Tundra Swan of North America. Personal recollectionsfrom a lifetime of study weave through the narrative, which isilluminated by Dafila Scott's evocative illustrations."The leading monograph of the year, by a long way." British Birds, Feb 2007