Is it generally safe to walk by dragon weyrs on sunny days? Do dragons really lay golden eggs? Do dragon teeth have any medicinal value? And what about unicorns: Do some rare ones have two horns, and when aren't unicorns white? What is a unicorn "sneeze c

Dragons and Unicorns: A Natural History

Children's Books

Johnsgard, Paul

Literature & Fiction

St. Martin's: Griffin

Paul Johnsgard has completely updated his highly praised 1988 edition of North American Owls, and by adding twelve species of Mexican owls he now covers the entire continent of North America. With detailed accounts of the nineteen owl species that breed north of Mexico, this comprehensive natural history includes thorough explanations of evolutionary relationships, ecology and distribution, anatomy and physiology, and reproductive biology.

North American Owls : Biology and Natural History, 2nd Edition

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

Smithsonian Books

Nebraska lies in the transition zone between North American eastern and western avifaunas and is home to more than 200 breeding and 150 migrant species. This definitive guide to Nebraska birdwatching by the state’s preeminent ornithologist includes a county-by-county rundown of the best sites, a calendar of migrations, an annotated checklist of regularly occurring Nebraska birds, and recommendations for optical equipment, publications and reference materials, and contact information for conservation and ornithological groups. It features 48 maps as well as photographs and drawings by the author.

A Nebraska Bird-Finding Guide

Zea E-Books

Bird enthusiasts will find viewing locations and updated contact information for hundreds of sites in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Alberta, and British Columbia. Part 1 outlines the habitats, ecology, and bird geography of the Rocky Mountains north of the New Mexico-Colorado border, including recent changes in the ecology and avifauna of the region. It provides detailed lists of major birding locations and guidance about where to search for specific Rocky Mountain birds. Part 2 considers all 328 regional species individually, with information on their status, habitats and ecology, suggested viewing locations, and population. Includes 3 maps and 11 drawings by the author.

Rocky Mountain Birds

This 100,000-word monograph summarizes the distribution, abundance and breeding biology of the 183 species of wetland-adapted birds reliably reported from South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas through 2011. These include 91 species known to breed or have historically bred in the region, 51 species that migrate through the region but are not yet known to breed or have bred there, and 41 species that are extremely rare, probably extinct, or for which evidence as to their current occurrence is questionable. Brief summaries of the breeding biology of all the regionally nesting species are provided, and information for all species is summarized as to seasonal migrations, habitats, and (in most cases) population status. There is an introductory account of the topography, climate and vegetation of the region insofar as these environmental factors influence wetland birds, six regional maps, and more than 500 references.

Wetland Birds of the Central Plains: South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas

The great North-South migratory pathway across the North American Great Plains-from the tropic wintering grounds to the high arctic breeding areas-is analyzed for the first time. Describes 114 U.S. and 21 Canadian localities of special importance to migrating birds. Discusses nearly 400 species of 50 avian families. Includes 7 maps, 49 figures and over 100 literature citations.

Wings over the Great Plains: Bird Migrations in the Central Flyway

Zea Books

This summary of the birds of Nebraska has been restricted to those species that have been convincingly reported at least once in Nebraska from historic time to the present. It has also been modified in its current revision to conform very closely in that regard to the most recent Nebraska Ornithologists' Union's "Official List of the Birds of Nebraska" (Brogie, 2010; NOU Records Committee, 2011 and annual updates). The N.O.U.'s official state list of birds (455 species as of 2013, including 329 "regular" species, 42 of "casual" occurrence, 68 accidentals, and six extinct or extirpated species) is based on actual specimen evidence or some other convincing basis of each species' proven occurrence in the state. I have followed the N.O.U. species list closely, although my terms of relative abundance and status often differ. The latest American Ornithologists' Union taxonomy (AOU Check-list of North American Birds, 7th edition and later supplements) is followed here.

The Birds of Nebraska: Revised Edition, 2013

Travel

This book summarizes the evidence from 47 years (1967-2014) of Audubon Christmas Bird Counts and finds that bird populations and winter ranges have changed for many species in the Great Plains states (the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle). The book offers quantitative descriptions of the winter abundance for 147 of the most commonly encountered regional species, illustrating their changes in geographic distributions and relative abundance between 1967 and 2014. As winters have become progressively warmer, the winter distributions of many birds have moved northward, by as much as two states for some species. Birds are responding to milder temperatures and longer periods of ice-free water and snow-free foraging sites in the Great Plains, and the shifts in their distribution provide critical indicators of the acceleration of global warming.

Global Warming and Population Responses among Great Plains Birds

The seven species of swans are an easily and universally recognized group of waterfowl, which have historically played important roles in the folklore, myths and legends in many cultures. Among the largest of all flying birds, they have been used as symbols of royalty, grace and beauty, and largely for these reasons swans have only rarely been considered acceptable as targets for sport hunting. Swans occur on all continents but Africa, though most species are found in the temperate and arctic zones of North America and Eurasia. Swans are a long-lived species and are among the most strongly monogamous of birds, having prolonged pair and family bonds that influence their flocking and social behavior, and contribute to the overall high degree of human interest in them. This volume describes their distributions, ecology, social behavior, and breeding biology. Included are nine distribution maps, 19 drawings, 23 photographs by the author, and a bibliography of nearly 700 references.

Swans: Their Biology and Natural History

This book summarizes the ecology, reproductive biology, and social behavior of all ten of the extant North American grouse species. It also describes the current status of grouse populations, some of which are perilously close to extinction. The social behavior of grouse is of special biological interest because among these ten species there is a complete mating system spectrum, from seasonally monogamous pairbonding to highly promiscuous mating patterns. The latter group illustrates the strong structural and behavioral effects of sexual selection resulting from nonmonogamous mating. These influences reach a peak in the development by some grouse species of engaging in mating "leks," arenalike competitions performed by males while attempting to attract fertile females, and also provide opportunities for females to select optimum mating partners. The book includes 16 range maps, 37 line drawings, and 38 photographs by the author, as well as nearly 1,400 literature citations.

The North American Grouse: Their Biology and Behavior

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Books by Johnsgard, Paul