Mike Unwin Livres

Wildlife is southern Africa’s number one visitor attraction. This handy, beautifully illustrated book combines field guide and travel guide, explaining where and when to find wildlife and how to identify it. Author Mike Unwin covers everything from the ‘Big Five’ to dung beetles to sand grouse, and explores the wildlife hotspots of seven countries, offering insights into animal behavior and up-to-date conservation perspectives. From superb-value Kruger safaris to Cape Town and its vineyards to malaria-free safaris on South Africa’s garden route, southern Africa has it all. Equally useful to both first-timer and serious naturalist, this Bradt guide is also the perfect safari souvenir.

Southern African Wildlife Guide - Expert information and travel advice featuring southern African wildlife, flora and fauna, birdwatching, practical field tips, conservation, safaris and natural history. Includes the Okavango Delta, Zambezi Valley, Kalahari, Luangwa Valley and national parks such as Kruger, Hwange, Chobe and Etosha.

This beautiful and inspiring book tells the stories of 80 birds around the world: from the Sociable Weaver Bird in Namibia which constructs huge, multi-nest 'apartment blocks' in the desert, to the Bar-headed Goose of China, one of the highest-flying migrants which crosses the Himalayas twice a year. Many birds come steeped in folklore and myth, some are national emblems and a few have inspired scientific revelation or daring conservation projects. Each has a story to tell that sheds a light on our relationship with the natural world and reveals just how deeply birds matter to us.

A visually stunning, photographically driven celebration of bird migration-- one of the great marvels of the natural world

Take a tour of 20 unforgettable animal homes: unearth polar bear dens deep beneath the Arctic snow, soar above eagle nests as big as cars and marvel at the remoras that make themselves comfortable on the ocean's deadliest predators.Finding Home is a celebration of animals and their drive to survive no matter the odds - finding shelter in every nook and cranny on Earth, from the obvious to the unusual. With rich, vivid non-fiction storytelling and arresting illustrations, this is an essential collection for anyone fascinated by animals and the wild ways they live.A stunning sequel from Mike Unwin and Jenni Desmond, the internationally bestselling duo behind Migration.

A guide to the animals that inhabit planet Earth. Divided by continent, it describes the diversity of wildlife which can be found all over the world, from soaring bald eagles in the Rocky Mountains to dancing lemurs in Madagascar and graceful turtles in the South Pacific. It includes animal records, various facts, a glossary and an animal quiz.

You're flying high over the Himalayan mountains, on a journey filled with danger. The temperature is far below freezing, the air is thin, and golden eagles swoop out of the sky to attack you. This is just one of the 20 incredible migration stories in this book.

-- Basic scientific principles are explained with the aid of fun experiments and activities-- All experiments use everyday household equipment-- Simple text and illustrations enable children to use the books by themselves

This beautiful RSPB Encyclopedia will take you on an incredible journey through the world of birds, helping you find out about the amazing feathered creatures that share our planet. From tropical parrots and toucans to sea birds and eagles, find out all about birds with this informative first guide and reference book. Packed with brilliant photography, fun facts and top bird tips, learn, explore and be amazed by birds big and small.

Hero or villain? Few animals divide opinion like the Red Fox. This most successful of the world's wild canids has lived alongside people from time immemorial. Celebrated by some for its resourcefulness and lush pelt, reviled by others for plundering chicken runs and overturning bins, it has worked its way deep into Western. Behind the folklore and tabloid headlines, however, lies a remarkable natural history success story. In Spotlight: Foxes Mike Unwin explores how the Red Fox's versatility has allowed it to thrive across the northern hemisphere, from desert and mountain to farmland and urban jungle. This informative book covers all aspects of the Red Fox biology and lifestyle, including hunting and caching food, defending a territory, raising a litter and communication strategies. Finally, it examines the complex, often troubled relationship that the Fox has enjoyed and both endured with humankind, and suggests what the future might hold. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.

Eagles are among the most remarkable hunters, embodying a blend of predatory skill and cultural significance that symbolizes freedom and power. However, they are often viewed as competitors by farmers and gamekeepers, leading to the decline of many species due to persecution. In Britain, two eagle species are highlighted: the majestic Golden Eagle, a true apex predator found in northern wildernesses, and the larger White-tailed Eagle, which has been reintroduced after extinction. Both species are rare, primarily residing in the remote Scottish Highlands, making sightings a thrilling wildlife experience. This engaging study delves into the biology and lifestyles of these eagles, detailing their adaptations as apex predators and their territorial behaviors, including the challenges of raising young. It reveals intriguing aspects of their lives, such as the harsh realities of 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. Additionally, the book places these UK eagles within a global context, exploring other eagle species and the complex relationship between humans and eagles throughout history, encompassing both cultural significance and conservation efforts. It also provides expert tips for those interested in observing these magnificent birds. The Spotlight series aims to educate readers about the behaviors and lives of beloved animals through captivating photography and insightful text.

This is an Internet-linked introduction to the vast variety of the animals that share our world. This book is enhanced by hundreds of carefully selected websites which, accessed through Usborne Quicklinks, allow readers to see pictures, read the field notes of a wildlife photographer, watch videos of animals in their natural habitats and much more.

RSPB Spotlight Crows is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.In Spotlight Crows , Mike Unwin looks at the biology and ecology of all eight UK corvids and investigates why these birds have become deeply embedded in our culture, from children's rhymes and Norse mythology to Shakespeare's plays and the poems of Edgar Allen Poe.Most of the UK's crow species--carrion crow, hooded crow, rook, jackdaw, raven, chough, magpie and jay--are very familiar birds to urban householder and countryside dweller alike. Together they make up the Corvidae family, and they have been deeply intertwined in our lives and culture since prehistoric times.However, familiarity often breeds contempt, and crows--also known as corvids--have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as raiders of crops, feeders on carrion, thieves of jewelry and bullies of smaller birds, crows have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet the more we learn about them, the more fascinating they become.Behind the behavior some find objectionable lie exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness. These qualities have long captivated scientists and excited the admiration of anyone who takes the time to know crows better.

Introduces the life cycles of the most familiar animal groups.

Featuring 50 beautifully illustrated birds, this 1000-piece puzzle offers both a challenging activity and an educational experience. Accompanied by a double-sided A2 poster, it provides insightful texts that explore the connection between these birds and human culture, history, and mythology. This engaging mix of puzzle fun and fascinating facts invites participants to embark on a global journey through the avian world, enhancing their appreciation of nature's beauty and its significance in our lives.

Match the parents with their offspring to make animal families

Some animals just look weird. Take the mandrill, whose outrageous face is coloured to mimic its genitals, or the star-nosed mole whose nose sprouts 22 fleshy tentacles. Others behave strangely - a mallee fowl builds huge mounds of rotting vegetation in which to incubate its eggs. Some are plain ingenious, such as the fog-basking beetle which stands on its head to drink from fog on the breeze (the fog condenses on its body and then trickles down to its mouth), or the cartwheeling spider which turns itself into a wheel to roll down sand dunes when it needs to make a sharp exit. Then there's the horned toad, which squirts blood from its eyes at attackers and the African egg-eating snake which has to dislocate its jaw to eat an egg three times bigger than its head. With glorious - and sometimes grotesque - full-colour photography throughout, 100 Bizarre Animals celebrates the antics and appearance of the world's wackiest creatures.

Eulen zu fotografieren, ist nicht einfach. Man braucht viel Geduld und Einfallsreichtum, um die scheuen Raubvögel vor die Linse zu bekommen. Für die Porträts von über 50 Arten der sagenumwobenen Geschöpfe in diesem spektakulären Text-Bildband hat sich der preisgekrönte Fotograf David Tipling auf eine Reise um die ganze Welt begeben. Mike Unwins Texte ergänzen die atemberaubenden Aufnahmen mit spannenden Details über die Lebensweisen und Wesensmerkmale der Nachtschwärmer sowie über die Besonderheiten und Widrigkeiten ihrer Lebensräume. Wächter der Schatten, Verkörperung der Weisheit oder Todesbote – um kaum ein anderes Tier ranken sich so viele Legenden und Mythen wie um Eulen. Mit diesem Buch ist es den Autoren gelungen, den Leser am tatsächlichen Leben der Eulen teilhaben zu lassen, ohne ihre Symbolik zu entzaubern oder den Mythos zu zerstören. Ganz im Gegenteil wird die Besonderheit dieser einzigartigen Vögel durch die großartigen Aufnahmen nur noch umso deutlicher.

"Neovládají lidskou řeč – jejich činy však mluví za vše." Je pes nejlepší přítel člověka? Chovají se sloni jako v porcelánu? Jsou kočky vychytralé? Lidé o zvířatech říkají nejrůznější věci, ale my vám představíme jen skutečné příběhy těch nejodvážnějších hvězd zvířecí říše. Zvířecí hrdinové všech tvarů a velikostí prošli náročnými zkouškami a prokázali neuvěřitelnou odvahu, obětavost a vynalézavost při záchraně lidských životů. Jejich osudy napříč historií světa vás zaručeně dojmou, poučí i pobaví.

Tato krásná a inspirativní kniha vypráví nesmírně zajímavé příběhy 80 ptáků z celého světa – od snovače pospolitého z Namibie, který v poušti staví obrovské „bytové bloky“ s mnoha hnízdy, po husu tibetskou, která dvakrát ročně přeletí Himálaje. Vydejte se na putování za těmi nejobdivuhodnějšími opeřenci. S více než 11 000 druhy jsou ptáci nejrozmanitější třídou obratlovců. Jejich schopnosti sahají od impozantní migrace mezi světadíly k ohromující přehlídce letecké akrobacie, barev a maskování. Může se zdát, že vzdušný svět, který obývají, je od toho našeho velmi vzdálený, a přesto se ptáci tolika různými způsoby prolínají s našimi životy. Tato kniha vám přiblíží různorodost, krásu i houževnatost osmdesáti ptáků z celého světa a odhalí, jak hluboký význam pro nás mají.

Tato přitažlivá a graficky nápaditě sestavená příručka je určena ornitologům-juniorům ve věku od 8 do 100 let. Na první pohled zaujme každého, kdo má rád přírodu a chce se o ptácích dozvědět více. Je plná barevných obrázků a fotografií, praktických rad pro začátečníky, např. kam se vydat za pozorováním ptáků, jak správně určit jednotlivé běžné druhy ptáků, jak si zvolit vyhovující vybavení či jak přilákat ptáky na svoji zahradu. Najdete v ní mnoho zajímavých nápadů a podnětů k prohloubení vašeho zájmu. Pomůže vám naplánovat ornitologické aktivity po celý rok a poradí, jak se zapojit i v souvislosti s ochranou přírody. Součástí knihy je terénní určovací atlas obsahující 149 druhů ptáků, které může začátečník v přírodě nejpravděpodobněji potkat. Atlas je vybaven jasnými ilustracemi ptáků, jednoduchými symboly a stručným textem, popisem pro identifikaci a charakteristikou chování, hlasu a biotopu, kde daný druh žije. Překlad z angličtiny je odborně redigován ve spolupráci s Českou společností ornitologickou, která tento titul též k překladu do češtiny doporučila.

Wenn im Frühjahr und im Herbst von hoch oben ein Rufen zu vernehmen ist, wandert der Blick unvermittelt gen Himmel und sucht nach dem vertrauten Bild der V-förmigen Schwärme von Kranichen und Gänsen. Kaum ein Ereignis in der Tierwelt lässt uns so staunend zurück wie deren jährliche Wanderungen und unsere Faszination lässt sich leicht erklären: Die Vögel – viele von ihnen winzig klein und aus unserer Sicht empfindlich – beherrschen das Fliegen, eine Fähigkeit, von der wir nur träumen können. Sie legen große Entfernungen zurück und vollbringen Kraft- und Ausdauerleistungen, die Fragen nach dem Bereich des physikalisch Möglichen aufwerfen. Dabei überwinden sie Wüsten, Gebirge und Ozeane, und doch gelingt es ihnen irgendwie, Jahr für Jahr präzise den Weg zu ihrem Bestimmungsort zu finden – manchmal zu ein und demselben Baum. Ihre Motivation, diese weiten und gefährlichen Reisen zu unternehmen, ist schlicht das Überleben. Beeindruckende Tierfotografie vor einigen der aufregendsten Kulissen der Welt und informative Texte zu den über 60 Vogelarten geben einen tiefen Einblick in eines der bewundernswertesten Naturereignisse. * legt die Küstenseeschwalbe zurück.

Das Buch erzählt die Geschichten von 80 Vögeln weltweit, von Gemeinschaftsnestern des Webervogels in Namibia bis zur Streifengans in China, die den Himalaya überquert. Viele Vögel sind in Mythen und Sagen präsent, einige sind Nationalembleme oder inspirieren wissenschaftliche Entdeckungen und Schutzprojekte.

Spektakuläre Tierwanderungen! Viele Tiere machen sich Jahr für Jahr auf eine unglaublich lange und anstrengende Reise. Um zu überleben, durchqueren sie unseren Planeten bei Wind und Wetter und müssen dabei ihren hungrigen Feinden, manchmal auch den Menschen, aus dem Weg gehen. Sie überqueren Gebirge und Kontinente, wandern durch Wüsten und schwimmen durch die Ozeane dieser Welt. Jedes Tier hat seine ganz eigene und besondere Reisegeschichte. Der Kaiserpinguin watschelt bis zu 100 Kilometer, um im Polarwinter ins Inland zu gelangen. Die Schwalben legen sogar 10.000 Kilometer zurück, um ausreichend Nahrung zu finden. Und große Elefantenherden machen sich alle Jahre wieder auf den Weg zu neuen Wasserstellen. Dieses besondere Reisetagebuch erzählt von 20 verschiedenen Tieren jeglicher Art und Größe. Ein besonderes Wissensbuch mit liebevoll erzählten Tierportraits, farbenfroh und warm illustriert.