Famous for their size and elegance in flight, Albatrosses are familiar to anyone who has travelled through the
Southern Oceans, and are a flagship family of conservation concern.
However, albatrosses are just one of several groups of
'Pelagic' Birds - those that visit land only to
breed, and spend the rest of their lives far from the coast, soaring from ocean to ocean in a never-ending
search for food.
Mysterious and graceful, these birds can present a formidable identification challenge to even the most
experienced birder.
This book provides the answer - the first comprehensive guide to pelagic birds, the Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters, Storm-petrels and Diving petrels.
- A comprehensive guide to 137 species of pelagic seabirds, with subspecies and phases fully illustrated.
- Concise information opposite plates is designed for use in the field, with tips for identification at sea,
at close range and over distance.
- Confusion species included on plates to assist accurate identification.
- Detailed species accounts include colour distribution maps for every species.