Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory is an arresting visual trip to the unseen corners of the Neotropical forest understory. Edited by John P. Whitelaw, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Henry S. Pollock, and John W. Fitzpatrick, this book combines unique images of tropical birds with inspired essays by leaders in the world of modern ornithology.

With one-of-a-kind photos of seldom-documented birds, the authors use photography as a conservation tool. Many of the birds are more often heard than seen-not much is known about some of them, and much of what we do know is found in historical natural history literature, not contemporary accounts. Due to dense vegetation, low light conditions, and the birds' furtive behavior and cryptic coloring, they are notoriously difficult to photograph. Yet, Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory delves deep into the Panamanian forest understory to show why these birds should be included in discussion of the current conservation crisis. What these species lack in bright colors they make up for in distinctive behaviors, subtle plumage patterns, and ongoing mystery.

Elusive Birds of the Tropical Understory invites and inspires naturalists of all ages to take a closer look at a fascinating assemblage of overlooked birds.

About the Author

John P. Whitelaw is former Director of Laboratories in a large community general hospital. An accomplished photographer, his interests include still life, bird, and street photography as well as fine art printmaking.
Jeffrey D. Brawn is Professor and Stuart L. and Nancy J. Levenick Chair in Sustainability, Natural Resources, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Henry S. Pollock is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
John W. Fitzpatrick is Director Emeritus of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and former Executive Director of the Archbold Biological Station. He is coeditor of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd ed.

Reviews

The beauty of this book is the often larger than life photographs of subtly colored antbirds, wood- creepers, furnariids (''ovenbirds''), hummingbirds, flycatchers, and other birds that, for the average birder, often take considerable effort and luck to see well.

* The Wilson Journal of Ornithology *



Book Information
ISBN 9781501759468
Author John P. Whitelaw
Format Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint Comstock Publishing Associates
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 1361g