Overview

The cuckoos are the most variable birds in social behavior and parental care: a few cuckoos are among the most social of all birds and rear their young in a common nest; most cuckoos are caring parents that rear their own young with some females laying a few eggs in the nests of others; while many cuckoo species are brood parasites who leave their eggs in the nests of other birds to rear, with their young maturing to kill their foster nestmates. In The Cuckoos, Robert B. Payne presents a new evolutionary history of the family based on molecular genetics, and uses the family tree to explore the origins and diversity of their behaviour. He traces details of the cuckoos' biology to their original sources, includes descriptions of previously unpublished field observations, and reveals new comparisons of songs showing previously overlooked cuckoo species. Lavishly illustrated with specially commissioned colour plates and numerous maps, halftones, and line drawings, The Cuckoos provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of this family yet available.

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9780198502135

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Reviews

...illustrated to a very high standard. The text is both informative and easy to read as it uses a slightly larger font size than in some handbooks. Jean Torrance, Scottish Bird Review In summary, The Cuckoos is a good review text of this fascinating group of birds that will serve as a reference text for many years to come. The strength of this book lies in the equal treatment of all cuckoo species whether they lay eggs in their own nests or in those of another species. Charles Deeming, Hatchery Consulting & Research

...illustrated to a very high standard. The text is both informative and easy to read as it uses a slightly larger font size than in some handbooks. Jean Torrance, Scottish Bird Review In summary, The Cuckoos is a good review text of this fascinating group of birds that will serve as a reference text for many years to come. The strength of this book lies in the equal treatment of all cuckoo species whether they lay eggs in their own nests or in those of another species. Charles Deeming, Hatchery Consulting & Research

Author Information

Robert Payne is an academic ornithologist based at the University of Michigan, where he is a Professor of Zoology and Curator of Birds in the Museum of Zoology. He has extensive field work with various types of cuckoos throughout the world, and has published some 150 monographs and scientific papers on birds.

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