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 Featured Title
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The Great Blue Heron
A Natural History and Ecology of a Seashore Sentinel
Robert Butler  

$45.00 Hardcover
Release Date: 9/30/1997
ISBN: 9780774806350    


$29.95 Paperback
Release Date: 6/1/1999
ISBN: 9780774806343    


184 Pages





OTHER WAYS TO ORDER

About the Book

With its striking plumage, the great blue heron is one of the most widely recognized wading birds in North America. Riding on kelp beds in the Queen Charlotte Islands, wading in coastal streams along the mainland, poised motionless at the water’s edge on a misty morning, or nesting in the limbs of old-growth forests, this stately bird is a familiar sight on the coast of British Columbia. The largest colonies are on the Fraser River delta, an area of great ecological significance to the north Pacific.

Despite a growing body of knowledge regarding many aspects of the species’ breeding biology and courtship behaviour, the foraging and population ecology of this bird remains something of an enigma. In his beautifully illustrated book, Robert Butler follows the great blue heron through a year on the coast of British Columbia. He draws on more than a decade of work to throw light on the adaptability of this magnificent bird to a temperate climate, its diet and breeding habits, habitat use, and conservation.

Although the great blue heron has become a symbol of wetland conservation, in recent years it has had to face new challenges as a consequence of rapid urbanization of its environment. In The Great Blue Heron the author also describes the B.C. coast and shares a vision for the conservation of the Strait of Georgia and the Fraser River delta.


About the Author(s)

Dr. Robert W. Butler is a Research Scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University.


Table of Contents

Tables, Figures, and Photographs

Foreword / Robert Bateman

Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Seashore Sentinel

1. The Northwest Coast Great Blue Heron
2. The Coastal Realm of the Great Blue Heron
3. Foraging, Food, and Diet
4. Social and Territorial Behaviour
5. Breeding Season
6. Choosing Where to Live
7. Life History Traits and Population Dynamics
8. Conservation of Herons and the Strait of Georgia Ecosystem

Epilogue

Appendices


Reviews

An elegant volume, from the foreword by the artist Robert Bateman, to the superb photography of Tim Fitzharris, and the text is written in a breezy style that is obviously intended for a general readership…. This book should appeal to a wide audience, one beyond just those interested in ardeid biology….
-- The Auk

If you have any interest in great blues or in the place they live (our collective backyard), this book is indispensable and fascinating.
-- Dawn Hanna, Vancouver Sun, April 23, 1998

The Great Blue Heron is a wonderful book devoted to the ecology, natural history and conservation of a magnificent BC waterbird. With its abundance of detail and many beautiful photographs, this book will fascinate anyone with an interest in ornithology or conservation issues. … [Butler’s] wealth of knowledge concerning biology and his direct experience with great blue herons means his book is not only a detailed scientific account, but also an engaging look into the way field research is carried out…. Butler’s text is clear, well explained, and well referenced….While conservation books are quite popular these days, Robert Butler’s book stands out from most because of the clear and informative writing style, local interest, and its focus on one species…. The Great Blue Heron is a well written and informative book which has been beautifully constructed and will make a nice addition to anyone’s bookshelf.
-- Ross G. Vennesland, Discovery, Vancouver Natural History Society, Vol. 27, No. 2, June 1998


Sample Chapter

A sample chapter of this title is not available at this time. For further information, please email info@ubcpress.ubc.ca.


Related Topics

Environmental Studies
Natural History > Ornithology
Natural History


Other Ways To Order

In Canada, order your copy of The Great Blue Heron from UTP Distribution at:

UTP Distribution
5201 Dufferin Street
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 5T8

Phone orders: 1(800)565-9523 or (416)667-7791
Fax orders: 1(800)221-9985 or (416)667-7832
Email: utpbooks@utpress.utoronto.ca

Ordering information for customers outside Canada


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