Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks (e-book) (used book) | bookbook.eu

Description

The Lapwing once had many regional names; the Loon has a British-American identity crisis and the respectable-sounding Apostlebird is often called a Lousy Jack. Why do bird names, both common and scientific, change over time and why do they vary so much between different parts of the English-speaking world? Wandering through the scientific and cultural history of ornithology takes us to the heart of understanding the long relationship between birds and people.Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacksuncovers the stories behind the incredible diversity of bird names, explains what many scientific names actually mean and takes a look at the history of the system by which we name birds. Ray Reedman explores the natural history and folklore behind bird names, in doing so unlocking the mystery of the name Scoter, the last unexplained common name of a British bird species. "The richness of names is something I celebrate along with the author. Moreover, his depth of research has taught me things I didn t know and I thank him for it.... this volume is full of fascination and fact that a great many birders will learn from and love." --Fat Birder"