Bird Coloration (Vol. 1): Function and Evolution
Edited by Kevin J. McGraw and Geoffrey E. Hill
One cannot help being struck with wonder at the vivid pink of 10,000 flamingos rising from Lake Nakuru or the glowing red gorget of a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding outside the kitchen window. How birds produce the brilliant and striking coloration of their feathers and other body parts is the focus of Volume 1 of "Bird Coloration." Sumptuously illustrated, including a synthesis of more than 1,500 technical paper in this field. This book is essential reading for biologists and a treasure for anyone curious about how birds produce and perceive their bold and brilliant color displays.
Bio
Kevin McGraw is an integrative behavioral ecologist at Arizona State University who primarily studies the colors of animals such as birds to understand the costs, benefits and evolution of visual signals.
Praise for this book
Together, these two volumes present an outstanding collection of contributions, written by leaders in the field and offering a modern, state-of-the-art review of our understanding of bird coloration — including the mechanisms, function and evolution underlying the variation we see today.
Michael S. Webster Washington State University
The two volumes of Bird Coloration provide an excellent up-to-date overview of the topic ... Bird coloration is a huge topic and anyone organizing an overview should be heartily congratulated.
Andrew T. D. Bennett Nature
