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Download This PDF File Australian Field Ornithology 2018, 35, 134–135 http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo35134135 Book Review The Ascent of Birds: How Modern Science is Revealing their Story by John Reilly Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK, 2018. Hardback, 24 x 16.5 x 3.5 cm, 340 pp., 37 colour photographs, 34 black-and-white figures including 10 phylogenetic trees. RRP AU$43.99. This book is fascinating, closely related to white cockatoos than to black ones thoughtful, well researched, (p. 136). Falcons are not closely related to other birds of written, and produced, prey but evolved much later and are most closely related and is based upon to parrots and passerines (p. 137). Parrots and songbirds, new understandings of and particularly the corvids, share the greatest numbers evolutionary origins and ofa brain cells (p. 202). The earliest passerines might have relationships among past had a parrot-like (i.e. zygodactyl) foot (p. 152). Several and (predominantly) present monarch flycatchers and whistlers that evolved on Pacific bird groups, resulting islands subsequently recolonised Australia, some then from studies of their DNA, possibly recolonising islands (p. 196). Although the ‘core including results published corvids’ dispersed from Australasia, the true Corvus crows up to 2012. It well describes originated in the Palaearctic some 17 MYA and did not the evolution and diversity reach Australia until c. 5 MYA (p. 197). The two crows now of selected bird groups renowned for tool use (Caledonian and Hawaiian Crows) from the primitive ratites are both confined to remote tropical islands that lack to those at the apex of the woodpeckers and most predators and thus provide niches avian evolutionary tree. The relationships of bird groups for wood-dwelling insect-eating birds and the possibility of are inferred from family trees produced by comparing DNA foragingb without fear of predation (p. 199). sequences from different species. This timely book will be of value to those struggling to come to terms with recent I was not especially surprised to learn that all white- changes to broader classifications of birds. eyes (Zosteropidae) share a “strikingly similar genetic profile” but was surprised that the DNA of over 80 species Twenty-seven chapters are devoted to the ‘Story’ of a indicate that “nearly all the world’s white-eyes, from Africa species or group of species, some sample titles being: The to Oceania, evolved within the last 2 million years, yielding Tinamou’s Story, The Waterfowl’s Story, The Owl’s Story, a per-lineage diversification rate of 2.24 taxa per million and The Oilbird’s Story. Of particular interest to Australasian years”. Reilly concludes that “this appears to stem from readers are chapters titled The Parrot’s, New Zealand their extreme sociability, rapid morphological evolution, Wren’s, Scrubbird’s [sic], Bowerbird’s, Bird-of-Paradise’s, short generation times, and loss of dispersal ability” [i.e. Zebra Finch’s and White-eye’s Story. I found the chapter being confined to islands] (pp. 244–245). Speciation of the on the origins and speciation (p. 147) of New Zealand newly named Cassia Crossbill Loxia sinesciuris occurred wrens (four of six recent species extinct), the most ancient in North America during only the last 6000 years (p. 253). of all passerine birds and “forming a sister group at the base of the entire suboscine-oscine radiation”, fascinating. A work covering as much ground as this does is likely to The chapter on the Australian scrub-birds, closest contain a few minor errors or failings: Reilly states that the relatives of the lyrebirds, discusses them in the context Hoatzin is placed in an order of its own but twice gives the of the Australasian origin of the songbirds. The bowerbird family name Opithocomidae (pp. 42–43), but subsequently chapter deals mostly with the sexual-selection origins the correct Opisthocomiformes (p. 46). The somewhat of their bowers and associated decorations, displays, ambiguous statement that the “form of reversed sexual and vocalisations; and that on the birds-of-paradise with dichromatism (plumage colouration)” in the Eclectus sexual selection within them. The broader subject of the Parrot is unique in birds (p. 135) is untrue, as a few other Australasian origins of passerine birds in other chapters birds show this (e.g. painted snipes and phalaropes). The is most pertinent. For those with wider interests, there is Piopio of New Zealand is wrongly stated to be a bowerbird plenty, for example an account of the origins and speciation (p. 146), this erroneous taxonomic view having long been of the species-rich passerine avifauna of South America. corrected (Frith & Frith 2004, 2009 and references therein). Lots of fascinating facts are presented, some novel to The legend that the monogamous bowerbirds called me: The Hoatzin reached South America by rafting, not by catbirds clear courts on the forest floor is resurrected by vicarience or flying (p. 47). The huge New Zealand Haast’s Reilly (p. 186), but no evidence for this old chestnut exists Eagle recently [0.7–1.8 million years ago (MYA)] diverged (Frith & Frith 2004, 2009). Although there might be the from the small Hieraaetus eagles (p. 92). Hummingbirds rare occasion when two or more female bowerbirds are evolved in Eurasia (p. 125). The Palm Cockatoo is more simultaneously at a male’s bower, females typically visit 135 Book Review: The Ascent of Birds bowers alone, contrary to Reilly’s statement that “females Of vocal mimicry performed by male bowerbirds courting go around in groups to visit bowers, so that the younger females, which assess the males’ ability to do so well, females can learn the species’ style preferences from Reilly writes “The female, therefore, is selecting a mate their older kin”. (p. 187). To my knowledge, no evidence with ‘good’ genes and, as a consequence, is enabling exists to support the statement that the “female Tooth- the male’s singing proficiency to be passed on to the billed Bowerbird selects a suitable male before arriving on next generation” (p. 236). As it is well known that male a court” (p. 190). It is not true that at bowers of Archbold’s bowerbirds must learn to perform and improve their vocal Bowerbird “the low-hanging vegetation [actually orchid mimicry over several years (Frith & Frith 2004, 2009), the stems draped on perches by males] reduces any extent to which it is genetically improved is questionable. opportunity of [the male] taking the female by surprise” In all probability, a male performing high-quality vocal (p. 190). mimicry is primarily demonstrating to females his survival (having lived the years required to learn it well) and thus, Reilly writes (p. 190) “Since many species, especially yes indeed, his good genes. waterfowl, gain reproductive success through aggressive sex” in the context of so-interpreted and thus so-called The above factual errors in a text of this nature and size forced copulations. As female birds typically perform highly detract negligibly from its real value. This engaging book is well written, adding to the pleasure of learning much specific solicitation postures in accepting a particular about the evolution and speciation (including by sexual male, and presumably simultaneously make the cloaca selection, in sympatry, and even hybridisation) of birds, accessible for insemination, I think it inappropriate to and relationships among them. It is an important work for conclude that forced copulations (better termed forced those interested in a fascinating account of the radiation, mountings) necessarily result in insemination let alone dispersal, and distribution of birds, reviewed and discussed “reproductive success” unless genetic studies have proved in the light of recent avian genetic studies. It may not be this. too easily absorbed by ornithological novices, its extensive Glossary notwithstanding. That said, I highly recommend it It is untrue that “only Satin Bowerbirds” among the to more experienced birders and to all interested in birds bowerbirds use vocal mimicry during courtship (p. 192) and avian evolution as an entertaining and instructive for there are numerous records of most, if not all, of the resource. Useful chapter-by-chapter bibliographies, a polygynous species doing so (Frith & Frith 2004, 2009). selected general one, and a usefully comprehensive index are included. It is stated that both Lesser and Greater Birds-of- Paradise were first brought to Europe in 1522, but only the former was (Swadling 1996; Frith & Frith 2010 and References references therein). The legs of the early bird-of-paradise Frith, C.B. & Frith, D.W. (2004). The Bowerbirds: Ptilonorhynchidae. trade skins were not “removed by local traders who Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. mistakenly believed that Westerners were only interested Frith C.B. & Frith D.W. (2009). Family Ptilonorhynchidae in the birds’ colourful plumages” (p. 203). In fact, this is (bowerbirds). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Christie, D.A. (Eds). how Papuans have prepared them for millennia (and Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 14: Bush-shrikes still do) as light and unencumbered head-dress material to Old World Sparrows, pp. 350-403. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, for themselves. Unfortunately, Reilly writes “Unlike the Spain. manucodes most of the ‘showy’ Paradisaeidae feed on Frith, C.B. & Frith, D.W. (2010). Birds of Paradise: Nature, Art & History. Authors, Malanda, Qld. complex fruits, berries and capsular fruits...” (p. 210) but Swadling, P. (1996). Plumes from Paradise. Papua New Guinea fails to add that manucodes, on the other hand, specialise National Museum and Robert Brown & Associates, Port in eating less-nutritious figs. Having noted that without Moresby. New Guinea’s “abundance of all-year-round high-energy fruit” the polygynous reproductive systems of birds-of- paradise could not have evolved (p. 211), it would have Clifford B.
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