A Reference Guide to Gulls of the Americas

Reviews 79 A REFERENCE GUIDE TO GULLS OF THE AMERICAS Howell, S.N.G. & Dunn, J. 2007. Peterson reference guide series. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. ix + 516 pp. with 4 tables, numerous colour photographs and maps. Hard cover. ISBN-13: 978-0-618-72641-7; ISBN-10: 0-618-72641-1. US$35. Like pigeons and starlings, gulls are much maligned by the average is not consistent between them, which makes finding an image of member of the public. This stems largely from the abundance of a specific plumage more difficult. It would also help to show the certain species—and the resultant over familiarity with them— species name in large type at the beginning of a plumage series. and by their “hamburger-joint” scavenging habits. In contrast, birdwatchers and biologists seem endlessly fascinated by gulls, but Overall, the quality of the photographs and the colour registration of for different reasons. Gulls are a taxonomically complex group with the halftone reproductions were excellent. Uniquely (I suspect) in a many similar species and much age-related plumage variability. book on gulls, the authors emphasize the importance of lighting on Thus, they present a real identification challenge for birdwatchers. the appearance of gulls in photographs. Depending on factors such For biologists, gulls are attractive subjects for such reasons as their as temperature and direction of the light, the same gull’s back and relative ease of study, nearly ubiquitous distribution, and relative belly can appear in various shades of grey from dark to white. As a insensitivity to observer effects. As a result of this interest, gulls are standard reference, the authors present a table of Kodak grey-scale better known than many other families of birds. values for each species based on museum specimens and (I assume) standard lighting conditions. Photographs are frequently annotated A Reference Guide to Gulls of the Americas is the first in the new with a comment on lighting, which is very useful. Peterson Reference Guide Series, designed to push the already formidable envelope of the Peterson Field Guide Series by offering The species accounts appear to be authoritative and jam-packed “authoritative, comprehensive information, including detailed text, with useful information under the headings Identification Summary, maps, and superior illustrations” (publisher’s promotion). As the Taxonomy, Status and Distribution, and Field Identification title states, this is a reference guide, not a field guide. At 516 pages including Similar Species, Habitat and Behavior, Description and and 1.6 kg, this is a book to throw on the passenger seat of a car Molt, and Hybrids, followed by a Notes section, which includes rather than carry in a daypack. The book covers 36 species of gulls citations referencing the Bibliography. Most species accounts living on the continents of North and South America, including come with a range map; these are large and easy to read. Seasonal Greenland, the Galapagos Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, the ranges are coloured consistently across maps, and arrows mark Falkland Islands, the South Orkneys, and South Georgia. The migration routes. I like the fact that the key is reprinted on each book’s size results from some 260 pages of colour photographs map. However, the maps are not perfect (when are they ever?). For of all species covered, each in various stages of age and plumage example, Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) are not shown moult, and the detailed species accounts with half-page or larger breeding in the mouth of the Bay of Fundy (they do, pers. obs.) and range maps. Little Gulls (Larus minutus) breed in southern Ontario (Cadman et al. 2007). Ivory Gulls (Pagophila eburnean) still breed on Seymour A short preface is followed by a generally useful “How to Use Island in the Canadian high Arctic (M. Mallory, pers. comm.) this Book” section that indicates the bounds of the book and and range in the winter from offshore to the coastline of Labrador therefore sets a realistic expectation level for its scope and depth. and eastern Newfoundland. These are relatively minor errors of Curiously, a table of body measurements is given for a selection of omission, but there are likely others. “white-headed gull” species, with no obvious purpose in mind. An Introduction to gulls, their taxonomy and identification, moults and This book will appeal to birdwatchers and biologists interested other topics, then precedes the two main sections of the book: Plates in the avifauna of the Americas. For the gull watchers out there, and Species Accounts. The book also includes a Glossary, a useful A Reference Guide to Gulls of the Americas will be especially gull bibliography, and a species index. attractive, and at US$35, it is a real bargain considering its quality. While reviewing this work, I grew to like it—particularly once I had The centrepiece of the book is the photographs. Species are learned how to navigate quickly to sections of interest. organized, here and in the Species Accounts section, into two main groups: Tern-like gulls—Masked Gulls, Small Gulls, Kittiwakes, REFERENCE Fork-tailed Gulls, Ivory Gull; and Typical Gulls—Hooded Gulls, Primitive White-headed Gulls, Small White-headed Gulls, Large CADMAN, M.D., SUTHERLAND, D.A., BECK, G.G., LEPAGE, White-headed Gulls. This breakdown of species seems to be D. & COUTURIER, A.R. (Eds). 2007. Atlas of the breeding reasonable and practical, aiding quick reference to individual birds of Ontario, 2001–2005. Toronto: Bird Studies Canada, species (although I question the utility of the Primitive White- Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario headed Gulls category, which should be subsumed within the other Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. 706 pp. White-headed Gull categories). Species are depicted in plumages from juvenal through definitive (adult). Some plumages are shown John Chardine, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, more than once if an additional aspect is visible. There seems to be PO Box 6227, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 4K2, Canada a loose order in which each species’ plumage is presented, but it ([email protected]). Marine Ornithology 36: 79–82 (2008) 80 TOP PREDATORS IN MARINE ECOSYSTEMS: THEIR ROLE IN MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT Boyd, I., Wanless, S. & Camphuysen, C.J. (Eds). 2006. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 378 pp. Paperback. ISBN 0-521- 61256-X. US$75. Top Predators in Marine Ecosystems took root in 1999, when the of such datasets to ecology and conservation alike. Sophisticated British Antarctic Survey began a new research program on the technologies and techniques have been introduced to answer more management of the krill-based ecosystem around South Georgia. specific questions. Examples include data-logging devices on fur The book then grew from a symposium held in 2004, bringing seals and penguins to provide insight into dispersion patterns of krill together that and another major research program from the North Sea (Chapter 9), satellite transmitters on Northern Gannets to monitor to address growing concerns about the effects of human activities fish stocks in the northeast Atlantic (Chapter 16), and quantitative on marine ecosystems. In a collection of 24 chapters by more than fatty acid signature analysis to sample polar bear diet at times of 50 contributors, the book explores the hypothesis that top predators the year not normally sampled (Chapter 7). This combination of can provide information for the management of marine ecosystems monitoring and directed research is used to reveal some of the and, in some situations, specific resources. Using case studies, the complexities associated with marine systems. Several authors book synthesizes current understanding of top predators as indicators argue convincingly that what is really needed is a multidisciplinary, of marine processes. Its intent, it says, is “to provide managers, whole-system approach to determine the functional links among and those with interests in marine-resource management, with the predators, their prey and habitat (Chapters 6, 8, 12, and 18). materials necessary to understand what has been achieved to date.” Their challenge then becomes incorporating this information into something that is useful for management. The idea that upper trophic level predators can provide information that can be used to manage species at multiple scales is appealing, Each chapter is written more or less in scientific paper format, because alternatives such as vessel-based research and monitoring beginning with a summary of the chapter’s major objectives are often more difficult or expensive to conduct. Most of the and conclusions, akin to an abstract. The authors use “‘boxes” book (13 of the 24 chapters) is therefore focused on establishing to provide details on the natural history of particular species, to links among top marine predators, their prey and the physical define terms, to outline statistical and survey methods, and to environment. provide background information on related research. For example, in Chapter 3, details of the relationships between large-scale The top predators most discussed are seabirds and pinnipeds, physical processes and the reproductive performance of predators although one chapter examines whether the polar bear could be breeding in South Georgia are compartmentalized into boxes, and considered a useful indicator of ecosystem change. The editors the interpretation of the significance of those details is discussed

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