Long Hops: Making Sense of Bird Migration (A Latitude 20 Book) - Softcover

Mark Denny (author)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0824866304 ISBN 13: 9780824866303

Publisher: University of Hawai'i Press, 2016

Synopsis

Long Hops explains the science of bird migration in accessible language―from the aeronautics of bird flight to the newly unraveled mysteries of their magnetic compasses. The author provides a sideways look, from the perspective of an experienced physicist, at the amazing long-distance migration journeys of many bird species. Birds are breathtaking works of engineering as well as beautiful creatures possessed of spectacular capabilities. Consider what it takes for a bird to navigate from Alaska to Hawai‘i, as thousands of birds do every fall.They fly 2,500 miles nonstop and land on a small island in the middle of a vast ocean. How do they endure such marathon journeys, and how on earth do they know which direction to travel over featureless ocean? These migrants head straight for their island of choice from the get-go (they don’t just fly south and hope to bump into an island chain). Now consider this: many of the migration journeys described in this book, in all parts of the world and performed by birds as small as warblers and as large as swans, cover much longer distances.

The mysteries of migration are being revealed to us via recent research aided by technology―this book makes an important contribution to explaining these developments, with original observations and transparent explanations of one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Denny is a theoretical physicist who has worked in academia (Edinburgh University and Oxford University) and industry, having spent twenty years as a radar systems engineer with several multinational aerospace companies. Born in Yorkshire, England, he is now retired and lives in British Columbia. He is the author of ten popular science books and numerous articles and journal papers on many aspects of science and engineering, including bird flight and navigation.

From the Back Cover

Description
273
In Long Hops, physicist Mark Denny explains, in a clear, conversational style, the science of bird migration from the intricacies of bird aeronautics to the newly unraveled mysteries of their magnetic compasses. While providing wherever possible examples of indigenous Hawaiian species, the book surveys the migration phenomenon as a whole, showing that birds are breathtaking works of engineering with spectacular capabilities for long-distance flights. Consider what it takes for a bird to navigate from Alaska to Hawai`i, as thousands of these hardy migrants do each year. They fly 2,500 miles nonstop and land on a small island in the middle of a vast ocean. How do they endure such marathon journeys, and how on earth do they know which direction to travel over featureless ocean? In fact, many migratory journeys, in all parts of the world and performed by birds as small as warblers and as large as swans, cover much longer distances.

After answering the who, why, where, when questions, Denny describes the different types of migration journeys found within the bird world, along with examples. He then concentrates on the much harder questions of how: how researchers study bird migration; how they gather data from old-fashioned bird banding, high-tech satellite tracking, and other techniques; and above all how the birds do it. Throughout the book, Denny explains concepts, such as the physics of bird flight and the role of physical geography on navigation, in a relatively math-free way. He concludes by exploring the past adaptations migrating birds have made to changing environments and examines the challenges they face in the future, as the world beneath them faces rapid climate change exacerbated by human activity.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Hawai'i Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0824866304
• ISBN 13: 9780824866303
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296