US Geological Survey

 

Date of this Version

2007

Comments

Published in The Auk 124(2):724–725, 2007.

Abstract

Waterfowl are among the most studied groups of birds, in part because many species are widely hunted. In recent decades, waterfowl researchers have provided a wealth of new findings related to population ecology and management. Baldassarre and Bolen, recognizing the rapid growth of valuable new information since their book was first published in 1994 and the emergence of numerous new issues confronting waterfowl conservation, have prepared a new edition of their book.
The 2006 edition of Waterfowl Ecology and Management represents a major revision of the authors’ original work. The handsome new front cover contains an inset of a Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and American Black Duck (A. rubripes) pair in color against a background of Greater Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) in fl ight. The book is printed on glossy paper, with a much larger page size than in the fi rst edition (28.0 × 21.5 cm vs. 23.4 × 15.7 cm). Drawings by Tamara Sayre add to the book’s appeal, and numerous black-and-white photographs help to convey important points, though some are underexposed, which reduces their effect. Stand-alone “infoboxes,” another new feature of the second edition, are distributed throughout the book to highlight accomplishments of early leaders in the field, identify roles of several key institutions and organizations in the field’s early development, and discuss important waterfowl issues—for example, the introduction of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) to North America and the growth of resident flocks of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis).

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