Flamingos: (Poyser Monographs)

This collection of papers on the flamingos was one of the earliest Poyser monographs. An international gathering of scientists from a variety of disciplines met at The Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, from 10-12 July 1973, to report on the world situation, in the wild and in captivity, of the six types of flamingos. The occasion was the International Flamingo Symposium, called to discuss problems encountered in flamingo conservation and research, and participants came from North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Flamingos' thirty-nine chapters derive from papers delivered at the Symposium. They form four sections: Populations, Ecology and Conservation; Flamingos in captivity; Ethology and Taxonomy; Flamingo Physiology - in addition there are appendices of biological and other information, a comprehensive bibliography,and an Introduction by Sir Peter Scott. Flamingos, one of the oldest bird groups alive today, are also among the most popular and common of zoo animals, and part of the book is concerned with the problems of breeding and rearing the birds in captivity, and the stress and disease to which they can be prone. One of the aims of the Symposium and of the book is to disseminate the knowledge that will help improve captive conditions. Hopefully, greater success in breeding from captive birds may ensure that fewer of those born to the wild will be deprived of their freedom. Sir Peter Scott in his Introduction believes that within ten years zoos should be breeding all the flamingos they need. Approximately half of the book is concerned with populations in the wild, with field studies and conservation, and there are reports from all but one of the major population areas. Jacket illustration by lan Willis.

Table of Contents:
Editors' Foreword, J. Kear & N. Duplaix-Hall Introduction, Sir Peter Scott Populations, Ecology and the Conservation of Flamingos 1 Camargue flamingos, A. R. Johnson 2 Sardinia, A. Toschi 3 Iran, D. A. Scott 4 Greater Flamingos in Asia, F. J. Koning & J. Rooth 5 Mauritania, J. Trotigon 6 East Africa, L. H. Brown 7 Conservation problems at Lake Nakuru, J. Hopcraft 8 South West Africa, H. H. Berry 9 South Africa, G. J. Broekhuysen 10 The Caribbean, A. Sprunt 11 Caribbean Flamingos in a man-made habitat, J. Rooth 12 Conservation in South America, T. Morrison 13 Northern Chile, R. W. McFarlane 14 Chubut Province Argentina, J. & C. Muñoz 15 Distribution and numbers - a summary, M. P. Kahl Flamingos in Captivity 16 Capture and transport of young Caribbean Flamingos, A. Sprunt & Crego-Bourne 17 Capture in Kenya, J. E. Cooper 18 Hand-rearing Lesser Flamingos, H. H. Berry 19 Copenhagen Zoo, H. Poulsen 20 Basle Zoo, A. Studer-Theirsch 21 Breeding requirements in captivity, N. Duplaix-Hall & J. Kear Ethology and Taxonomy of Flamingos 22 Ritualised displays, M.P. Kahl 23 Group Display in Phoenicopterus, A. Studer-Thiersch 24 Feather Lice, T. Clay Flamingo Physiology 25 Carotenoids in pigmentation, D. L. Fox 26 Carotenoid metabolism in ornamental birds, H. Thommen 27 Pigment Feeding, J.A. Grisworld 28 Dietary Requirements, H. Wackernagel 29 Pathological Conditions, P.N. Humphreys 30 Fungal Infections of the plumage, J.V. Beer & J. Kear 31 Tuberculosis, N.A. Wood Appendices 1 International Flamingo Symposium participants 2 Body weights 3 Wing lengths 4 Gut measurements 5 Egg dimensions 6 Longevity in captivity 7 Pinioning in captivity 8 Leg rings 9 Zoo questionnaire Bibliography Colour Plates Plate Selection

About the Author :
Janet Kear OBE (1933–2004) was an English ornithologist and conservationist who worked extensively on waterfowl and wrote several major works on ducks. She was the first woman to become president of the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU). Nicole Duplaix-Hall is the author of Flamingos, Observations on the Ecology and Behavior of the Giant River Otter Pteronura Brasiliensis in Suriname and International Zoo Yearbook - Volume 12.