Fogler Library Resources by Subject: Ornithology

Ornithology

Introduction

The following is a brief, selected guide to ornithological information resources available in Fogler Library, through the Fogler Library home page, and the World Wide Web. See also specific subject guides in this research guide series for other animal related resources.

Bird news from Birdlife International

New Resources since 1/31/2008

Beolens, B. and Watkins, M. 2003. Whose bird? Common bird names and the people they commemorate. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 400p.
Sci Ref QL677.B46 2003

URSUS

URSUS - the online catalogue of the University of Maine System, contains a wealth of information on ornithology and related topics. Searching is by author, title, keyword, subject, and call number. Through URSUS you can find books, conference, symposium, and workshop proceeding volumes, University of Maine theses and dissertations, and state, federal, Canadian, and other international documents. Material is catalogued by Library of Congress Subject Headings. Depending on your topic, the following subject headings may get you started in your search:

bird population, birds (+geographic location), birds anatomy, birds behavior, birds conservation, birds ecology, birds fossil, birds migration, birds nomenclature, birds of prey, birds physiology, Passeriformes, water birds

A good way to search URSUS is by keyword. Using the keyword search option you can combine various keywords together using AND, OR, and parentheses. If you wanted to find information on the ecology of birds in Maine, your search might look like this:

maine and (birds or ornitholog*) and ecolog*

where the * is a truncation symbol (wildcard) retrieving all variant endings.

Indexes and Databases

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts 1971-present online. If you are connecting to this database off the University of Maine campus but within the State of Maine, please connect through Maine's Science, Technology & Business Library.
This abstract is updated quarterly and covers the total aquatic environment (freshwater, brackish, and marine). Information is included on living resources as well as technology, policy, and non-living resources. Over 4,500 journals are indexed (see Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts serials list) as well as conference proceedings, books, and government and technical reports. Abstracts are included for most citations.

Avian Literature Database
A database of the effects of wind energy development on birds. Indexes a variety of publications types including journals, magazines, utility company reports, conference proceedings, and government publications. Note that documentation says "currently contains the abstracts of documents published through 1995", however material published after this date is included. Maintained by the National Wind Technology Center. Originally compiled by the California Energy Commission.

Buteo Books
Online bookstore specializing in ornithology books. Included because of the large number of books available and the organization of the site. Buteo Books, Shipman, VA.

BIOSIS Previews 1926-present online
Biological Abstracts. 1927-present. Sci Index QH 301.B4
Biological Abstracts/RRM. 1979-present. Sci Index QH 301.B55.
BIOSIS Previews, worldwide in scope, indexes the literature of the biological and biomedical sciences. The premier database in the biological sciences, subject coverage includes agriculture, biochemistry, bioengineering, botany, ecology, genetics, microbiology, ornithology, pharmacology, and zoology. Approximately 5,500 serial publications (see Biosis Previews serials list) as well as books, proceedings and meeting abstracts, technical reports, review papers, and patents are indexed. There are 58 separate data fields that can be searched including author, title, publication source, organism, concepts, super taxa, publication type, author affiliation, and abstract keyword. Searches can be limited to review articles.

DUCKDATA
Indexes approximately 150 journals for information related to North American waterfowl. Subjects covered include conservation, ecology, and management. Search by author, title, subject, year of publication, and periodical indexed. The database is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS), Biological Resources Division (BRD), National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is made available by this site as well as the USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Ecology Abstracts - 1982-present online
Sci Index QH 540 A66 - 1979-present
Indexes the broad area of the interactions of organisms with their environment. Includes information on conservation, pollution, management, environmental degradation, and reclamation. Ecology Abstracts can be searched by author, title, subject, and abstract word. Indexes approximately 620 journals (see Serials source list for Ecology Abstracts). Updated monthly.

GooseRef bibliography system
A keyword searchable database of approximately 2,700 references on geese. No abstracts present. Developed and maintained by Evan Cooch, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University.

JSTOR
A searchable database of full-text scholarly journals including several major ecology journals such as: Ecology (1920-1999), Functional Ecology (1987-2000), Journal of Applied Ecology (1964-2000), and Journal of Biogeography (1974-2000).

Ornithological Worldwide Literature
A searchable database of over 19,000 references. Incorporates Recent Ornithological Literature. A joint project of the American Ornithological Union, British Ornithological Union, and Birds Australia.

Raptor Information System (RIS)
A searchable database of over 33,000 references on raptors. Search by keyword, author, title, journal name, and year. No abstracts. Emphasis on the literature of population dynamics and predation. USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystems Science Center, Snake River Field Station.

Sora
A searchable database with full-text links to the following journals: Auk (1884-1999), Condor (1899-2000), Journal of Field Ornithology (1930-1999), North American Bird Bander (1976-2000), Pacific Coast Avifauna (1900-1974), Studies in Avian Biology (1978-1999), and Wilson Bulletin (1889-1999).

Web of Science. 1900-present
Science Citation Index 1965-2003.
Sci Index Q1.A1S36
Web of Science includes Science Citation Index from 1900-present. Search by word in the title, keyword, and abstract. Perform cited reference searches from 1900 to present. Limit by author affiliation and document type.

The paper edition consists of three major sections: 1) Source Index - the primary place to search for authors' works published in a given time period; 2) Citation Index - a list of all references (alphabetical by author) cited by an author of a given paper which is listed in the Source Index; and 3) Permuterm Subject Index - access to citations listed in the Source Index by significant title word (Note: There is no subject indexing). Over 4,000 journals are indexed (see the master journal list).

Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide - 1935-present online
Includes over 345,000 citations to the literature on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians found in journals, conference proceedings, monographs, theses and dissertations, and government reports. Database includes Wildlife Review Abstracts, which was published through 1995 by the National Biological Service. Searching is by keyword, subject, and author as well as by taxonomic and geographic identifiers. Abstracts are available for publications added to the database since September 1996. 8,000 records added annually. Coverage is from 1935 to present. Updated quarterly.

Zoological Record. 1978-present online
Sci Index QL1.Z58 1864-present.
This index is published annually. Each annual edition is divided into 20 sections, with 18 of these sections representing various animal groups. The remaining 2 sections cover the general zoological literature and the new generic and sub-generic names indexed. Coverage is the worldwide zoological literature, indexing over 6,000 journals (see Zoological Record serials list). Each section has 5 indexes: author, subject, geographic, paleontological, and systematic.

Bibliographies

Bibliography. Ornithology. Biology 5446/5446G. C. Ray Chandler. Georgia Southern University.

Bibliography: Seabirds as indicators. Alaska Science Center, USGS.

Bird banding. [no date]. Bird Banding Laboratory, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USGS.

Dahlgren, R.B. and Korschgen, C.E. 1992. Human disturbances to waterfowl: An annotated bibliography. USGS, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.

Hebert, E. and Reese, E. 1995. Avian collision and electrocution[:]An annotated bibliography. California Electric Commission. Publication No. P700-95-001.

Hunting, K. (+ others). 2006. On-line annotated bibliography of avian interactions with utility structures. California Energy Commission.

Johnson, D.H. 2001. Habitat fragmentation effects on birds in grasslands and wetlands: A critique of our knowledge. USGS, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.

Payne, R.B. 2000. A bibliography of ornithology - in three parts. University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, Bird Division.

Kerlinger, P. 2000. Avian mortality at communication towers: A review of recent literature, research, and methodology. Cape May Point, NJ: Curry & Kerlinger. 38p. (prepared for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management)

Trapp, J.L. 1998. Bird kills at towers and other human-made structures: An annotated partial bibliography (1960-1998). U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management.

Ornithology Journals Author Instruction Pages

The Auk

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

The Condor

Conservation Biology

Conservation Genetics

Emu

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

General and Comparative Endocrinology

Ibis

Journal of Avian Biology

Journal of Field Ornithology

Journal of Ornithology

Marine Ornithology

Northeastern Naturalist

Ornitologia Neotropical

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (Previously Wilson Bulletin)

Dictionaries, Glossaries, and Encyclopedias

Banks, R.C. Obsolete English Names of North American Birds and Their Modern Equivalents. USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, National Museum of Natural History.

Beolens, B. and Watkins, M. 2003. Whose bird? Common bird names and the people they commemorate. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 400p.
Sci Ref QL677.B46 2003

The Cambridge encyclopedia of ornithology. 1991. Cambridge, Eng.; New York: Cambridge University Press. 362p.
Sci Ref QL673 .C26

A dictionary of birds. 1985. Vermillion, SD: Buteo Books. 670p.
Sci Ref QL673 .D59 1985

The Concise Oxford dictionary of zoology. 1991. Oxford [England]; New York: Oxford University Press. 508p.
Sci Ref QL9 .C66 1991

Gill, F. and Wright, M. 2006. Birds of the world - recommended English names. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 259p.
Sci Ref QL677.G55 2006

Jobling, J.A. 1991. A dictionary of scientific bird names. Oxford; New York: Oxford University press. 272p.
Sci Ref QL677 .J55 1991

Koford, R.R., Dunning, J.B., Jr., Ribic, C.A., and Finch, D.M. 1994. A glossary for avian terms for use in avian conservation biology. Wilson Bulletin. 106(1):121-137. Posted on the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page.

Patuxent bird glossary. USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Paulson, D. 1996. Glossary of avian external anatomy. University of Puget Sound.

Wrobel, M. 2002. Elsevier's dictionary of bird names in Latin, English, French, German, and Italian. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 1436p.
Sci Ref QL677.E47 2002

Directories

Bird Checklists of the United States. A clickable map of the United States leads to bird checklists from National Wildlife Refuges and other locations. Maintained by the USGS, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Directory of neotropical ornithology. 1993. 2nd ed. American Ornithologists' Union. 131p.
Sci Ref QL695.5 .R67 1993

Dovetail directory of world birding tours. Search by country or by date of tour.

Guide to graduate studies in ornithology in North America. May 2005. Complied by the Committee on Undergraduate Outreach of the Wilson Ornithological Society.

The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. 2003. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 1039p.
Sci Ref QL677.H68 2003

Rare bird alerts. current. Birdingonthe.Net

Species in parks. Fauna and flora databases. Information Center for the Environment, University of California, Davis and National Park Service. Search database by National Park Service site or species name.

Guides

Featured guide:

Sibley, D. 2000. National Audubon Society the Sibley guide to birds. New York: Knopf, 544p.
Sci Ref QL681 .S497 2000

To determine which bird identification guides Fogler Library owns, do the following keyword search on URSUS:

birds and identification

Identification Guide to Birds. Environment Canada.

Paulson, D. 2005. Shorebirds of North America. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 361p.
Sci Ref QL 681.P37 2005

Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
Excellent resource includes the following for hundreds of North American bird species: Identification tips, Christmas Bird Count maps, Breeding Bird Survey maps, taxonomic information, and similar species, and images.

The Seabird Osteology pages
Contains much information on seabird skulls including detailed photographs. Indexed by family, genus, and species. Edward Soldaat.

Handbooks and Manuals

American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds[:]The species of birds of North America from the Arctic through Panama, including the West Indies and Hawaiian Islands. 7th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union.
Sci Ref QL681 .C52 1998

A.O.U. South American Classification Committee. A classification of the bird species of South America. Parts 1 and 2.

Avibase
Search by scientific or common name (or partial name). Output is order and family + common bird names in a variety of languages and synonyms. Includes 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies. Site is managed by Denis Lepage, Bird Studies Canada.

Bird families of the world. 25 October, 2005. Cornell University

Birds of North America. 1992-ongoing. Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union.
Sci Ref QL681 .B523

Canadian Bird Checklist Program.

Canadian Bird Trends Database
Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service

Carvey, J.R. and Judge, D. S. 2000. Longevity records: life spans of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. Odense: Odense University Press, 241p.
Sci Ref QP85.C37 2000

Christmas Bird Count
Current year + historical results. National Audubon Society.

Clements, J.F. 2007. The Clements checklist of birds of the world. 6th ed. Ithaca, NY: Comstock. 843p.
Sci Ref QL673.C53 2007

DeGraaf, R.M., Scott, V.E., Hamre, R.H., Ernst, L., and Anderson, S.H. 1991. Forest and rangeland birds of the United States natural history and habitat use. USDA, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 688.

Dunning, J.B. 1993. CRC handbook of avian body masses. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 371p.
Sci Ref QL697 .D86 1993

Ehrlich, P.R. Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1994. The birdwatcher's handbook : a guide to the natural history of the birds of Britain and Europe : including 516 species that regularly breed in Europe and adjacent parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Oxford [England]; New York: Oxford University Press. 660p.
ORO stacks QL690.A1 E38 1994

Endemic bird areas of the world: priorities for biodiversity conservation.1998. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. 846p. Sci Ref QL673 .E535 1998

Handbook of avian anatomy: nomina anatomica avium. 1993. Cambridge, MA: [Nuttall Ornithological Club]. 779p.
ORO stacks QL697 .H26 1993

Handbook of North American birds. 1962-. New Haven: Yale University Press. 5 vols.
Sci Ref QL681 .P35

Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: the birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. 9 vols.
Sci Ref QL679 .H35

Handbook of the birds of the world. 1992-. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 5 vols.
Sci Ref QL673 .H25 1992

Jacobson, M. and Bildstein, K.L. 2005. A guide for neotropical ornithologists and conservationists seeking advanced degrees at universities in the United States.

Johnson, D.H., Igl, L.D., and Shaffer, J.A.D. 2004. Effects of management practices on grassland birds. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.

Longevity records for North American birds. USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

McCarthy, E.M. 2006. Handbook of avian hybrids of the world. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 583p.
Sci Ref QL696.5.M33 2006

"Provides information on all reported avian crosses worldwide. More than 4,000 different types of hybrids are covered, both those occurring in a natural setting and ones produced in captivity. More than 5,000 works cited." (provided by the author)

Migratory Bird Center. Fact Sheets. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Nelson, C.H. 1993. The downy waterfowl of North America. Deerfield, IL: Delta Station Press. 302p.
Sci Ref QL696.A52N45 1993

North American bird songs. Doug Von Gausig and Naturesongs.com

Ornithology Collection at the Peabody Museum, Yale University.
Search this specimen collection of over 6,500 bird species.

Proctor, N.S. 1993. Manual of ornithology: avian structure & function. New Haven: Yale University Press. 340p.
ORO stacks QL697 .P76 1993

Ramamoorthy, S. 1995-. Handbook of chemical toxicity profiles of biological species. v. 2. Avian and mammalian species. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.
Sci Ref QH541.15.T68 R36 1995 v.2

Ranges of North American breeding birds. 1995. Jeff Price, Northern Prairie Science Center. Includes range maps - distribution and abundance patterns - over 4, 5 year periods: 1970-74, 1975-79, 1980-84, 1985-89.

Rehabilitators list: permittees authorized to accept wild animals and birds for rehabilitation. 1996. [Augusta, ME]: Maine. Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
ORO Special Collections St. Docs. I 54.7:R26 1996

The Sibley/Monroe world list of bird names

Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 1111p. Sci Ref QL677 .S53 1990. also A supplement to Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. 1993. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press108p. Sci Ref QL678 .S53 1993, Supp.

Threatened birds of the world: The official source for birds on the IUCN Red List. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International. 852p.
Sci Ref QL676.7.T58 2000

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management. Reports.

United States National Museum of Natural History birds collection search. Search by scientific name and limit by date, country, and collector.

Visual resources for ornithology (VIREO). The Academy of Natural Sciences.
Search over 40,000 bird photographs by common or scientific name and limit by age, sex, activity/behavior, orientation and view. (Note - read "Terms and Conditions of Use")

Waterfowl population status, 2007. 2007. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management. 2003 report

Wells, M.G. 1998. World bird species checklist : with alternative English and scientific names. Bushey: Worldlist. 671p.
Sci Ref QL677 .W444 1998.

Zoological Record Systematic Thesaurus - Aves.

Associations and Societies

American Ornithologists' Union
Association of Field Ornithologists
Cooper Ornithological Society
The North American Banding Council (NABC)
Society of Canadian Ornithologists
Wilson Ornithological Society

Atlases

Atlas of breeding birds in Maine, 1978-1983. 1987. Augusta, ME: Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. 366p.
ORO Special Collections St.Docs. I 54.10:B53/987?.

The Atlas of breeding birds in New Hampshire. 1994. Dover, NH: Published for the Audubon Society of New Hampshire by Arcadia. 414p. Sci Ref QL684.N4 A85 1994.

The Atlas of breeding birds of Vermont. 1985. Hanover: Published for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science by University Press of New England. 456p.
Sci Ref QL684.V5 A86 1985

Erskine, A.J. 1992. Atlas of breeding birds of the Maritime Provinces. [Halifax? Nova Scotia]: Nimbus Pub.: Nova Scotia Museum. 270p.
Sci Ref QL685.5.M37 E77 1992

Price, J., Droege, S., and Price, A. 1995. The summer atlas of North American birds. London; San Diego: Academic Press. 364p.
Sci Ref QL681 .P74 1995

Sauer, J.R., Hines, J.E., and Fallon, J. 2005. North American Breeding Bird Survey - results and analysis, 1966-2006. Version 6.2 2006. Maintained by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.