Multi-ethnic Bird Guide of the Subantarctic Forests of South America

Description

The subantarctic forests of South America are the world’s southernmost forested ecosystems. The birds have sung in these austral forests for millions of years; the Yahgan and Mapuche peoples have handed down their bird stories from generation to generation for hundreds of years. In Multi-ethnic Bird Guide of the Subantarctic Forests of South America, Ricardo Rozzi and his collaborators present a unique combination of bird guide and cultural ethnography. The book includes entries on fifty bird species of southern Chile and Argentina, among them the Magellanic Woodpecker, Rufous-Legged Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Buff-Necked Ibis, Giant Hummingbird, and Andean Condor. Each bird is named in Yahgan, Mapudungun, Spanish, English, and scientific nomenclature, followed by a description, full color photographs, the bird’s distribution map, habitat and lifestyle, and its history in the region. Each entry is augmented further with indigenous accounts of the bird in history and folklore. [Two audio cds in printed edition are not included in the e-book edition] “Highly original in its approach of combining information on natural history and biodiversity with information on the region’s human cultural and linguistic diversity.”—Chris Elphick, coauthor of The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior “Full of the rich complexity of human/animal relations as well as being a beautiful and informative guide to the birds of South America.”—David Rothenberg, New Jersey Institute of Technology RICARDO ROZZI is an associate professor in philosophy and religion studies at the University of North Texas, with a master’s degree in philosophy and doctorate in ecology. He is a part-time researcher at the Universidad de Magallanes, Chile, and the author or coauthor of The Route of Darwin through the Cape Horn Archipelago, The World’s Southernmost Ethnoecology, and The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.