Nature's Great Migrations by Marianne Taylor

Nature's Great Migrations by Marianne Taylor

This beautifully illustrated book on the world's most impressive and spectacular movements of animals, includes various species of mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates. Twenty-five species are covered and these include iconic migrations, ranging from millions of wildebeest moving through the plains of east Africa and the annual return of the spawning salmon each year, to swarms of Monarch butterflies travelling thousands of miles and Arctic Terns flying virtually from pole-to-pole and back each year.

Perhaps less well-known but certainly no less spectacular events include the movements of the Grey Whale, Harp Seal, Osprey, Wilson's Storm-petrel, Rubythroated Hummingbird, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Desert Locust, Globe Skimmer dragonfly and even the Christmas Island Red Crab.

In each case there is an engaging written account, a map showing the location of the movement, and several images of the species concerned, often in spectacular gatherings as the migration is in full swing. In short this is a remarkable and eye-catching book covering some of the world's most impressive natural history spectacles, and it will be a valuable addition to the library of any wildlife enthusiast.

Marianne Taylor is a freelance writer, illustrator, photographer, and editor. Her interest in natural history began at an extremely early age, as she became passionately interested in first butterflies and then birds. The daughter of two librarians, one of whom later became a secondhand bookseller, Marianne was as bookish as she was bird-obsessed. She worked for seven years in natural history publishing, first for bird book publisher Christopher Helm, and later for Birdwatch magazine. Her particular interest in owls and other birds of prey was fueled by a brief but unforgettable adventure in 2005, when she joined bird ringers studying Ural, Tengmalm's, and Eagle owls in the forests of Sweden. She began a new career as a writer in 2007, and since then has written more than a dozen books for adults and children on a range of natural history subjects. Her previous work includes RSPB British Birds of Prey, Beautiful Owls, and Owls.