Reviewing our understanding of avian population dynamics, this work explores ways in which population studies can contribute to effective conservation and management. It reviews general questions such as estimation of demographic parameters, the role of mathematical modelling, and the special problems of island populations and seabird populations.

There are more than one-thousand species of threatened birds in the world, while many others are valued for sport and some are serious pests. All these bird populations require management of one kind or another. This volume reviews our current understanding of avian population dynamics and explores ways in which population studies can contribute to effective conservation and management. The earlier chapters review general questions such as estimation of demographic parameters, the role of mathematical modelling, and the special problems of island populations and seabird populations. The specific chapters are devoted to great tits, snow geese, white storks, puffins, flamingos, grey partridge, red grouse, common terns, herring gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, ducks, Florida scrub jays, and northern spotted owls. The emphasis throughout is on how bird populations are regulated under various constraints and conditions and on what changes we might expect under varying environmental regimes.

Ian Newton: Population limitation in birds of prey: a comparative approach
Ian Rowley &
Eleanor Russell: Demography of Passerines in the temperate Southern Hemisphere
Jacques Blondel: Birds in biological isolates
J. Clobert &
J-D. Lebreton: Estimation of demographic parameters in bird populations
J-D. Lebreton &
J. Clobert: Bird population dynamics, management, and conservation
R.H. McCleery &
C.M. Perrins: The effects of predation on the numbers of Great Tits
Parus major
James N.M. Smith, Peter Arcese, &
Wesley Hochachka: Social behaviour and population regulation in insular bird populations
Fred Cooke &
E.G. Gooch: Demographic changes in a snow goose population
C.M. Perrins: Constraints on the demographic parameters of bird populations
Franz Bairlein: Population
studies of White Storks Ciconia ciconia in Europe
M.P. Harris &
S. Wanless: Population studies and conservation of Puffins Fratercula arctica
A.R. Johnson, R.E. Green, &
G.J.M. Hirons: Survival rates of greater flamingoes in the West Mediterranean region
J.P. Croxall &
P. Rothery: Population regulation of seabirds
Pierre Jouventin &
Henri Weimerskirch: Changes in seabird population sizes in French Antarctic territories
Carlos Bernstein, John R. Krebs, &
Alex Kacelnik:
Distribution of birds amongst habitats
P.R. Evans: Seasonal and annual patterns of mortality in migratory shorebirds
M. Owen &
J.M. Black: The importance of migration mortality in non-passerine birds

G.R. Potts &
N.J. Aebischer: Modelling the population dynamics of the Grey Partridge
A.P. Dobson &
Robert M. May:
Parasites, cuckoos, and avian population dynamics
Peter J. Hudson &
A.P. Dobson: Control of parasites in natural populations
Peter H. Becker: Population and contamination studies in coastal birds
Chris J. Feare: Control of bird pest populations
J.C. Coulson: The population dynamics of Herring Gulls and Lesser black-backed Gulls
James D. Nichols: Responses of North American duck populations to exploitation
Hugh Boyd: Science and craft in waterfowl management in North America
Glen
Woolfenden &
John W. Fitzpatrick: Florida Scrub Jay ecology and conservation
Russell Lande: Population dynamics and extinction in heterogenous environments
M.R.W. Rands: Conserving threatened birds
R.E. Green &
G.J.M. Hirons: The relevance of population studies to the conservation of threatened birds
Ian
Newton: Concluding remarks
Index.