Orison for a Curlew: In search for a bird on the edge of extinction

by Horatio Clare

Overview

The slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris, "the slim beak of the new moon," is one of the world's rarest birds. It once bred in Siberia and wintered in the Mediterranean basin, passing through the wetlands and estuaries of Italy, Greece, the Balkans and Central Asia. Today, the slender-billed curlew only exists as a rumour, a ghost species surrounded by unconfirmed sightings and speculation. The only certainty is that it now stands on the edge of extinction. This is a story of beauty, triumph and the struggles of conservation. It is a homage to a creature that may never be seen again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781908213570
Publisher:	Global Book Sales
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction to a Ghost 9

The (Only) Government Ornithologist 17

A Ringtone on the Axios 25

East to Evros 35

By Accident to Bulgaria 47

Myth-busting in Transylvania 55

According to Mr Ushakov 69

The Hero of the Danube Delta 75

Bursts of Hope in Bulgaria 87

Lesson from a Ghost 103

Acknowledgements 113