The Flying Zoo: Birds, Parasites, and the World They Share

by Michael Stock

Overview

“My work as a scientist who studies bird parasites causes me to wonder about the hidden part of the drama unfolding before my eyes: the flying zoo that makes each bird what it is. As I gaze out at my favourite birds, I wonder what role their parasites have played in shaping their fascinating behaviours and alluring appearance.” — From Chapter 1 In The Flying Zoo, Michael Stock gives readers an enthusiastic tribute to birds and the parasites that live in and on them. From the Crozet Archipelago and the Galapagos Islands to our own backyards, parasites—fleas, lice, ticks, and flukes—live in a sinister yet symbiotic relationship with their host birds. With a scientist’s exuberance, Stock reveals a co-evolutionary dance among an astounding cast of creatures living in a complex and paradoxical co-habitation. Following in the footsteps of Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos, this contemporary classic deserves a place on the shelves of students and teachers of biology, natural history buffs, and birders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772126440
Publisher:	The University of Alberta Press
Publication date:	08/31/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	842,766
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michael Stock is a specialist of parasitology and Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at MacEwan University.

Table of Contents

Preface | IX 1 A World on a Bird  | 1 2 Lice It’s a Beautiful Life | 17 3 Fleas The Circus in the Zoo | 45 4 Tough Ticks  | 61 5 Mites Little Things Mean a Lot | 75 6 Flying Zoo Flies  | 99 7 The Worms that Ate the Bird  | 119 8 Oddities in the Flying Zoo | 151 9 Flying Zoo Behaviour | 167 10 Environmental Impacts The Future of the Flying Zoo | 193 Notes | 215 Further Reading | 235 Index | 239

What People are Saying About This

Heather Proctor

"This gentle introduction to the fascinating world of avian symbionts will appeal to naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and early-career biologists."

From the Publisher

"This gentle introduction to the fascinating world of avian symbionts will appeal to naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and early-career biologists."—Heather Proctor, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta

"Michael Stock's entertaining and informative book introduces readers to the biology of parasites that live in and on birds, to the host-parasite coevolutionary interactions between these groups, and the myriad of fascinating adaptations that have resulted from this co-evolution."—Dale Clayton, Professor of Biology, University of Utah

Dale Clayton

"Michael Stock's entertaining and informative book introduces readers to the biology of parasites that live in and on birds, to the host-parasite coevolutionary interactions between these groups, and the myriad of fascinating adaptations that have resulted from this coevolution."

Editorial Reviews

"Stock provides a fascinating glimpse into birds, their parasites, their mutual impact on one another, and the role of environmental characteristics on the relationship. Chapters cover primary types of avian parasites: lice, fleas, ticks, mites, flies, worms, and "oddities," such as moths, leeches, and bedbugs. What makes this book rich is the author's use of his examples illustrating types of birds and their parasites to explore larger issues…. Illustrations, references, a list for further reading, and an index add to the impact. Summing Up: Highly recommended."—J.M. Miller, University of Toledo, CHOICE Magazine, December 2020

"This gentle introduction to the fascinating world of avian symbionts will appeal to naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and early-career biologists."—Heather Proctor, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
"Michael Stock’s entertaining and informative book introduces readers to the biology of parasites that live in and on birds, to the host-parasite coevolutionary interactions between these groups, and the myriad of fascinating adaptations that have resulted from this co-evolution."—Dale Clayton, Professor of Biology, University of Utah

From the Publisher