Publisher Description

A pocket-sized photographic field guide to Arctic birds, mammals, and other wildlife

Wildlife of the Arctic is an accessible and richly illustrated pocket-sized photographic field guide to the birds, land and sea mammals, and plants and lichens of the northern polar region--including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Written and illustrated by naturalists with extensive Arctic experience, this handy book features detailed facing-page descriptions of each species, including information about identification, range, distribution, and breeding and wintering grounds. A substantial introduction explains the area covered, with information on the poles, geology, snow and ice, auroras, and the influence of global warming. This portable, user-friendly guide is the perfect companion for birders, ecotourists, and cruise-line passengers visiting the Arctic Circle and other areas of the far north.




An accessible and richly illustrated pocket-sized photographic field guide to Artic wildlife
Features more than 800 color photos illustrating more than 250 bird species, 60 land mammals, and 30 seals and whales
Includes extensive facing-page species descriptions and identification information
Provides an overview of the Arctic region, with information on the poles, geology, snow and ice, auroras, and the influence of global warming
Explores each family of birds and mammals, and has sections covering fish, insects, plants, and lichens

Back Cover

"A wonderful, richly informative, and well-illustrated celebration of the Arctic and its wildlife. This is a superb guide for anyone visiting the region, whether to Denali National Park, on a cruise ship to Svalbard or the Russian Far East, at Bering Sea outposts, or nearer to 90 degrees north." --George L. Armistead, coauthor of Better Birding

Author Biography

Richard Sale is an experienced explorer who has climbed and trekked all over the world. He has written and illustrated many books, including To the Ends of the Earth: The History of Polar Exploration, The Gyrfalcon, and A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife. He lives in Cheltenham, UK. Per Michelsenhas been a passionate outdoor photographer since the late 1970s, working mostly in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, and traveling in all seasons to capture wildlife, landscapes, and cultural history. He lives in Sola, Norway.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 4

Picture Credits 4

Preface 5

The Arctic 6

Defining the Arctic 6

Time at the Poles 8

Rock 8

Snow and Ice 10

Aurora and Parhelia 19

Avoiding Freezing 20

The Future of the Arctic 27

Species Naming and Status 32

Map 33

Bibliography 34

Parts of a Bird 34

The Wildlife

Birds 36

Mammals 224

Sea Life 294

Invertebrates 298

Plants 304

Index 316

Review

"A wonderful, richly informative, and well-illustrated celebration of the Arctic and its wildlife. This is a superb guide for anyone visiting the region, whether to Denali National Park, on a cruise ship to Svalbard or the Russian Far East, at Bering Sea outposts, or nearer to 90 degrees north."-George L. Armistead, coauthor of Better Birding

Review Quote

"A wonderful, richly informative, and well-illustrated celebration of the Arctic and its wildlife. This is a superb guide for anyone visiting the region, whether to Denali National Park, on a cruise ship to Svalbard or the Russian Far East, at Bering Sea outposts, or nearer to 90 degrees north." --George L. Armistead, coauthor of Better Birding

Details