This excellent RSPB guide to bird anatomy The Pocket Book of Bird Anatomy looks at the avian body, system by system, how it evolved, and how it functions. Chapters explore traits that are unique to birds, including their remarkable one-way breathing cycle, their trimmed-down skeleton, how feathers permit flight, provide weather-proofing and add beauty, and the avian bill – a lightweight replacement for both teeth and food-handling forelimbs. Each chapter tackles a particular body system and includes detailed anatomical illustrations, from cells and organs to skeletons and muscles, to show how birds’ anatomical adaptations enable all their physical feats and behaviour. 378 p.

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• Marianne Taylor. Birdwater, Dragonfly-finder, and mammal-seeker from Kent (UK). Author of many books on wildlife including British Naturefinder, British Birds of Prey, and Spotlight Robins, for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).
  
   
• Publication date (print & electronic format): 2020-05 - Bloomsbury Wildlife Publisher.