McLeods Booksellers

The Hunters : The Precarious Lives of New Zealand's Birds of Prey by Debbie Stewart

$50.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

From an extinct giant eagle and an owl that sounded like the devil, to the morepork we hear calling at night, the falcon that appears on our $20 note and the hawks we see swooping on the grisly remains of dead critters on the road, this book takes a close look at these fascinating birds and the people w ho are working to keep the species that are still with us safe. Filled with facts and great stories of rescued birds being nursed back to health, this book also has many amazing close-up photographs. Find out about the ancient art of falconry, how damaged feathers critical for flying can be replaced with temporary ones, how you can help an injured bird, and how birds can be released back into the wild. ...Show more

The Vulgar Wasp : The Story of a Ruthless Invader and Ingenious Predator by Phil Lester

$30.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

They're ranked one of the world's worst invasive species. They're often described as pure evil. People use petrol bombs, flamethrowers and shotguns on them in acts of vengeance. Wasps are feared and hated by many of us, with good reason - they sting. For anyone who is allergic to their venom, a sting ca n mean a trip to hospital; for a very unlucky few, it can mean death. Wasps also place massive pressure on New Zealand's biodiversity, especially on native birds, plants and insects, including our much-loved honey bees. They cause huge economic losses, estimated at more than $100 million each year. Native to Europe, Vespula vulgaris, the common wasp, has been inadvertently transported around the globe - usually travelling quietly, unseen, sleeping in people's cargo. Today in New Zealand, the highest known wasp densities have up to 40 nests per hectare. Though we know them as pests, wasps are amazingly efficient predators with some exceptionally smart behaviours. Vespula vulgaris excels as both a hunter and an invader. Some people find them pretty tasty too. In this book, entomologist Phil Lester describes the many fascinating and lesser-known sides of the common wasp. He asks: how can we manage wasps? Can we ever learn to live with them? What can they teach us about the challenges we face for pest control? With warmth, wit and intelligence, The Vulgar Wasp tells the story of the common wasp and its impact on us and our biodiversity. ...Show more

Totara: A Natural and Cultural History by Philip Simpson

$75.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

The 'mighty totara' is one of our most extraordinary trees. Among the biggest and oldest trees in the New Zealand forest, the heart of Maori carving and culture, trailing no. 8 wire as fence posts on settler farms, clambered up in the Pureora protests of the 1980's: the story of New Zealand can be told through totara. Simpson tells that story like nobody else could. In words and pictures, through waka and leaves, farmers and carvers, he takes us deep inside the trees: their botany and evolution, their role in Maori life and lore, their uses by Pakeha, and their current status in our environment and culture. By doing so, Simpson illuminates the natural world and the story of Maori and Pakeha in this country. Our largest trees, the kauri Tane Mahutu and the totara Pouakani, are both thought to be around 1000 years old. They were here before we humans were and their relatives will probably be here when we are gone. Totara has been central to life in this country for thousands of years. This book tells a great tree's story, and that is our story too. ...Show more

Native Birds of New Zealand by David Hallett

$49.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Native Birds of New Zealand is a photographic book of New Zealand native birds that will appeal to the casual bird-watcher as well as the ornithologist. Many books in the past have been aimed at the serious ornithologist, with illustrations designed to show distinct feather patterns but not to create an image that is also pleasing to the eye. The photographs in this book have been taken by David Hallett, one of New Zealand's leading wildlife photographers, who captures the beauty of New Zealand's native birds in their natural environment, from the subtropical north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and from the oceans to the alpine meadows of the Southern Alps. The text is kept short and avoids the in-depth academic material found in some of the very good reference books on the market. It does include all the interesting facts that set our native birds apart, presented in a short, concise format that makes the book ideal for browsing. With the advent of digital photography, many more birders are now equipping themselves with cameras as well as binoculars when they go into the field, creating an increasing awareness of wildlife photography. This trend, combined with the affection New Zealanders have for their native birds, makes Native Birds of New Zealand a book that will have widespread appeal. ...Show more

Native Birds of NZ Posters

$24.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

The image used in this poster is a cromolithograph (c. 1900) by William Shaw Diedrich Schmidt. The birds in Schmidt's work were based on the artwork of J.G Keulemans in Walter Buller's A History of the Birds of New Zealand.Size: 755mm x 449mm (portrait) The image used in this poster is a cromolithogr aph (c. 1900) by William Shaw Diedrich Schmidt. The birds in Schmidt's work were based on the artwork of J.G Keulemans in Walter Buller's A History of the Birds of New Zealand.   Size: 755mm x 449mm (portrait) - See more at: http://www.tepapastore.co.nz/collections/bullers-birds/products/native-birds-of-new-zealand-poster#sthash.En2bNzi3.dpuf ...Show more

Birds NZ: Beauty like No Other - 2nd edition

$69.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

The Fishes of New Zealand poster

$24.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Dolphins of Aotearoa: Living with New Zealand Dolphins by Raewyn Peart

$9.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History | Reading Level: Near Fine

Dolphins of Aotearoa explores the ongoing relationship between humans and dolphins in New Zealand. Over this nation's rich history, numerous people, both Maori and Pakeha, have sought out dolphins and significant numbers of dolphins have sought out people. For many, encountering dolphins has been a prof ound and life-changing experience. This book tells the stories of many of these remarkable encounters, featuring all of the famous dolphins, such as Pelorus Jack from the early years of the 20th century, Opo in the 1950s, Maui and more recently Moko. In addition it chronicles the ultimately doomed attempts to keep dolphins in captivity in facilities such as Marineland in Napier. Importantly, Dolphins of Aotearoa also summarises the work of the dedicated scientists and researchers who over recent decades have learnt so much about our dolphins, and whose research has given great impetus to the conservation of these remarkable creatures.Extensively researched and lavishly illustrated with historic and contemporary photographs, and incorporating a guide to all of the dolphins of New Zealand, this is an important and much needed addition to the literature about New Zealand's marine world. It will have huge appeal. ...Show more

Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction by Alison Ballance

$49.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History | Reading Level: Very Good

Kakapo follows the fall and rise of one of the world's most unusual birds, from the brink of extinction, through a roller-coaster ride of hope and loss. One of New Zealand's most threatened species, these charismatic yet mysterious night parrots, are now found only on a small number of predator-free isl and sanctuaries in New Zealand and have been the focus of a remarkable world renowned New Zealand conservation effort since 1977. Kakapo: Rescued from the brink of extinction is a revised edition of the 2010 title of the same name, that includes all of the up-to-date details of the ongoing, innovative hard work of the Kakapo Recovery Programme, New Zealand's flagship threatened-species conservation story. After nearly 30 years of intensive management by the New Zealand Department of Conservation kakapo team, there are exciting times ahead for kakapo, as the summer of 2019 will be the biggest kakapo breeding season on record. The author, Alison Balance, has provided an informative and entertaining mix of hard facts, history, and accounts of the daily and seasonal routines of kakapo and their minders. This beautiful illustrated and inspiring book will appeal to anyone with an interest in ornithology and the natural world of New Zealand. ...Show more

Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand: A Field Guide by Dylan van Winkel; Marleen Baling; Rod Hitchmough

$49.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Illustrated with extraordinary new photography, this is the definitive field guide to all of New Zealand's tuatara, geckos, skinks, frogs, marine turtles and marine snakes. From the ancient tuatara, the sole surviving member of its order, to the world's largest collection of long-lived and live-bearing lizards, our geckos and skinks, New Zealand's 123 species of reptiles and amphibians represent an extraordinary aspect of this country's biodiversity. Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand is the only field guide to cover all currently recognised species. New Zealand's list of reptiles and amphibians is growing with new discoveries, even as 80 per cent of species are at risk of extinction. This will be the only field guide to cover all currently recognised reptiles and amphibians and will become a go-to book for anyone interested in New Zealand's unique wildlife. ...Show more

NZ Natural World Revealed

$19.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Birds (A Mini Guide to the Identification of New Zealand's Land...) by Andrew Crowe

$12.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History | Series: Mini Guide to the Identification of New Zealand...

Condensed version of: Which New Zealand bird? : a simple step-by-step guide to the identification of New Zealand's native and introduced birds.