title 
Work Boat World

The Woodhen: A Flightless Island Bird Defying Extinction

Marjorie Gerlinger
Author: Clifford B. Frith
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing

From Baird Maritime

Having recently seen some healthy examples of species once thought to be extinct in Siberia, your reviewer was particularly interested in the subject of this beautifully produced book.

Flightless birds are obviously very vulnerable to the depredations of humans, foxes, cats, dogs and other similarly noxious creatures. A tame flightless bird living in the near pristine paradise of Australia's Lord Howe Island is especially vulnerable.

The author, a noted ornithologist, tells a great tale of a species recovering from near extinction. There were only 15 known Woodhens when the programme of recovery commenced in 1980, now there are around 250.

While still endangered, this number is apparently about all that the very restricted Lord Howe Island habitat can support.

A wonderful publication that very effectively shows what dedicated ecologists can achieve.

Ordering information:

CSIRO Publishing
Collingwood, Australia.

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