Mozart's Starling

Mozart's Starling

Author: Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Publisher: Little, Brown Spark

Published: 2017-04-04

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0316370878

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On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky young bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For three years, the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work and serving as his companion, distraction, consolation, and muse. Two centuries later, starlings are reviled by even the most compassionate conservationists. A nonnative, invasive species, they invade sensitive habitats, outcompete local birds for nest sites and food, and decimate crops. A seasoned birder and naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt is well versed in the difficult and often strained relationships these birds have with other species and the environment. But after rescuing a baby starling of her own, Haupt found herself enchanted by the same intelligence and playful spirit that had so charmed her favorite composer. In Mozart's Starling, Haupt explores the unlikely and remarkable bond between one of history's most cherished composers and one of earth's most common birds. The intertwined stories of Mozart's beloved pet and Haupt's own starling provide an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, the secret world of starlings, and the nature of creative inspiration. A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, Mozart's Starling is a tour de force that awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world.


Book Synopsis Mozart's Starling by : Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Download or read book Mozart's Starling written by Lyanda Lynn Haupt and published by Little, Brown Spark. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky young bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For three years, the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work and serving as his companion, distraction, consolation, and muse. Two centuries later, starlings are reviled by even the most compassionate conservationists. A nonnative, invasive species, they invade sensitive habitats, outcompete local birds for nest sites and food, and decimate crops. A seasoned birder and naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt is well versed in the difficult and often strained relationships these birds have with other species and the environment. But after rescuing a baby starling of her own, Haupt found herself enchanted by the same intelligence and playful spirit that had so charmed her favorite composer. In Mozart's Starling, Haupt explores the unlikely and remarkable bond between one of history's most cherished composers and one of earth's most common birds. The intertwined stories of Mozart's beloved pet and Haupt's own starling provide an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, the secret world of starlings, and the nature of creative inspiration. A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, Mozart's Starling is a tour de force that awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world.


A Murmuration of Starlings

A Murmuration of Starlings

Author: Jake Adam York

Publisher: SIU Press

Published: 2008-02-08

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 0809387174

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A Murmuration of Starlings elegizes the martyrs of the civil rights movement, whose names are inscribed on the stone table of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Individually, Jake Adam York’s poems are elegies for individuals; collectively, they consider the violence of a racist culture and the determination to resist that racism. York follows Sun Ra, a Birmingham jazz musician whose response to racial violence was to secede from planet Earth, considers the testimony in the trial of J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant for the murder of Emmet Till in 1955, and recreates events of Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Throughout the collection, an invasion of starlings imagesthe racial hatred and bloodshed. While the 1950s spawned violence, the movement in the early 1960s transformed the language of brutality and turned the violence against the violent, says York. So, the starlings, first produced by violence, become instruments of resistance. York’s collection responds to and participates inrecent movements to find and punish the perpetrators of the crimes that defined the civil rights movement. A Murmuration of Starlings participates in the search for justice, satisfaction, and closure.


Book Synopsis A Murmuration of Starlings by : Jake Adam York

Download or read book A Murmuration of Starlings written by Jake Adam York and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 2008-02-08 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Murmuration of Starlings elegizes the martyrs of the civil rights movement, whose names are inscribed on the stone table of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Individually, Jake Adam York’s poems are elegies for individuals; collectively, they consider the violence of a racist culture and the determination to resist that racism. York follows Sun Ra, a Birmingham jazz musician whose response to racial violence was to secede from planet Earth, considers the testimony in the trial of J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant for the murder of Emmet Till in 1955, and recreates events of Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Throughout the collection, an invasion of starlings imagesthe racial hatred and bloodshed. While the 1950s spawned violence, the movement in the early 1960s transformed the language of brutality and turned the violence against the violent, says York. So, the starlings, first produced by violence, become instruments of resistance. York’s collection responds to and participates inrecent movements to find and punish the perpetrators of the crimes that defined the civil rights movement. A Murmuration of Starlings participates in the search for justice, satisfaction, and closure.


Advances in the Study of Behavior

Advances in the Study of Behavior

Author:

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2002-01-21

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0080493408

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The aim of Advances in the Study of Behavior remains as it has been since the series began: to serve the increasing number of scientists who are engaged in the study of animal behavior by presenting their theoretical ideas and research to their colleagues and to those in neighboring fields. We hope that the series will continue its "contribution to the development of the field", as its intended role was phrased in the Preface to the first volume in 1965. Since that time, traditional areas of animal behavior have achieved new vigor by the links they have formed with related fields and by the closer relationship that now exists between those studying animal and human subjects.Advances in the Study of Behavior, Volume 31 continues to serve scientists across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Focusing on new theories and research developments with respect to behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and comparative psychology, these volumes foster cooperation and communications in these dense fields.


Book Synopsis Advances in the Study of Behavior by :

Download or read book Advances in the Study of Behavior written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2002-01-21 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of Advances in the Study of Behavior remains as it has been since the series began: to serve the increasing number of scientists who are engaged in the study of animal behavior by presenting their theoretical ideas and research to their colleagues and to those in neighboring fields. We hope that the series will continue its "contribution to the development of the field", as its intended role was phrased in the Preface to the first volume in 1965. Since that time, traditional areas of animal behavior have achieved new vigor by the links they have formed with related fields and by the closer relationship that now exists between those studying animal and human subjects.Advances in the Study of Behavior, Volume 31 continues to serve scientists across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Focusing on new theories and research developments with respect to behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and comparative psychology, these volumes foster cooperation and communications in these dense fields.


A History of Discoveries on Hearing

A History of Discoveries on Hearing

Author: Darlene R. Ketten

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2024-01-20

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 3031413202

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This volume focuses on the history of research on hearing from comparative approaches. Each chapters examines the most formative studies that led to current understanding of hearing across taxa and still influence hearing research in general. Much of the early work on hearing, which goes back to Aristotle, as well as the classic work of 16th to early 20th century scientists (e.g., Spellanzani, Retzius, Ramón y Cajal, and Helmholtz) is not well known to modern investigators. Similarly, work in the first 75 years of the 20th century is also unknown or, in some cases, dismissed because it is “old.” Much of the earlier work describes research approaches and results fundamental to our understanding of hearing as well as the beauty of observation and synthesis. The pioneering work on hearing contains ideas and questions that are still germane today. Thus, the goal of this volume is to introduce, review, and put into perspective, older but exemplary, extraordinary studies by investigators that form the basis of our knowledge as well as questions being asked today. Each chapter includes the first significant observations and approaches to hearing in the taxa and/or hearing type that is the focus of the chapter with some of the most important earlier papers discussed in some detail, including the theories, formative experiments, results, and conclusions. Each chapter provides briefer notations and citations of additional important papers that are outgrowths of the founding research – or correlate and even reverse the original works. This volume is a departure from the classic approach established for the SHAR books in which the focus has been on a single topic, and on the most recent and exciting discoveries. One difference in this volume from past SHAR volumes is that we have a more coordinated approach for the chapters to ensure that this volume is, indeed, a documentation of hearing research history, not a review of the latest status of the topic. A second difference is that the focus of the volume is on the historical value of studies. In that sense, the volume maintains the tutorial value for which SHAR books are famous, but it explores the ancestry of modern research in order to help new researchers to gain perspective on important questions and on fundamental information they may not fully appreciate – to their loss. Our interest in doing this volume comes from phenomena familiar to most senior investigators - that younger investigators often have little or no sense of the history of their discipline, and they often do not know that their “hot” new idea was not only pursued, and often solved, but further that it was solved in an elegant way. We believe it is important to bring the methodologies and discoveries on hearing done before the advent of the internet to light, for the benefit and growth of new research. In deciding on the chapter divisions for this book, we considered a number of different organizational schemes, and particularly using as a focus methodological approaches (e.g., psychoacoustics, low to high frequency types, physiology, anatomy). However, we came to the conclusion that most investigators tend to be more focused on working within a particular taxonomic group, settling on particular taxa, in many cases driven by the special hearing abilities. We also concluded that that this approach is more naturally related to the evolution not only of hearing, but also to the evolution of ideas, as much of hearing science was part of the “natural philosopher” approach that was a core element of historical discoveries.


Book Synopsis A History of Discoveries on Hearing by : Darlene R. Ketten

Download or read book A History of Discoveries on Hearing written by Darlene R. Ketten and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2024-01-20 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume focuses on the history of research on hearing from comparative approaches. Each chapters examines the most formative studies that led to current understanding of hearing across taxa and still influence hearing research in general. Much of the early work on hearing, which goes back to Aristotle, as well as the classic work of 16th to early 20th century scientists (e.g., Spellanzani, Retzius, Ramón y Cajal, and Helmholtz) is not well known to modern investigators. Similarly, work in the first 75 years of the 20th century is also unknown or, in some cases, dismissed because it is “old.” Much of the earlier work describes research approaches and results fundamental to our understanding of hearing as well as the beauty of observation and synthesis. The pioneering work on hearing contains ideas and questions that are still germane today. Thus, the goal of this volume is to introduce, review, and put into perspective, older but exemplary, extraordinary studies by investigators that form the basis of our knowledge as well as questions being asked today. Each chapter includes the first significant observations and approaches to hearing in the taxa and/or hearing type that is the focus of the chapter with some of the most important earlier papers discussed in some detail, including the theories, formative experiments, results, and conclusions. Each chapter provides briefer notations and citations of additional important papers that are outgrowths of the founding research – or correlate and even reverse the original works. This volume is a departure from the classic approach established for the SHAR books in which the focus has been on a single topic, and on the most recent and exciting discoveries. One difference in this volume from past SHAR volumes is that we have a more coordinated approach for the chapters to ensure that this volume is, indeed, a documentation of hearing research history, not a review of the latest status of the topic. A second difference is that the focus of the volume is on the historical value of studies. In that sense, the volume maintains the tutorial value for which SHAR books are famous, but it explores the ancestry of modern research in order to help new researchers to gain perspective on important questions and on fundamental information they may not fully appreciate – to their loss. Our interest in doing this volume comes from phenomena familiar to most senior investigators - that younger investigators often have little or no sense of the history of their discipline, and they often do not know that their “hot” new idea was not only pursued, and often solved, but further that it was solved in an elegant way. We believe it is important to bring the methodologies and discoveries on hearing done before the advent of the internet to light, for the benefit and growth of new research. In deciding on the chapter divisions for this book, we considered a number of different organizational schemes, and particularly using as a focus methodological approaches (e.g., psychoacoustics, low to high frequency types, physiology, anatomy). However, we came to the conclusion that most investigators tend to be more focused on working within a particular taxonomic group, settling on particular taxa, in many cases driven by the special hearing abilities. We also concluded that that this approach is more naturally related to the evolution not only of hearing, but also to the evolution of ideas, as much of hearing science was part of the “natural philosopher” approach that was a core element of historical discoveries.


Social Influences on Vocal Development

Social Influences on Vocal Development

Author: Charles T. Snowdon

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1997-03-20

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9780521495264

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For at least 30 years, there have been close parallels between studies of birdsong development and those of the development of human language. Both song and language require species-specific stimulation at a sensitive period in development and subsequent practice through subsong and plastic song in birds and babbling in infant humans leading to the development of characteristic vocalisations for each species. This book illustrates how social interactions during development can shape vocal learning and extend the sensitive period beyond infancy and how social companions can induce flexibility even into adulthood. Social companions in a wide range of species including birds and humans but also cetaceans and nonhuman primates play important roles in shaping vocal production as well as the comprehension and appropriate usage of vocal communication. This book will be required reading for students and researchers interested in animal and human communication and its development.


Book Synopsis Social Influences on Vocal Development by : Charles T. Snowdon

Download or read book Social Influences on Vocal Development written by Charles T. Snowdon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-03-20 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For at least 30 years, there have been close parallels between studies of birdsong development and those of the development of human language. Both song and language require species-specific stimulation at a sensitive period in development and subsequent practice through subsong and plastic song in birds and babbling in infant humans leading to the development of characteristic vocalisations for each species. This book illustrates how social interactions during development can shape vocal learning and extend the sensitive period beyond infancy and how social companions can induce flexibility even into adulthood. Social companions in a wide range of species including birds and humans but also cetaceans and nonhuman primates play important roles in shaping vocal production as well as the comprehension and appropriate usage of vocal communication. This book will be required reading for students and researchers interested in animal and human communication and its development.


Sleep, Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function

Sleep, Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function

Author: Peter Meerlo

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-05-18

Total Pages: 561

ISBN-13: 3662468786

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This book reviews current knowledge on the importance of sleep for brain function, from molecular mechanisms to behavioral output, with special emphasis on the question of how sleep and sleep loss ultimately affect cognition and mood. It provides an extensive overview of the latest insights in the role of sleep in regulating gene expression, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis and how that in turn is linked to learning and memory processes. In addition, readers will learn about the potential clinical implications of insufficient sleep and discover how chronically restricted or disrupted sleep may contribute to age-related cognitive decline and the development of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. The book consists of 19 chapters, written by experts in basic sleep research and sleep medicine, which together cover a wide range of topics on the importance of sleep and consequences of sleep disruption. This book will be of interest to students, researchers and clinicians with a general interest in brain function or a specific interest in sleep.


Book Synopsis Sleep, Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function by : Peter Meerlo

Download or read book Sleep, Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function written by Peter Meerlo and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-18 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews current knowledge on the importance of sleep for brain function, from molecular mechanisms to behavioral output, with special emphasis on the question of how sleep and sleep loss ultimately affect cognition and mood. It provides an extensive overview of the latest insights in the role of sleep in regulating gene expression, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis and how that in turn is linked to learning and memory processes. In addition, readers will learn about the potential clinical implications of insufficient sleep and discover how chronically restricted or disrupted sleep may contribute to age-related cognitive decline and the development of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. The book consists of 19 chapters, written by experts in basic sleep research and sleep medicine, which together cover a wide range of topics on the importance of sleep and consequences of sleep disruption. This book will be of interest to students, researchers and clinicians with a general interest in brain function or a specific interest in sleep.


Advances in the Study of Behavior

Advances in the Study of Behavior

Author: H. Jane Brockmann

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2006-12-14

Total Pages: 483

ISBN-13: 0080468934

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The aim of Advances in the Study of Behavior is to serve scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior, including psychologists, neuroscientists, biologists, ethologists, pharmacologists, endocrinologists, ecologists, and geneticists. Articles in the series present critical reviews of significant research programs with theoretical syntheses, reformulation of persistent problems, and/or highlighting new and exciting research concepts. Advances in the Study of Behavior is now available online at ScienceDirect — full-text online of volumes 30 onwards. Elsevier book series on ScienceDirect gives multiple users throughout an institution simultaneous online access to an important compliment to primary research. Digital delivery ensures users reliable, 24-hour access to the latest peer-reviewed content. The Elsevier book series are compiled and written by the most highly regarded authors in their fields and are selected from across the globe using Elsevier’s extensive researcher network. For more information about the Elsevier Book Series on ScienceDirect Program, please visit: http://www.info.sciencedirect.com/bookseries/ Published continuously since 1965 Multidisciplinary across social and life science subject areas Volume 36 addresses current themes in animal behavior


Book Synopsis Advances in the Study of Behavior by : H. Jane Brockmann

Download or read book Advances in the Study of Behavior written by H. Jane Brockmann and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2006-12-14 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of Advances in the Study of Behavior is to serve scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior, including psychologists, neuroscientists, biologists, ethologists, pharmacologists, endocrinologists, ecologists, and geneticists. Articles in the series present critical reviews of significant research programs with theoretical syntheses, reformulation of persistent problems, and/or highlighting new and exciting research concepts. Advances in the Study of Behavior is now available online at ScienceDirect — full-text online of volumes 30 onwards. Elsevier book series on ScienceDirect gives multiple users throughout an institution simultaneous online access to an important compliment to primary research. Digital delivery ensures users reliable, 24-hour access to the latest peer-reviewed content. The Elsevier book series are compiled and written by the most highly regarded authors in their fields and are selected from across the globe using Elsevier’s extensive researcher network. For more information about the Elsevier Book Series on ScienceDirect Program, please visit: http://www.info.sciencedirect.com/bookseries/ Published continuously since 1965 Multidisciplinary across social and life science subject areas Volume 36 addresses current themes in animal behavior


Song to the Starlings

Song to the Starlings

Author: T M Clark

Publisher: Wilde Press

Published: 2023-12

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781923129061

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WINNER OF THE 2022 KILLER NASHVILLE CLAYMORE AWARD FOR BEST ACTION ADVENTURE In a race against time, can they hunt down one child in the vastness of Africa? South African ex-security contractor Chrystal Booysen has officially retired to her family game stud farm after her last mission took a dark turn. Corruption-fighting magnate Curtis Wilson hires American private investigator Rowan Zackery to rescue his daughter. But Rowan is out of his depth in Africa, and he needs Chrystal's expertise. The longer Akina is missing, the more people presume she's dead. And he doesn't want to find yet another body... As they investigate, Chrystal grapples with the unsettling evidence that her estranged childhood friend, Mother Stella-Rose, is involved somehow in the disappearance of the children. Akina is in the clutches of Levi Louw, an unhinged and dangerous criminal who works for Mother Stella-Rose. Driven by greed and power, he'll do anything to make a profit. As they chase the elusive trail, can they save Akina, or will they be too late?


Book Synopsis Song to the Starlings by : T M Clark

Download or read book Song to the Starlings written by T M Clark and published by Wilde Press. This book was released on 2023-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE 2022 KILLER NASHVILLE CLAYMORE AWARD FOR BEST ACTION ADVENTURE In a race against time, can they hunt down one child in the vastness of Africa? South African ex-security contractor Chrystal Booysen has officially retired to her family game stud farm after her last mission took a dark turn. Corruption-fighting magnate Curtis Wilson hires American private investigator Rowan Zackery to rescue his daughter. But Rowan is out of his depth in Africa, and he needs Chrystal's expertise. The longer Akina is missing, the more people presume she's dead. And he doesn't want to find yet another body... As they investigate, Chrystal grapples with the unsettling evidence that her estranged childhood friend, Mother Stella-Rose, is involved somehow in the disappearance of the children. Akina is in the clutches of Levi Louw, an unhinged and dangerous criminal who works for Mother Stella-Rose. Driven by greed and power, he'll do anything to make a profit. As they chase the elusive trail, can they save Akina, or will they be too late?


Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club

Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club

Author: British Ornithologists' Club

Publisher:

Published: 1910

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club by : British Ornithologists' Club

Download or read book Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club written by British Ornithologists' Club and published by . This book was released on 1910 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Fitness Costs and Benefits of Female Song

Fitness Costs and Benefits of Female Song

Author: Michelle L. Hall

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2017-09-11

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 2889452581

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Bird song, traditionally regarded as primarily a male trait, is in fact widespread among female songbirds and was probably present in the ancestor of modern songbirds (Odom et al 2014 Nature Communications). These recent findings challenge the view that sexual dimorphism in the expression and complexity of song is largely the outcome of sexual selection on males. It is now clear that understanding the evolution of bird song requires explaining variation within and among species in the expression and complexity of female song. To do this, we need a better understanding of the nature of variation in female song in different contexts and systems, as well as the fitness costs and benefits of variation in the expression and complexity of female song. This Research Topic draws together current research on female song with the goal of understanding the fitness costs and benefits of the diversity of female singing behaviour apparent among songbirds. It includes articles ranging from single-species studies investigating how female song varies with context and contrasts with male song, to comparative analyses exploring relationships between female song and ecological, social, and other factors, as well as opinion pieces.


Book Synopsis Fitness Costs and Benefits of Female Song by : Michelle L. Hall

Download or read book Fitness Costs and Benefits of Female Song written by Michelle L. Hall and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-09-11 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bird song, traditionally regarded as primarily a male trait, is in fact widespread among female songbirds and was probably present in the ancestor of modern songbirds (Odom et al 2014 Nature Communications). These recent findings challenge the view that sexual dimorphism in the expression and complexity of song is largely the outcome of sexual selection on males. It is now clear that understanding the evolution of bird song requires explaining variation within and among species in the expression and complexity of female song. To do this, we need a better understanding of the nature of variation in female song in different contexts and systems, as well as the fitness costs and benefits of variation in the expression and complexity of female song. This Research Topic draws together current research on female song with the goal of understanding the fitness costs and benefits of the diversity of female singing behaviour apparent among songbirds. It includes articles ranging from single-species studies investigating how female song varies with context and contrasts with male song, to comparative analyses exploring relationships between female song and ecological, social, and other factors, as well as opinion pieces.