Skip to main content
Elsevier
View Cart

Saving Songbirds

Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World

  • 1st Edition - October 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Stefania Casagrande, Kate Buchanan, Stephen Pruett-Jones
  • Language: English

Saving Songbirds: Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World is a timely work that delves into the complexities of songbird conservation. As global ecosystems face unprec… Read more

World Book Day celebration

Where learning shapes lives

Up to 25% off trusted resources that support research, study, and discovery.

Explore resources

Description

Saving Songbirds: Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World is a timely work that delves into the complexities of songbird conservation. As global ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, the symphony of birdsong – a vital indicator of ecological health – is under threat. This book, bringing together eminent voices from various corners of the globe, paints a holistic picture of these threats, their impacts on songbird evolution, and possible solutions. Edited by a leading team of expert ornithologists, this book introduces the import and global status of songbirds before delving into the myriad anthropogenic and global change-induced threats to songbird populations. Central chapters discuss the physiological and behavioral adaptations of songbirds to these modern stressors. The book concludes with a look to the future of songbird populations and the landscape of management and conservation opportunities to protect these critical species. Saving Songbirds: Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World bridges gaps in current knowledge and introduces fresh perspectives on songbird conservation and scientific research, offers actionable advice and strategies for conservationists, policymakers, and scientists and represents a unique resource for university courses, ranging from ecology to environmental policy. Its structured layout and comprehensive scope make it suitable for diverse academic levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate studies.

Key features

  • Reviews the global state of songbird populations
  • Investigates the physiological, ecological, and anthropogenic factors influencing songbird status
  • Offers tangible solutions and forward-thinking strategies for the conservation of songbird populations

Readership

Advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying ornithology and conservation ecology

Table of contents

1. Introduction: Why birdsong matters

2. State of the world’s songbirds and their global population trajectories

3. Physiological responses of migrating songbirds to the Anthropocene, with an emphasis on migratory timing

4. Why are migratory songbirds declining?

5. The silent fields: Agricultural intensification and its effects on songbird populations

6. The impact of chemical contaminants on songbirds

7. Songbird decline due to habitat loss and alteration in Korea and East Asia

8. How thermal extremes challenge songbird physiology and survival

9. The shift in pathogen and vector dynamics impacting songbird populations

10. Phenological mismatch: Climate impacts on reproductive timing, food availability and range distributions

11. Diet, food availability, and the decline of insectivorous songbirds

12. Harvesting of songbirds: The real impact of illegal hunting and poaching

13. Too portable? The size and impact of the illegal songbird trade

14. Incidental mortality associated with predation by domestic cats, forest logging, and other anthropogenic hazards

15. Urban adaptations: Can songbirds navigate the concrete jungles?

16. Communication under threat and fitness consequences in a changing world

17. Population genetics in global changes: Understanding transgenerational effects and adaptations

18. Synthesizing voices: Urgencies, outlooks, and the path ahead

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: October 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

SC

Stefania Casagrande

Dr. Stefania Casagrande is Principal Investigator in the Max Planck Institute of Biological Intelligence’s Department of Evolutionary Physiology. She obtained her PhD from the University of Parma and conducted her post-doctoral research with the Association Ornis Italica and the University of Parma. Her research focuses on eco-physiology and development of avian species. Specifically, Dr. Casagrande studies complex aspects of bird stress physiology, reproductive behavior, and their interactions with environmental pressures. She has been a board member of the Flanders Research Foundation Research Funding Panel and currently acts as associate editor of the Journal of Avian Biology.

Affiliations and expertise
Department of Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Biological Intelligence, Germany

KB

Kate Buchanan

Dr. Kate Buchanan is Full Professor at Deakin University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences. She obtained her BSc in Zoology from the University of Glasgow and her PhD from the Royal Holloway University of London. Her research focuses on avian behavioral ecology, spanning topics from sexual selection to environmental stress impacts on songbirds. Dr. Buchanan is broadly interested in bird signaling behavior, development, and conservation, and she has served as Editor-in-Chief for the journal Emu Austral Ornithology for 14 years.

Affiliations and expertise
Deakin University School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Australia

SP

Stephen Pruett-Jones

Dr. Stephen Pruett-Jones is Associate Professor at the University of Chicago's Department of Ecology and Evolution. He obtained his MSc in Zoology from Brigham Young University and his PhD in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Pruett-Jones' research encompasses sexual selection, evolution of mating systems, communication, population biology, and introduced species, using birds as his study taxon.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Chicago Department of Ecology & Evolution, Chicago, IL, USA