Interesting Bird Facts

Owls
- Owls exist on every continent except Antarctica.
- An incredible sense of sight adapted to finding prey coupled with a high level of accuracy makes these birds highly effective hunters.
- Owls have four toes, each armed with a long hooked talon.

Kingfishers
- Kingfishers are able to see well both in air and under water. Their eyes have evolved an egg-shaped lens which allows them to focus in both of these environments.
- All Kingfishers kill their prey through beating, for example, by whipping prey against a tree or dropping on a stone.

Like Birds? Want to know more about them? Why not study Ornithology with ACS?
Keep an eye out for our new ebook on birds that will be out soon also!

Top Selling EBooks

Commercial Hydroponics 3rd Ed
Packed with information on how to grow 102 different types of vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, herbs and other plants, commercial hydroponics has become a standard text for anyone growing plant sin a hydroponic system, whether on a domestic or commercial scale.

Counselling Handbook
Do you know how to listen to people talk... really listen? This ebook is an introduction to the complex world of the human psyche. Expand your mind and learn about what makes people tick.

Farm Management
This book is designed to provide an up-to-date, broad and balanced perspective on farm management. For anyone who is relatively new to agriculture or farming, it will develop an appreciation of the scope and nature of managing a farm, small or large.

Starting a Nursery or Herb Farm
Many nurseries or herb farm businesses can begin life on a small scale in the home garden. It's often amazing how much can be produced, and the profit that can be made from a few hundred square metres of land. This book arms you with the basic information you need to make a start.

Student Feedback

Aaron May, UK, Poultry course
"[The course] was very useful because it helped me to learn more about Poultry, especially the business side of the industry. I really enjoyed working through the assignments over the last 12 months. They made me think and do lots of research. It has helped me to get into College to study Countryside and Environment Management. I have always been interested in all animals especially poultry and the college tutors were impressed with my knowledge. So I am very pleased I did this course."
Learn more about Poultry with ACS (enrol before 31 August to get ebooks worth $100).

Growing Mushrooms

Mushrooms are delicious to eat! You can grow your own mushrooms in four easy steps.
The basic steps in the growth cycle are:
1. Making the Compost
Raw materials for the compost are mixed together, moistened and composted.
2. Spawning
The compost is placed in containers or beds, under cover, and spawn is added. Conditions are controlled to achieve optimum growth of the spawn so that it can fill the compost with mycelia over a period of weeks.
3. Casing
Casing involves placing a layer on top of the compost, to bring about environmental conditions which encourage the formation of fruiting bodies (ie: The mushrooms which are eaten).
4. Harvest
After several weeks, the first crop is picked. Further crops occur every week or so (these are called flushes). After a month or two, the flushes decline and the compost should be discarded and the process started again.
Read more on our blog here.

To find out about our Mushroom Production course, click here.