Birds of the World
| | Binding: Hardback
Size: 280 x 215 mm
Pages: 384 pages
Publication date: October 2006
ISBN: 9780540089680 | Price: £25.00  | |
The most comprehensive, single-volume photographic reference work of birds ever produced, featuring top-quality colour images and expert descriptions of 1,300 individual species.
As well as illustrating one seventh of all known bird species, the book features the most up-to-date listing of all known species, with information on range and status.
The book begins by tracing the evolution of birds and takes an in-depth look at their incredibly varied adaptations. After explaining the principles of bird classification and identification, and how the latest DNA findings have helped us to re-evaluate bird relationships, the major families of birds are described, including main characteristics, principal species, total number of species, any noteworthy features, and conservation status; in addition each family is illustrated by a representative species.
In the main part of the book, the species photographs and descriptive entries are arranged systematically by zoogeographical region: Nearctic, Neotropical, Palaearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental and Australasian. (Broadly speaking this is equivalent to North America, Central and South America, Europe and Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australasia). Each region is introduced with a concise account of the birds of the region and maps identifying significant bird-watching locations. Then each species entry covers the key elements of description, behaviour, habitat and distribution, and notes key conservation concerns.
The text is written by an international panel of experts and is an essential reference for all bird enthusiasts.
Dr Andrew Gosler, the general editor, is University Research Lecturer in Ornithology, University of Oxford; President of the Oxford Ornithological Society; and a member of the International Ornithological Committee.
- The most comprehensive single-volume collection of colour photos of the world's birds.
- The most up-to-date listing of all the world's birds with information on distribution and status, based on the widely accepted Clements' checklist.
