€ 49.95
Vogelgids Birds of East Africa | Bloomsbury

This spectacular new edition of the best-selling Helm field guide of all time covers all resident, migrant and vagrant species found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. All ,1448 species recorded in the region are illustrated with full details of all the plumages and major races likely to be encountered. Concise text describes the identification, racial variation, status, range, habitat, and voice, with fully updated range maps for each species.

 

This second edition covers 1,448 species, which represents around 70% of the birds that have been recorded in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent taxonomic changes include the creation of three new families: Modulatricidae, Nicatoridae, and Hyliotidae. In the first edition, the taxonomy and nomenclature were largely based on the East African list that was published in 1980 (Britton, P. L. 1980, Birds of East Africa, East Africa Natural History Society). Since the growth in birding and citizen science worldwide has seen the emergence of four major global lists: the IOC World Bird List, the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, the eBird/Clemenh Checklist of Birds of the World (in collaboration with Cornell University), and the HBW (Handbook of the Birds of the World) and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist. All of these lists are compared online by the comprehensive and regularly updated resource, Avibase. While taking close account of the first edition and the three other global lists, the authors have chosen to base the majority of this revised Birds of East Africa on the HBW/BirdLife taxonomy and nomenclature. Throughout, they have provided alternative common names, as well as explaining any scientific name in notes.

 

For the maps in this edition, the authors have moved from single-colour interpretations of range, to the widely used colour codes of green, yellow and blue, to provide more detailed information on the distributions of resident and migrant birds In addition, the base map outlines now include major rivers and highland areas above 2,000 m are shaded in grey.

€ 54.95
Vogelgids Birds of Ecuador | Bloomsbury

This up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the birds of mainland Ecuador is a valuable resource for anyone exploring the mountains, forests and wetlands of this incredibly bird-rich country. With thousands of beautiful and detailed paintings, accompanied by concise descriptions and accurate maps, this is an indispensible guide to bird identification in Ecuador.

 

· Covers every species and most subspecies recorded in Ecuador, including migrants and vagrants, with accurate and up-to-date distribution maps. 

 

· 291 colour plates illustrating more than 1,630 species, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference.

 

· Concise text covering identification, voice, habits, habitats, range, distribution and status.

€ 49.95
Vogelgids Birds of Bhutan and the Eastern Himalayas | Bloomsbury

The first guide to the beautiful, endemic-packed Himalayan nation of Bhutan was published in 1999. This is a new and completely revised edition of that book, featuring concise text and detailed maps opposite superb plates, covering every species that regularly occurs in Bhutan plus most vagrants. For this edition coverage is expanded to include two Indian states that together with Bhutan make up the eastern arm of the Himalayas – Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, making this the one guide you'll need on a visit to this incredible corner of Asia.

€ 42.50
Vogelgids the Birds of Japan and North-East Asia | Bloomsbury

Despite its rich avifauna and popularity with tourists, Japan has long been lacking a good English-language field guide. This new photographic guide will be the first book to cover the Japanese avifauna in English for over 25 years, and the first photoguide to the country in English. It will also include the birds of neighbouring mainland regions of eastern Asia, namely Korea, NE China and eastern Siberia. Over 520 species are illustrated with hundreds of stunning colour photographs. The text succinctly describes the key identification features and each species has a distribution map. This guide will be an essential companion for anyone visiting Japan or eastern Asia.

€ 49.95
Vogelgids Birds of East Asia | Bloomsbury

This is the first single volume guide ever devoted to the eastern Asian avifauna. The eastern Asian region, centring especially on the major islands off the continental coast (including Japan and Taiwan) and the immediately adjacent areas of the Asian continent from Kamchatka in the north and including the Korean Peninsula are an important centre of endemism.

 

Birds endemic to this region include representatives of many of the major families, from the world's largest eagle - Steller's Sea Eagle - to the tiny Formosan Firecrest. The east Asian continental coast and the offshore islands also form one of the world's major international bird migration routes, especially for waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, while the east Asian continental mainland itself is home to a wide range of species little-known to western ornithologists such as Scaly-sided Merganser, Oriental Stork and Mugimaki Flycatcher.

 

The guide features the most up to date text available, which, in conjunction with extensive colour plates throughout, facilitate the field identification of all of the species known from the region. Distribution maps enhance the text by providing a visual analysis of the summer, winter and migratory ranges of all species.

€ 47.50
Vogelgids Birds of Southern India | Bloomsbury

This is an essential reference guide for anyone birding in the southern India region. The colour plates are accompanied by a succint text highlighting identification, voice, habitat, altitudinal range, distribution and status. The text is on facing pages to the plates, for easy reference.

 

Southern India is defined for the purposes of this book as comprising the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep.Little has been published about the avifauna of the Union Territory of Pondicherry and it is here treated with Tamil Nadu. In addition, the Maldives, although not part of India, are included as they are part of a chain of islands extending southwards from Lakshadweep.

 

'the ideal travelling companion for any birding trip to peninsular India' Birding World

€ 56.95
Vogelgids A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines | Oxford University Press

A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines is the first and only guide that covers all 572 species of birds known to occur within the 7,100 islands that make up the Philippines. The Philippine avifauna includes some 170 endemics - species that are not found anywhere else in the world - and is thus of interest to avid birders around the world. Many of these species are also endangered, due to the high levels of habitat destruction in the Philippine forest, and this book is also urgently needed by conservation workers in the region. The Guide is illustrated by 72 specially painted colour plates that show all but the three vagrant species recently recorded there. Its text gives detailed information about the plumage, voice, range, distribution, status, habitat, life history and behaviour of the birds and is accompanied by distribution maps for all the species described. The expert team of authors and artists includes two prominent Philippine ornithologists, and has combined field experience summing to over 100 years. This book clearly will be the standard for Philippine Ornithology for many years to come.

€ 36.50
Vogelgids Chili - Birds of Chile | Bloomsbury

Chile supports an interesting range of breeding and visiting birds, including nine endemics. This guide features concise, identification-focused text positioned opposite the superb colour plates by Peter Burke and David Beadle to allow quick and easy reference. Coverage extends to support the Antarctic peninsula, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, with over 470 species detailed, including all breeders, regular visitors and vagrants. Introductory sections cover Chile's general ecology, geography, taxonomic issues and conservation.

 

If you are going to Chile this is certainly the book to take.

- Scottish Bird News (June 2004) 

 

"This book fills a niche and will be a 'must have' for anyone visiting the region."

- Wildfowl & Wetlands (Summer 2004) 

 

"This guide is a must-have for birding in Chile! 'Birds of Chile' is a most welcome addition to the well-known Helm Guides."

- Ostrich 2004, 75 (1&2) 

 

"The essential field guide to the birds of this spectacular and tourist-friendly country."

- birdtours.co.uk (April 2004) 

 

"The long awaited, pocket-sized 'Birds of Chile' attains a particularly high standard among field guides [...] 'Birds of Chile' is an important addition to Neotropical and ocean ornithology."

- Ibis (British Ornithologists' Union) 2004

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Iowa | Waterford Press

Iowa Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Montana | Waterford Press

Montana Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Nevada | Waterford Press

Nevada Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 54.95
Vogelgids Peru - Birds of Peru | Bloomsbury

With over 1,800 species, Peru has the second richest avifauna of any country in the world. As a consequence it is one of the most popular birding destinations in South America.

 

This is the first comprehensive and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of Peru. The text is arranged opposite the plates, in conventional field guide manner. Each species account includes a distribution map, distribution, abundance, length, elevation, habitat, behaviour, and extensive notes on vocalisations. English and scientific bird names are given.

 

"[...] Birds of Peru is a field guide worthy of the country it covers. However, if you have no plans to bird in Peru or nearby regions and have no interest in neotropical birds, then you have no reason to get this field guide (if that’s you, why are you reading this?). Likewise, if you have the previous edition and aren’t planning to visit Peru anytime soon, then there is not a compelling reason to upgrade. But everyone else should have a copy of this commendable guide. And if you’re lucky enough to be birding in Peru, you’d be crazy not to have this with you."

- Grant McCreary (23-06-2010), read the full review at The Birder's Library

 

"[I]f any places needed a field guide, it was Peru, second only to Columbia as the most bird-rich country in the world [...] Now, 40 years after he first envisioned a field guide, [John] O'Neill and his principal co-authors, Tom Schulenberg and Doug Stotz, have finally completed the guide against which all others for the New World tropics will be judged [...] The Birds of Peru's nearly 4000 color illustrations alone – more than double that of any other single-country neotropics guide – set it apart [...] [It] is the culmination of an incredible amount of fieldwork, but that doesn't mean the exploration is finished [...] This book isn't the end; it's really the beginning"

- Don Stap, Audubon Magazine

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Utah | Waterford Press

Utah Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 62.95
Vogelgids Birds of western Africa | Bloomsbury

Birds of Western Africa (Helm, 2001) was the first single-volume guide to cover all the species of this region, which comprises 23 countries from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Chad and the Central African Republic, and south to Congo. This new edition uses all of the plates from Birds of Western Africa, with a concise, authoritative text on facing pages, to create a conveniently-sized, lightweight field reference covering all 1300 species found in the region.

Birds of Western Africa also has updated colour distribution maps for each species placed on the text pages for the first time. A number of new images have been painted for this new edition and several of the illustrations have been replaced. This major new guide will enable birders to identify any species found in any of the countries covered.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids - Natuurgids Ontario Birds | Waterford Press

Ontario Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent province-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

Waterford Press produces simplified guides to nature, science, travel and languages. The company's 300+ titles have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

€ 54.95
Vogelgids Birds of the Horn of Africa | Bloomsbury

The Horn of Africa has the highest endemism of any region in Africa, and around 70 species are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these are confined to the isolated highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, but a large number of larks specialise in the arid parts of Somalia and adjoining eastern Ethiopia, whilst the island of Socotra has its own suite of endemic species. The region is also an important migration route and wintering site for many Palearctic birds.

 

In summary, the changes to the second edition are:

 

- 7 whole plates have been replaced (six estrildid plates and the plate of the large white-headed gulls plate) plus more than 20 other new or replaced images

- minor amendments made to dozens of other images

- about 200 maps have had minor tweaks (mainly ranges in Somaliland, which are now better known)

- all the maps have been improved with regard to colours and shading

- many text corrections in light of new information (mainly distributional, but also ID and some taxonomic changes)

- three new vagrants have been added

- simple checklist has been replaced by an annotated distributional checklist (by country)

- comparison table for large white-headed gulls added as an appendix

€ 49.95
Vogelgids - Natuurgids Birds of Thailand | Bloomsbury

Thailand is the mecca of birding in Southeast Asia. It's convenient to get to and get around, and its birdlife is wondrously diverse, exotic, and plentiful. With Birds of Thailand, Craig Robson and fourteen leading illustrators give us the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and concise field guide to this magnificent country's rich avifaunal heritage in recent years, covering the more than 950 species recorded as of early in the new millennium.

Facing each of the 128 striking, full-color plates are species accounts accompanied by maps for each, illustrating precise distribution within Thailand. The accurate text covers identification, voice, habitat, behavior, range, status, and breeding for all species and subspecies. Illustrations and entries on a number of species recorded only quite recently are also included.

The country's varied habitats assure something for every birder, from freshwater marshes to coastal areas, from fields and rice paddies to lush jungles and mangrove forests. In Thailand, one can delight in the brilliantly colored pittas, broadbills, and sunbirds; the deep, dazzling green of barbets, parrots, parakeets, and leafbirds; the aptly named frogmouths; the roosterlike resplendence of the (male) red junglefowl; the ruff, whose breeding male in full plumage sports a truly singular head; and much, much more.

Birders and all ecologically minded travelers daydreaming of a voyage to this gem of a country will want the latest source of thorough information on its birdlife--in a highly portable, pithy, and vividly illustrated guide. What they will want is Craig Robson's Birds of Thailand.

* Comprehensive field guide written specifically for this magnificent, bird-rich country
* 128 full-color plates by expert artists covering every major plumage variation, with juveniles also illustrated where notably distinct from males and females
* Over 950 maps for individual species illustrating their precise distribution within Thailand
* Accurate, up-to-date, and concise text covering identification, voice, habitat and behavior, range, status, and breeding of all species and distinctive subspecies

€ 9.95
Vogelgids - Natuurgids Africa Birds | Waterford Press

Een bijzonder handige uitklapkaart met alle veelvoorkomende vogels van Afrika. Duidelijke illustraties, goede korte omschrijving van soort en leefgebied, geplastificeerd.

The Pocket Naturalist series introduces novices to common plants and animals and natural phenomena. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map highlighting prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Laminated for durability.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Michigan | Waterford Press

Michigan Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Kansas | Waterford Press

Kansas Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Kentucky | Waterford Press

Kentucky Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

 

€ 9.95
Vogelgids Indiana | Waterford Press

Indiana Birds is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the bird lover and nature enthusiast. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar species and includes a map featuring prominent state-wide birding hotspots. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

€ 18.50
Vogelgids a Naturalist's guide to the Birds of Hong Kong | John Beaufoy

This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in Hong Kong is perfect for resident and visitor alike. The author's high quality photographs are accompanied by detailed species descriptions that include nomenclature (with vernacular names where relevant), size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Hong Kong encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and IUCN status as at 2012.

€ 19.95
Vogelgids a Naturalist's guide to the Birds of India | John Beaufoy

This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in India is perfect for resident and visitor alike.

A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of India is a photographic identification guide to 280 bird species and 100 closely related species most commonly seen in India. Aimed at first-time birders, it is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from one of India’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. This new 2nd edition includes updated taxonomy and over 300 new images. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of India encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name as well as its vernacular name, its status in each state as well as its global IUCN status.

€ 16.95
Vogelgids a Naturalist's guide to the Birds of Australia | John Beaufoy

This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in Australia is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from one of Australia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers climate, vegetation, biogeography and the key sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, IUCN status.

€ 31.95
Vogelgids Birds of Botswana | Princeton University

Here is the ultimate field guide to Botswana’s stunningly diverse birdlife. Covering all 597 species recorded to date, Birds of Botswana features more than 1,200 superb color illustrations, detailed species accounts, seasonality and breeding bars, and a color distribution map for each species. Drawing on the latest regional and national data, the book highlights the best birding areas in Botswana, provides helpful tips on where and when to see key species, and depicts special races and morphs specific to Botswana. This is the first birding guide written by a Botswana-based ornithologist and the only one dedicated specifically to Botswana.

Portable and easy to use, Birds of Botswana is the essential travel companion for anyone visiting this remarkable country.

Covers all 597 species of birds found in Botswana, including subspecies and color variants specific to Botswana

Features more than 1,200 color illustrations—with more than one illustration for species where the sexes and ages differ

Includes detailed species accounts, seasonality and breeding bars, and color distribution maps

Draws on the latest bird data and the expertise of leading birders in Botswana

€ 61.95
Vogelgids Birds of South-East Asia | Bloomsbury

This field guide to the birds of South-East Asia covers all of the 1,327 species recorded in the region and each has been fully illustrated. Covering Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, it covers the identification, voice, breeding, status, habitat and distribution of various species and subspecies.

 

This edition has many new artworks and 16 more colour photographs than the original guide, and the text has been meticulously updated to take in all the most recent information.This is the definitive volume on the region's birdlife. This award-winning book, which was first published in 2000, was fully updated in 2008 to include 76 new species for the region that were recent discoveries for science, taxonomic 'splits' or had been recorded there for the first time. This comprehensive field guide to the birds of South-East Asia covers all of the 1 327 species recorded in the region and each has been fully illustrated. Please note that it does not contain distribution maps.

 

Compared to the 2000 edition, the reprint of this 2008 edition has many new artworks and 16 more colour plates, and the text has been meticulously updated to take in all the most recent information. The vast diversity of South-East Asian birdlife attracts increasing numbers of birdwatchers each year. Covering Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, this unique and indispensable guide covers in detail the identification, voice, breeding, status, habitat and distribution of all the species and distinctive subspecies of the region.

€ 54.95
Vogelgids Birds of the Indian Subcontinent | Bloomsbury

This is the second edition of the authors' groundbreaking Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (1998) and covers all the bird species found in India, Pakistian, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The plates face the descriptions and maps for quick at-a-glance reference. Many of the plates have been repainted for this edition and a number of new species added. This guide also provides tables, summarising identification features of particularly difficult groups such as nightjars, warblers and rosefinches.

 

"[...] Overall, Birds of the Indian Subcontinent is an excellent piece of work and a very welcome field guide, and I am greatly looking forward to using it on my upcoming trip to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Comprehensive and authoritative, this is an indispensable guide for anyone birding anywhere in the Indian Subcontinent."

- Frank Lambert (22-02-2012), read the full review at The Birder's Library

 

"The Indian subcontinent, always exciting for visitors, is no less exciting for birders. Since publication of these authors’ handbook to the region in 1998 (and the pocket guide derived from it in 1999, both published by Helm), the discovery of serendib scops Owl Otus thilohoffmanni in Sri Lanka and bugun liocichla Liocichla bugunorum in Arunachal Pradesh have fired the imagination and added to the area’s allure. Between these far-flung extremities, over 1300 species have been recorded within the countries covered: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Many interesting taxa have been elevated to species level with probably more soon to follow. In addition, our ever-increasing knowledge of identification, behaviour and distribution all amply justify a new and revised edition.

 

Birders will however be understandably wary of yet another Helm guide to the region. A series of regional guides to the subcontinent, published since the pocket guide, added nothing to the original volume. There is no excuse for such lazy publishing and with a number of other field guides now on the market, the visiting birder has a choice of which to take. To regain its former pre-eminent position among these, this new edition will have required much work.

 

With 528 pages to the pocket guide’s 384, the extra space is both welcome and well used. The commonly encountered starlings and mynas, for example, are now displayed over three plates rather than two cramped ones. This has also enabled the distribution maps to be placed alongside the species accounts whereas before they were often annoyingly distant. Many species have been repainted for this edition and the maps revised, both being enlarged and largely for the better. The species accounts too have been largely rewritten, the identification section comparing similar species – often a great improvement on the brief texts of the pocket guide (where separating grasshopper warbler Locustella naevia and Pallas’ grasshopper warbler L. certhiola was covered in two lines without mentioning tertials!). I would have liked to see more information in the habitat and habits section, often a good clue to identification, but this is invariably very brief. Altitudinal range could have been included for montane birds, the Himalayan avifauna being a major component. It is included for the very similar green-crowned Seicercus burkii and whistler’s warblers S. whistleri, which are separated by altitude, in the breeding season at least, and thus is useful in identifying them. Field users will also be relieved to find that the families appear in a modern yet orthodox order, the taxonomy adopted by the pocket guide being too unfamiliar to allow easy use.

 

Much as the original books were a vast improvement on anything that was available before, so it is with this guide. The authors and artists additional and welcome hard work has resulted in better plates, text and maps incorporating all known and possible splits and much other new information, rendering this single volume pretty much indispensable to a birder travelling in the subcontinent.

€ 50.95
Vogelgids Centraal Azie - Birds of Central Asia | Bloomsbury

Birds of Central Asia is the first field guide to include the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, along with neighbouring Afghanistan. This vast area includes a diverse variety of habitats, and the avifauna is similarly broad, from sandgrouse, ground jays and larks on the vast steppe and semi-desert to a broad range of raptors, and from woodland species such as warblers and nuthatches to a suite of montane species, such as snowcocks, accentors and snowfinches. Birds of Central Asia includes 141 high-quality plates covering every species (and all distinctive races) that occur in the region, along with concise text focusing on identification and accurate colour maps. Important introductory sections introduce the land and its birds. Birds of Central Asia is a must-read for any birder or traveller visting this remote region.

 

"For a long time, there's been something of a gap in field-guide coverage across the Palearctic. Europe is well covered, while the Helm Field Guides Birds of the Middle East, Birds of the Indian Subcontinent and Birds of East Asia between them cover most of the rest of the region – with the exception of a gaping hole in the middle. This hole centres around 'the Stans': Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Afghanistan, sadly, is unlikely to be on many people's lists of countries to visit in the near future, but the wide range of habitats and varied avifauna of this vast Central Asian region has already attracted intrepid Western birders to sample the avian delights of countries like Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Indeed, tour companies now lead birding groups to the latter country. Clearly, this field-guide black hole needed filling; step forward Birds of Central Asia.

 

The book follows the standard Helm Field Guide format: text and maps on the left of the spread page, illustrations on the right. The maps are clear and the text is short but informative, with key identification features highlighted. I particularly like the fact that every species account begins with a brief note on the subspecies found in the region, even if this note is simply "monotypic". The illustrations are, by and large, of good quality. There is some variability in their quality and style but seemingly not purely the result of a 13-strong illustration team; there's something quite unnerving about the Carduelis finches in plate 132 yet the wagtails and chats – credited to the same artist – are beautiful.

 

Birds of Central Asia has done more than just plug the geographical gap that previously existed on many birder's bookshelves. It's provided a guide for the region that is comparable in standard to Birds of the Middle East and will prove invaluable to any visiting birder. Indeed, it should also be of interest for many Western Palearctic birders since it provides a useful reference for many vagrants from the Near East. Even if this field guide had not been entering into a clear field, I'm quite sure the information contained between its covers would have trumped whatever was available already – as it happens, there are no alternatives, and that only goes to enhance the value of this book yet further."

€ 51.95
Vogelgids Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania | Bloomsbury

This field guide is an abridged edition of the very successful Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania written by the same authors. It covers all 1089 bird species known from the region, including vagrants. This book combines the format and detailed treatment of the larger version with the convenience of a field guide.

 

All the species are illustrated with full details of all the plumages and major races likely to be encountered. Concise text describes identification, status, range, habits and voice with range maps for nearly every species. This authoritative book will not only be an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of these countries.

€ 45.95
Vogelgids Birds of Sri Lanka | Bloomsbury

With a rich avifauna of more than 350 species that includes 29 endemics, the island of Sri Lanka is one of southern Asia's most popular birding destination. This new field guide provides full coverage of every species on the Sri Lanka list, including most vagrants, with particular emphasis placed on endemic species and races. Detailed text highlights key identification criteria, along with accurate colour maps. Packed with spectacular and detailed plates by leading bird artists such as Alan Harris, Tim Worfolk and John Cox, "Birds of Sri Lanka" is the definitive identification tool for the visiting birdwatcher and another majestic addition to the Helm Field Guides series.

 

"[...] The artwork is generally of a very high standard and, where appropriate, distinctive plumages and races are shown. The races illustrated are of course those that occur in Sri Lanka rather than elsewhere in the Indian Subcontinent. For species often seen and identifiable in flight, such as larger waterbirds, shorebirds, raptors, and seabirds, there are good flight illustrations.

 

Birds of Sri Lanka is an excellent piece of work and a true field guide, fitting neatly into a large pocket or small bag. In conclusion then, this is the crucial guide for anyone intent on birding on the beautiful island of Sri Lanka."

- Frank Lambert (10-04-2012), read the full review at The Birder's Library

€ 14.90
Vogelgids - Natuurgids Vogels van de Middellandse Zee | Tirion

Deze unieke en innovatieve fotogids toont alle soorten vogels die voorkomen in de landen rond de Middellandse Zee. Dit gebied bevat een rijke varieteit aan biotopen waar veel karakteristieke en tot de verbeelding sprekende vogelsoorten voorkomen. Het boek is geillustreerd met meer dan 1000 prachtige kleurenfoto's die de specifieke eigenschappen van de vogels schitterend in beeld brengen.

De serieuze vogelaar blijft niet altijd in eigen land. Hij reist graag naar gebieden waar andere vogels te bewonderen zijn. Het Middellandse-Zeegebied is een favoriete bestemming voor Europese vogelaars. Voor dit gebied is deze gids samengesteld. De Atlantische kusten van Iberie en Noord-Afrika vormen de westelijke begrenzing, terwijl het Midden-Oosten de oostgrens bepaalt. Het gebied omvat dus veel verschillende biotopen, van wetlands tot woestijn. Na enkele inleidende paragrafen over hoe het boek te gebruiken en beschrijvingen van de diverse landschapstypen volgen van 440 soorten vogels korte beschrijvingen met duidelijke kleurenfoto's. Kleinere inzetfotootjes vermelden vliegbeelden of andere karakteristieken. Een groot aantal van de beschreven soorten is in de zomer ook in West-Europa te zien. Zij overwinteren in het mildere klimaat, een gedrag dat sommige mensen ook vertonen! Een instructieve gids voor de liefhebber. De Britse auteur heeft al in diverse uitgaven van zijn deskundigheid op vogelgebied blijk gegeven. In Nederlandse vertaling is deze gids voor meer mensen toegankelijk gemaakt. Bevat register op zowel Nederlandse als Latijnse benamingen.

€ 33.50
Vogelgids Where to Watch Birds in Ethiopia | Bloomsbury

Ethiopia is one of Africa's top birding destinations, harbouring dramatic scenery, a wonderful diversity of habitats, over 30 endemic species, and a number of other regional specialities that cannot be easily seen anywhere else in the world. No self-respecting world lister can afford not to go there!
This new book is a comprehensive site guide to the 50 best birding sites in the country. Each site describes how to get there, what you can see there, and when to visit. A number of full colour maps complement the site texts, and GPS co-ordinates allow sites to be located with great accuracy. A section covering the top 50 species gives details of how to see each of these special birds. The book is completed with an annotated checklist of all the country's birds and more than 150 photographs of birds, habitats and even some of Ethiopia's other fauna and flora.

About the Author(s)
Claire Spottiswoode is an acknowledged authority on Ethiopia’s birds and has undertaken much research on its endemics. Merid Gabremichael is Ethiopia’s top bird tour guide. Julian Francis has visited the region several times and is co-author of an earlier guide to a selection of the best birding sites.

€ 19.95
Vogelgids - Natuurgids Zakgids Vogels van Nederland en België | KNNV Uitgeverij

De ideale vogelgids voor wandelingen en vogelexcursies. Deze 14de druk is geactualiseerd met nieuwe soorten en illustraties en bevat biotoopplaten van Elwin van der Kolk. Past in elke binnenzak en helpt je om alle algemene soorten broedvogels, zomer- en wintergasten en doortrekkers gemakkelijk te herkennen.

De zakgids bevat compacte en overzichtelijke informatie over de belangrijkste uiterlijke kenmerken, gedrag, zang en habitat. - Ruim 300 inheemse vogelsoorten doeltreffend herkennen - Veldkenmerken, vliegbeelden en verenkleedvariaties - Trefkans per maand en kijktips - Vogelgeluiden en meer: met QR codes naar de online vogelgids van Vogelbescherming Nederland - Volledig geïllustreerd door Elwin van der Kolk In samenwerking met Vogelbescherming Nederland. Vormt samen met de 'Minigids vogels van Nederland en België' de ideale begeleider voor onderweg.