A Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia: Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia
- Book Review,
by Craig Robson
Amazon.com
Southeast Asia's stunning diversity of avian life is no surprise to jet-setting birders. More than a thousand species--from hornbills to hoopoes--can be found in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. What may surprise some, however, is that a single identification guide covers the entire region, with no less than 104 color plates depicting every species. Illustrations are clear, including variations in sex, age, and subspecies. Textual information describes habitat, behavior, breeding, voice, and distribution (range maps are not included). Like most international guides, the text is separated from the plates, which can make for a lot of thumbing back and forth; on the positive side, such a format allows for more detailed descriptions per species. Also, this is not a pocket guide to be carried about by hand while in the field; most birders will prefer to keep it stowed and ready in a backpack when trekking through the jungle in search of an evasive pitta.
Hugh Dingle, University of California, Davis
"This book is a major contribution to the ornithology of South East Asia, one of the world's most biologically diverse regions. There is an excellent selection of artists who obviously know their birds, producing illustrations that accurately depict characteristics needed for ready field identification, and the text descriptions are succinct but comprehensive. This is a first-rate field guide and should be the premier guide to the region for some time to come."
Erik A.T. Blom, Birdwatchers Diges
Clearly the book that bird watchers interested in the region need to have. . . . This book is indispensable.
Alison R. Strying, The Auk
Best field guide to the entire Southeast Asian region.... [S]ure to be the definitive field-guide... for years to come.
Review
This is the best field guide to the entire Southeast Asian region, and arguably one of the most informative field guides around. . . . It is sure to be the definitive field-guide to the region for years to come.
Book Description
Famous for its vast diversity of birdlife, Southeast Asia is an increasingly popular destination for birders and ecotourists. Travelers, however, have long been without an up-to-date, comprehensive bird guide to this fascinating region. A Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia fills this need, illustrating and describing all 1,250 species found in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The book also covers a wide range of species found in the Indian subcontinent, China, Taiwan, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, and the Philippines. The introduction presents an overview of the entire region, encompassing information on climate, habitats, and conservation, as well as birdwatching hints and explanations on how to use the book most effectively. One hundred and four color plates, painted by a group of leading artists, depict all species and the majority of distinctive subspecies of the region in every major plumage variation, including variations by age and sex. The text provides unrivaled detail on identification (including comparisons of similar species) and covers voice, habitat, behavior, range, status, and breeding--all vital aids for identification in the field. A Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia is a milestone in ornithological publishing and an indispensable field and reference tool.
From the Inside Flap
"This book is a major contribution to the ornithology of South East Asia, one of the world's most biologically diverse regions. There is an excellent selection of artists who obviously know their birds, producing illustrations that accurately depict characteristics needed for ready field identification, and the text descriptions are succinct but comprehensive. This is a first-rate field guide and should be the premier guide to the region for some time to come."--Hugh Dingle, University of California, Davis
About the Author
Craig Robson has traveled regularly to southeast Asia for the last twenty years. He was a founder of the thriving Oriental Bird Club, serving on its council for five years and writing extensively for its journal during that time. The artists are Richard Allen,Tim Worfolk, Stephen Message, Jan Wilczur, Clive Byers, Mike Langman, Ian Lewington, Christopher Schmidt, Andrew Mackay, John Cox, Anthony Disley, Hilary Burn, Daniel Cole, and Martin Elliott.
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