No comments about Birds of South-East Asia.

2 comments about The Birds of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

1. This book is more of a guide for people who are familiar with the bird species, or who have another guide with clear descriptions or photo plates for every species.
   
   None of the entries describe the birds' appearances or any field markings, but instead simply list all of the locations where the bird has been sighted.
   
   There are color photo plates, which are nice, but cover maybe half the species in the book.
   
   A better choice is Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East (Princeton Field Guides), which is a bit thicker and heavier, but would have saved me a lot of trouble on my trip!



2. Basics: 1995, softcover, 185 pages, 160 color photos of 129 species, 374 species discussed, range maps, seasonal charts
   
   This is a unique book covering an area that rarely receives specific attention on its birdlife. Similar in format to the earlier Birds of the UAE by Richardson, this book is a hybrid between an atlas and a photo guide. All of the birds of Jordan are covered in this book. Depending on the bird's status in the country, it receives anywhere between 3 sentences and 3 paragraphs of discussion. The text refers exclusively to the bird's status, distribution, and habitat. This is not an identification guide. It's a reference book outlining the bird's presence in the country.
   
   Of the 160 color photos, 31 show the various habitats of Jordan and the remaining 129 photos show 107 different species. These photos are generally good. Within the text, another 82 black-and-white sketches are included. These are more for aesthetics and not for practical field use.
   
   The two other features of the book are the range maps and the seasonal charts. The range maps of Jordan are broken into geologic versus politic boundaries. This helps to create a more accurate map of the bird's distribution. The season chart is a horizontal bar beginning with January and continuing to December. Dark or light shading above the month denotes common or uncommon occurrence in the country during that time of the year.
   
   Lastly, 18 pages are dedicated to birding locations within Jordan. These are accompanied with maps along with notes on what the area is like along with expected birds.
   
   This book offers information not available anywhere else and will inform you of the status and distribution of the birds in Jordan. It is a good library reference for those who want more historical and status data on the region's birds.
   
   Other Related Books:
   1) Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East by Jonsson
   2) The Birds of Israel by Shirihai
   3) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa by Hollom et.al.
   4) Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East by Porter et.al.
   5) The Birds of Israel by Paz
   6) Birds of Lebanon and the Jordan Area by Benson
   7) A Photographic Guide to Birds of Israel and the Middle East by Porter/Cottridge
   8) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Egypt and the Middle East by Porter/Cottridge
   9) Birds of Syria by Baumgart

No comments about For the Birds (Earthcare Books).

2 comments about Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 & 2.

1. A truly wonderful book. An outstanding work. The book is divided into two volumes: a field guide, which is easy to carry in the field, and a second volume giving you detailed descriptions of all species. The field guide illustrates all known species from the region (about 1300) in great detail, including color variations. And the illustrations are superb. The second volume gives you details about each species, and includes, for the first time for this region, a sonogram for most of the species. I found this book invaluable for this region. Highly recommend for anyone who is interested in birds of southern Asia.



2. Basics: 2005, hardcover, 378 & 683 pages, 180 color plates, 1,440+ species, range maps, sonagrams
   
   Together, these two books provide an exceptional field guide and reference for the 1,440+ species found in the southern portion of Asia, often referred to as the Indian subcontinent. The books cover all birds found in the following countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The Chagos Islands, which extend south from the Maldives, are also included.
   
   Volume 1 is the visual field guide and contains 180 superbly painted color plates. These display 3,400 different illustrations of the 1,440+ species. Nearly every bird is illustrated with multiple plumages for gender, age, or subspecies. This book does an excellent job at noting the various subspecies, even taking a few liberties with presumed species-splits, such as the Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula. An average of 10 species are found on each plate, plus their multiple plumages. This sometimes creates a slightly busy page (e.g., gulls, terns, wheatears, stonechats) that may require you to take a second look to see where one species starts and the other begins. Fortunately, the illustrator did a pretty good job at trying to group them together.
   
   The range maps (2.5cm square) use five colors in an effective manner. The boundaries for each country are included to help provide geographic orientation. Here is the one weakness of this volume 1 field guide: The text is very brief. Since volume 2 contains the species accounts, only the barest of identification points are offered in the field guide. The text ranges from 2-10 short lines. If you need or want further identification or vocal help, you must use the page number next to the description, which refers to the page number for the bird in volume 2. Doing this means you'll be flipping back and forth between two relatively heavy books.
   
   Volume 2 holds the impressive accounts for each bird. A massive amount of information is offered by the authors. Most of the text is dedicated to the identification and the voice of the bird. This information is remarkably thorough and detailed. The remainder of the account addresses the bird's occurrence and distribution, as well as its habits. One other great feature is the inclusion of nearly 1,000 sonagrams for the bird's vocalizations. These may not be immediately useful to many birders, but they offer valuable information for those birders with a special interest in sounds. Now, here is the one weakness of this volume 2: The font size of the text is small, about size 8. This might encourage - or require - some people to pull out their reading glasses. However, it is worth it since these very packed pages contain an abundance of knowledge.
   
   Despite the price of these two books, they are a must-have item if you intend on doing any repeated birding within this region.
   
   I've listed several related books below...
   1) A Guide to the Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives by Grimmett/Inskipp
   2) Birds of India by Grimmett/Inskipp
   3) Birds of Nepal by Grimmett/Inskipp
   4) Birds of Nepal by Fleming
   5) Birds of Pakistan: Vol. 1 & 2 by Roberts
   6) Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan: 10 volumes by Ali/Ripley
   7) A Field Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Kazmierczak/Van Perlo
   8) Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka by Harrison
   9) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India by Grewal/Harvey/Pfister
   10) Field Guide to the Birds of Bhutan by Inskipp/Grimmett

No comments about The Bird Biographies of W.H. Hudson.

No comments about Celebrities of Nature: Endangered & Selected Species of Florida.

1 comments about Oklahoma Bird Life.

1. Oklahoma Bird Life is a delightful reference. Whenever a pair of birds begins nesting in the yard, I head straight for this book. Oklahoma Bird Life provides info on the birds' range, migration, habitat, # of eggs in a brood, incubation periods, fledge times, and what the birds eat. The narrative stories make reading about the birds a pleasure. For example, the authors tell a wonderful story about Carolina Chickadees in their own yard. The color plates and numerous photos bring the book to life and help with identification. While I live in Georgia, Oklahoma Bird Life includes most species of birds, and I am never disappointed.

   The information in Oklahoma Bird Life enabled us to postpone a roofing job for 2 weeks to allow robins to fledge. I highly recommend Oklahoma Bird Life to people who enjoy learning about birds. It is much better than a list of facts, as the stories make it so delightful.

No comments about Birdwatching with American Women: A Selection of Nature Writings.

No comments about Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida: Vol. V. Birds (Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida).

1 comments about Spirit of the Wedge-tailed Eagle: The Art of Humphrey Price-Jones.

1. Spirit of the Wedge-Tailed Eagle: The Art of Humphrey Price-Jones is a stunning, oversized hardcover art book showcasing the work of artist Humphrey Price-Jones' and features his lavish illustrations of the wedge-tailed eagle -- Australia's largest true eagle. Both black-and-white sketches and striking, incredibly detailed full-page color artworks fill this compilation which is worthy to stand side-by-side with the works of the master avian artist Audubon himself. The informed and informative text by author Penny Olson is filled with a wealth of fascinating facts about the wedge-tailed eagle. The result is a coffee table art book enthusiastically recommended as an unforgettable gift for bird lovers everywhere, as well as a welcome addition to academic and community library collections.