PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Based on the excellent Australian Bird Guide, this is a cut-down edition perfect for throwing in the backpack. It can be used by birders of any level of expertise, and I would happily recommend it for new birdwatchers, or overseas visitors. Although it cannot contain the wealth of detail that the parent book does, it has just the right amount of information to aid identification in the field.
Each page features three birds, shown in a standing or perched pose and also in flight (full-colour illustrations taken from the original guide). The helpful illustrated comparisons of similar species remains, so you can work out sightings by relative size of birds such as the egrets, the plovers or the terns. Diagnostic features are included amongst the illustrations, to help with identification. The distribution maps are on the left, with a sentence or two of description beneath, including habitat and habits. The voice is described; the size is given, and the interesting symbol introduced in the original guide is included, conveying whether the bird is common or rare (a circle fully coloured in for most common, half or quartered for less common, and empty for rare migrants and vagrants). If adult breeding plumage differs, it is noted. Other helpful details include describing the flight of raptors, with a line diagram of typical soaring patterns, or owls described by their flight poses, when silhouettes may be all that are seen. A fine and useful book! Lindy
Peter Menkhorst is a zoologist at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria. Danny Rogers is an ecologist at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria. Rohan Clarke is a lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University. Jeff Davies is an Australian artist with a focus on portraits of Australian birds and their environments. Kim Franklin is an artist and illustrator who has exhibited worldwide. Peter Marsack is an award-winning artist based in Canberra.
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Based on the excellent Australian Bird Guide, this is a cut-down edition perfect for throwing in the backpack. It can be used by birders of any level of expertise, and I would happily recommend it for new birdwatchers, or overseas visitors. Although it cannot contain the wealth of detail that the parent book does, it has just the right amount of information to aid identification in the field.
Each page features three birds, shown in a standing or perched pose and also in flight (full-colour illustrations taken from the original guide). The helpful illustrated comparisons of similar species remains, so you can work out sightings by relative size of birds such as the egrets, the plovers or the terns. Diagnostic features are included amongst the illustrations, to help with identification. The distribution maps are on the left, with a sentence or two of description beneath, including habitat and habits. The voice is described; the size is given, and the interesting symbol introduced in the original guide is included, conveying whether the bird is common or rare (a circle fully coloured in for most common, half or quartered for less common, and empty for rare migrants and vagrants). If adult breeding plumage differs, it is noted. Other helpful details include describing the flight of raptors, with a line diagram of typical soaring patterns, or owls described by their flight poses, when silhouettes may be all that are seen. A fine and useful book! Lindy
So compact and thoroughly reliable, this is a guide everyone should have. -- Tim Low While the dazzling diversity of Australia's birds is something to be celebrated, it can all be a little overwhelming for someone who is new to birds. The Compact Australian Bird Guide achieves the delicate balance of being comprehensive yet concise, accurate yet accessible. The straightforward layout, succinct text and beautiful illustrations allow for a greater appreciation and understanding of Australian birds. For the novice bird lover, The Compact Australian Bird Guide will unlock the mysteries of Australian bird identification and for the seasoned birder it will be like seeing the familiar with fresh eyes. -- Sean Dooley * Birdlife Australia *
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