Helm Field Guides – serie

"Pretty much indispensable to a birder travelling in the subcontinent" - British BirdsWith a wide range of habitats and a dazzling and diverse avifauna, the Indian Subcontinent is one of the world's greatest birding hotspots. This second edition of Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp's ground-breaking work is a comprehensive field guide to the region, covering all species known to occur in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.Fully revised and updated, this authoritative book includes more than 240 colour plates of detailed illustrations, alongside concise species accounts describing key identification features, range, habitat and voice with accurate range maps for each species.Peerless in the scope of its coverage yet still portable enough for field use, Field Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent is an essential companion for any birdwatcher tackling the mountains, rainforests, plains, wetlands or deserts of this magical region.

The definitive identification guide for birdwatching in Sri Lanka.For birders, Sri Lanka is a must-visit. From the dry-zone of the southeast, haunt of Yellow-wattled Lapwing and Sri Lanka Swallow, to the cool highlands where Yellow-eared Bulbul sing and Pied thrush overwinter, the island has stunning birdlife in abundance., with 29 endemics and a host of regional scarcities. No trip is complete without a visit to the magnificent Sinharaja rainforest, home to species such as the Green-billed Coucal, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and Serendib Scops Owl.This 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. Outstanding plates are allied with detailed text that highlights key identification criteria, along with accurate colour maps. Pocket-friendly yet comprehensive, Birds of Sri Lanka is the definitive identification tool for the visiting birdwatcher and an essential addition to the backpack.

The ultimate field guide to the birds of Borneo.With more than 630 species including a number of endemic races and species, the southeast Asian island of Borneo holds one of the world's most diverse avifaunas. This book is the perfect guide to help you identify them. Covering Brunei, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan, Birds of Borneo features an extensive introduction providing information on geography, climate and habitat. The concise species text covers the identification, voice and status of every species that breeds or visits the island, accompanied by detailed distribution maps. Opposite the text are 144 colour plates, covering all major plumage variations of age, subspecies and sex.The product of a lifetime of exploration and study, Susan Myers's Birds of Borneo is indispensable for birders and naturalists visiting or living on this extraordinary island.

A comprehensive guide to pelagic birds – the albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels and diving petrels.Famous for their size and elegance in flight, albatrosses are familiar to anyone who has travelled through the southern oceans, and are a flagship family of conservation concern. However, albatrosses are just one of several groups of 'pelagic' birds - those that visit land only to breed, and spend the rest of their lives far from the coast, soaring from ocean to ocean in a never-ending search for food. Mysterious and graceful, these birds can present a formidable identification challenge to even the most experienced birder. This book provides the answer.A total of 46 spectacular colour plates highlight key ID criteria of the birds in flight, with close-ups of diagnostic regions of the plumage. The plates are accompanied by accurate distribution maps, while the sparkling text brings the world of these amazing birds to life.Sea-watchers all around the world will find this superb field guide indispensable.

The ultimate field guide to the birds of ArgentinaThis spectacular field guide is the ultimate reference to the birds of Argentina and the islands of the South-west Atlantic, essential for researchers, birders and conservationists alike. It covers Argentina and all Fuegian and Hornean islands south to the Diego Ramírez Islands and east to the Falklands.More than 2,300 images illustrate 1,075 species, including all residents, migrants and most vagrants across 199 stunning colour plates, depicting every species and many distinct plumages and subspecies, including 28 endemics and 17 near-endemics.Concise text describes key identification features, status, range, habitats and voice, with up-to-date colour distribution maps for each species.This landmark work, the product of more than 25 years of study, is comprehensive yet accessible and field-friendly. It stands to remain the definitive work on Argentina's birds for generations to come.

A comprehensive guide to the birds of ChileChile holds a great diversity of habitat types, from the dry deserts of the north and the Andes running along its spine down to the tundra and sub-Antarctic rainforest of Tierra del Fuego in the far south. This wide range of habitats supports an interesting range of breeding and visiting birds, including some of the most sought-after species in world birding, such as Diademed Sandpiper-plover, Magellanic Woodpecker and Grey-breasted Seedsnipe. Chile also holds nine endemics found nowhere else in the world.This guide features concise, identification-focused text opposite the brilliantly rendered plates, allowing quick and easy reference. Detailed distribution maps are provided for every species, completing this essential field guide to the birds of this spectacular country.

A complete identification guide to all of the waders found in Europe, Asia and North America.Waders offer some of the sternest challenges in field birding. This field guide provides the solution – a complete identification reference to all of the sandpipers, plovers, stints and other waders found in Europe, Asia and North America. Superb illustrations show birds at rest and in flight, in every plumage variant likely to be encountered in the region. More than eighty species have been grouped, especially on the flight plates, so that similar species are shown close to each other to avoid confusion. Facing text concisely summarises key identification pointers including appearance, voice and behaviour to aid quick identification when out and about. Accurate distribution maps are also provided for every species in this field-friendly guide.A work of great scholarship as well as beauty, this field-friendly book brings the world of these birds of the shoreline to life.

A comprehensive guide to the birds of Macaronesia.Macaronesia, which comprises the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde, are home to a remarkably avifuna, one that includes endemic species such as the Azores Bullfinch and Blue Chaffinch, a host of endemic races, most of which have small and vulnerable ranges, and some species that are very difficult or impossible to see anywhere else, such as Houbara. Add in the fact that the Azores in particular punches way above its weight in terms of extremely scarce vagrants, especially Nearctic passerines, and you have a region that is a must-visit for any birder or world-lister. Birds of the Atlantic Islands covers all resident, migrant and vagrant species found in Macaronesia, more than 450 species in all. The plates feature illustrations that include all plumages and major races likely to be encountered. Concise species accounts cover bird identification, status, range, distribution and voice. The introductory sections covers climate, geography and ornithological history of the islands, as well as practical guidance on the best birdwatching localities.This authoritative book is an indispensable guide for any birder these jewels of the Atlantic.

The perfect guide to the birds of Melanesia – New Caledonia, the Solomons, the Bismarcks and Vanuatu.Written by leading ornithologist Guy Dutson, this Helm field guide covers the species-rich Melanesia region of the south-west Pacific, from New Caledonia and the Solomons through the Bismarcks to Vanuatu.This book is an indispensable birdwatching guide for anyone travelling in this part of the Pacific, with its cover star being the Kagu, the region's most iconic bird species and a highly sought-after endemic of New Caledonia.. Species accounts include 650 superb illustrations allied with concise written information to aid quick and accurate identification.Comprehensive and authoritative, this is the ultimate guide to the birds of this remote and ornithologically fascinating stretch of the Pacific.

A dedicated field guide to the world's raptorsRaptors – predatory birds that include the falcons, eagles, hawks, harriers, buzzards, kites and the Osprey – have been watched, admired, studied and painted from ancient times. Our understanding of the biology, ecology and taxonomy of these birds was condensed into one of the finest monographs of the century to date, Raptors of the World, by James Ferguson-Lees and David Christie. This field guide represents the next step on from that magnificent work. It features plates by some of the world's leading bird artists, with a concise text and a colour distribution map on facing pages, creating a lightweight field reference that covers all 340 raptor species, from the sparrow-sized Black-thighed Falconet to the mighty Steller's Sea-eagle, and everything in between.Armed with this guide, birders will be able to identify any bird of prey they encounter anywhere in the world with confidence.

The definitive guide to the birdlife of Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.Central Asia includes a diverse variety of habitats with a rich avifauna that includes some truly mouthwatering specialities, from sandgrouse, ground jays and larks on the vast steppe and semi-desert to woodland species such as warblers and rosefinches and a suite of montane species including snowcocks, accentors and snowfinches. Ornithologically, Central Asia is very hard to beat. This book represents the only comprehensive guide to the region. It includes 141 high-quality plates, covering every species (and all distinctive subspecies) that occur in the six countries covered, 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 visiting this region, and an essential addition to the backpack.

A comprehensive field guide to the avifauna of eastern Asia.The eastern Asian region, centring 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 avian diversity. 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 facilitates the field identification of every species known from the region, including vagrants. Detailed text by Japan-based ornithologist Mark Brazil covers features such as identification, habitat, vocalisations and similar species, with this allied to accurate colour maps that provide a visual analysis of summer, winter and migratory ranges. Opposing the text, a set of 234 brilliant plates by some of the world's leading bird artists cover all major races and plumage variation.This major work is the standard reference for birds in the region, and an important companion for any birdwatcher or ornithologist visiting or living in the region.

Volume I of a comprehensive two-volume identification set – the ultimate guide to birds of the region.Covering every species, including vagrants, found in Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, the magnificent Birds of Northern South America represents one of the greatest ornithological publications of the 21st century. In this 'text' volume, more than 2,300 species are described in depth, with discussion of geographical variation, identification, status, habitat, voice and taxonomy. Robin Restall's detailed and comprehensive colour plates along with accurate distribution maps are in the second volume of the set.This authoritative book is not only an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this region, which is of such importance to both resident species and those which pass through on migration. A landmark publication, Birds of Northern South America remains the standard work on the stunningly diverse birds of the region.

Volume II of a comprehensive two-volume identification set – the ultimate guide to birds of the region.Covering every species, including vagrants, found in Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, the magnificent Birds of Northern South America represents one of the greatest ornithological publications of the 21st century. In this volume dedicated to the Robin Restall's detailed and comprehensive colour plates, the more than 2,300 species discussed in Volume I are accurately depicted in a total of nearly 6,400 images, illustrating every distinct plumage of every species and subspecies, and highlighting key identification features. Concise caption text appears on the plates, and distribution maps appear opposite the plates. More detailed text covering geographical variation, identification, status, habitat, voice and taxonomy is found in the first volume of the set.This authoritative book is not only an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this region, which is of such importance to both resident species and those which pass through on migration. A landmark publication, Birds of Northern South America remains the standard work on the stunningly diverse birds of the region.

A comprehensive guide to the birds of Kenya and adjoining Northern Tanzania.Kenya is one of the world's great wildlife travel destinations, with a diverse and very large avifauna to accompany the big cats and large herbivores. This book, covering both Kenya and adjacent parts of northern Tanzania, covers all 1089 bird species known from the region, including vagrants.The plates are packed with illustrations that cover all plumages and major races likely to be encountered in the region. Concise species text describes identification, status, range, habits and voice, with range maps for all residents and regular migrants.This authoritative book represents both an indispensable guide for the visiting birder, and an important tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this part of Africa.

A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Peru.More than 1,890 species - nearly one fifth of the world’s birds - have been recorded in Peru, which hosts one of the richest avifaunas of any country in the world, including a mind-boggling 113 endemics. This field guide offers full coverage for every species that occurs in the country. 307 superb, high-quality plates include full coverage of distinct plumages, subspecific variation sexual and age variation and morphs. The facing text features concise descriptions that discuss key identification criteria, status, vocalisations and distribution, with colour distribution maps.A landmark publication that was the product of almost 40 years of research, expeditions and study, this remarkable book remains the standard work for Peru. Authoritative yet portable and suitable for field use, it is a must-have for any ornithologist or birder visiting the country.

The definitive guide to the birdlife of Mongolia.Mongolia lies at the heart of Asia, bridging the vast Siberian taiga forests of the north and the world’s coldest deserts to the south. It encompasses great mountain ranges, extensive steppes and deserts, and pristine rivers and lakes. Large and sparsely populated, Mongolia harbours a rich avifauna including an array of globally rare and local species. For dozens of steppe species and many others, Mongolia really is the place to go. This beautiful guide by Gombobaatar Sundev, Mongolia's most famous ornithologist, and Christopher Leahy provides in-depth details for 502 species, including all residents, migrants, and vagrants. The authoritative text covers identification features, along with voice, habitat, behaviour and status, and is accompanied by 112 superb plates depicting every species and many distinct plumages and races. Detailed maps – a cartographic feat never before attempted for Mongolia – accompany the text.Birds of Mongolia is an indispensable guide for birders, adventurers, and all those interested in this central Asian nation.

A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Venezuela, covering all 1,400 species.Venezuela is blessed with one of the largest avifaunas in the world. More than 1,400 species have been recorded in the country, thanks to a great diversity of habitats ranging from the High Andes to lowland Amazonian rainforest, and just about everything in between. Its strategic position in the north of South America also ensures that it receives many non-breeding migrants, both from the north and from the south. Add to this a good number of endemics, and you have all the ingredients for a top birding destination.With its authoritative text and superb colour plates, this book allows reliable field identification for any birder visiting Venezuela, along with Guyana, northern Brazil and western Suriname. The guide has 248 colour plates offering comprehensive coverage, with racial, sexual and seasonal plumage variations. The accompanying species accounts provide key information, including voice and status of all species and subspecies found in the region. Detailed colour distribution maps are also provided for every species.Birds of Venezuela is an indispensable addition to the backpack of any visiting birder or naturalist – the only guide you will need to identify birds in Venezuela.

The ultimate field guide to the birds of the Middle East, an indispensable companion for any traveller to the regionThe Middle East – the region stretching from Cyprus and the Levant to Iran, including Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula, plus Socotra – has a wonderfully broad and diverse avifauna, featuring a host of wintering and passage migrants, enigmatic breeders, and even a few endemics that occur nowhere else.This authoritative book covers more than 895 species recorded in the Middle East, including details of all regular visitors and breeding species, from the Purple Sunbird and Syrian Serin to the Northern Bald Ibis, Persian Shearwater and Brown Fish Owl. Featuring 180 stunning colour plates by three of the world’s leading bird illustrators, this practical guide also includes concise species accounts describing key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice with accurate distribution maps for each species.Written by three leading lights in regional ornithology and conservation and now in its third edition, this field guide is an essential reference for any birder living in or visiting the Middle East.

Birds of Senegal and The Gambia – the ultimate guide for travellers and birdwatchers visiting one of Africa’s richest birdwatching regions.The Gambia, together with the country that envelops it, Senegal, has an avifauna of more than 700 regularly occurring species, including many Western Palearctic migrants from September to April, and a significant list of highly sought-after resident West African birds, such as Egyptian Plover. There is a fantastic selection of Sahel specialities that are more easily seen here than anywhere else. Senegal has become a reliable locality for Golden Nightjar, Quail-plover and Cricket Warbler, and the near-endemic Mali Firefinch occurs in the southeast of the country. Birdwatchers in this region can also find Savile’s Bustard, Adamawa Turtle Dove, Little Grey Woodpecker, Yellow Penduline Tit, Sudan Golden Sparrow and Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, while the Saloum delta’s huge roost of tens of thousands of African Swallow-tailed Kites is one of the world's top birding spectacles.This authoritative guide covers all species in the two countries, including details of all residents, migrants and known vagrants. Almost 150 stunning colour plates depict every species, comprehensively covering all the distinct plumages and subspecies likely to be encountered. Concise species accounts describe key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice, accompanied by accurate distribution maps.This compact guide is an essential companion for any birder visiting this ornithologically rich slice of western Africa.

This spectacular field guide includes all resident, breeding and migrant species found in Greater Southern Africa.Comprising South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, Greater Southern Africa is a vast region home to a truly extraordinary diversity of avifauna.Birds of Greater Southern Africa describes all 1,170 regularly occurring species that are likely to be encountered in the region, from the Wandering Albatross to the Pennant-winged Nightjar. Featuring 272 colour plates by three of the world’s leading bird illustrators, this practical guide also includes concise species accounts describing key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice; distribution maps for each species are also included.This is an essential reference guide for any birdwatcher visiting or living in this wildlife-rich part of Africa.

The ultimate guide to the birds of Bangladesh

Comprehensive yet portable, this concise field-guide edition of The Australian Bird Guide is an essential companion for every birdwatcher visiting AustraliaThis concise edition of the award-winning Australian Bird Guide brings the authority and clarity of ABG into a portable format ideal for field use. Its compact format features more than 700 bird species that are residents of or regular visitors to the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and surrounding seas. Easy to use and beautifully illustrated, the book's content has been carefully designed to provide the reader with all the key information needed to enable rapid identification of any bird, with distribution maps, and comparison pages for major groups. Portable and pocket-friendly yet comprehensive and authoritative, ABG Concise is an essential companion for any birdwatcher visiting Australia.

The definitive field guide to the birdlife of Costa Rica.Graced with bounteous natural beauty, Costa Rica has become a popular destination for travellers from all over the world. Birds play a prominent role in attracting visitors, too. The shimmering quetzals, gaudy macaws and comical toucans that populate tourism posters only begin to hint at the birdlife to be found throughout this small country. In terms of avian diversity, Costa Rica is the richest country on earth.Following on a decade from the previous edition, this fully revised and updated third edition of Birds of Costa Rica features all 943 species recorded in the country, including endemic, breeding and migrant species. Each family of birds is introduced by a brief description, and every species is depicted on a series of brilliant colour plates. More than 1,100 brand-new illustrations show plumage difference among males, females and juveniles.The written account for each species features field marks description and information about status, distribution and vocalisation, along with updated distribution maps, making this field guide the perfect companion for anyone visiting Costa Rica.

The Australian Bird Guide – the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever published.Australia's avifauna is large, diverse and spectacular, reflecting the continent's wide range of habitats and evolutionary history. This book covers every regularly occurring species in Australia, including subspecies and rarities. Illustrations of more than 900 species on almost 250 plates, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages, make The Australian Bird Guide the most comprehensive guide to Australian birds ever published. This revised edition includes updated maps and artwork, reflecting advances in our knowledge of the biology and distribution of Australia's birds, plus fully updated text to ensure identification, distribution and status details are current and accurate, along with an improved index.This book sets the standard for coverage of Australia's remarkable avifauna. It is truly indispensable for anyone looking to explore Australia's magnificent and unique birdlife.

A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Cuba.The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba contains a vast range of ecosystems, from scrub and grasslands to mountain ranges and coastal mangrove forests. These landscapes are home to an amazing diversity of avifauna, including 29 extant endemic species along with many other near-endemics and a large number of migratory birds, making Cuba a highly attractive destination for birders.Revised and updated throughout, this second edition includes high-quality colour plates illustrating more than 370 species recorded in the region, with informative text on facing pages for easy reference. Written by Cuba's two leading ornithologists, the concise species accounts describe key identification features, voice, habitat and behaviour, and are accompanied by accurate colour distribution maps.The definitive field guide to this magical birding destination, Birds of Cuba is an essential companion for any visiting birder or naturalist.

The definitive field guide to the rich avifauna of Ecuador.This comprehensive yet portable 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.It covers every species and most subspecies recorded in Ecuador, including migrants and vagrants, with accurate and up-to-date distribution maps. The species text provides an overview of the species' identification, voice, habits, habitats, range, distribution and status. More than 1,630 species are illustrated, across 291 plates, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference. With thousands of illustrations allied with concise text and accurate distribution information, this book is an indispensable guide to bird identification in Ecuador. It is an essential backpack addition for any visiting birdwatcher.

The definitive field guide to the birds of SeychellesA group of ancient granitic islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles enjoy a remarkably diverse bird fauna, rich with endemics. These include some of the world’s rarest birds, such as Seychelles Scops Owl, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, while there are huge seabird colonies on rat-free islands, with thousands of terns, noddies and frigatebirds, and a range of poorly known Indian Ocean species at sea, such as Barau's and Mascarene petrels. The Aldabra group is another dream destination for any naturalist, with giant tortoises alongside the Indian Ocean's sole remaining flightless rail.The birds of these islands are covered comprehensively in Birds of Seychelles, which includes all 250 species on the national list. Concise text on facing pages highlights key identification features, with additional information on habitat, distribution, status and voice, while island distributions are clearly indicated through the use of a colour code.Pocket-sized yet authoritatively, this guide is an essential companion for anyone visiting these remote jewels of the Indian Ocean.

The definitive guide to the birds of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and SomaliaThe 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 and other grassland birds specialise in the arid parts of Somalia and adjoining eastern Ethiopia. The region is also an important migration route and wintering site for many Palearctic birds. This book is the perfect guide to the birds of the region; it also includes the remote Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in its coverage, which boasts a suite of endemics. More than 200 magnificent plates by John Gale and Brian Small illustrate every species that has ever occurred in the region. Succinct text covers the key identification criteria., with special attention is paid to the voices of the species, and more than 1000 accurate colour distribution maps are included.This comprehensive field guide is an essential companion for any birdwatcher visiting the Horn of Africa.