Helm Photographic Guides – serie

An up-to-date guide exploring the rich variety of avifauna in the Mediterranean.From dramatic cliffs and sparkling coastlines to wooded mountains and open scrub, the Mediterranean boasts a diverse range of habitats that are rich with birdlife. Whether searching for birds of prey like Lammergeier and Elenora’s Falcon, or iconic passerines such as Masked Shrike and Sardinian Warbler, the Mediterranean is a dream destination for birdwatchers.Now in its second edition, this exquisite photographic guide provides full coverage of every species occurring in the region. Fully updated throughout, concise species accounts cover identification, similar species, voice, habitats and behaviour, status and distribution, along with revised maps and new photographs throughout.Illustrated with more than 1,000 photographs, Birds of the Mediterranean is an essential companion for any birder or naturalist visiting this popular region.

A richly illustrated photographic guide to the shorebirds of the northern hemisphere, covering every species and subspecies in detail, with special emphasis on identification. Shorebirds are a very popular group of birds among birders of all standards, though their identification is often a challenge. Covering all the species of the northern hemisphere, this photographic guide provides all the information a birder will need at a glance.Lavishly illustrated with colour photography by the author, Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere focuses on specific and subspecific separation and on ageing to provide a complete identification resource. With this important book, it should be possible to identify every species in the region, and even to age it and assign it to a particular race.

The first definitive photographic guide to woodpeckers, covering all 239 species. Woodpeckers remain one of the most popular families of birds, and they are certainly one of the more unusual. Their legendary ability to excavate holes in wood is well known, and they are uniquely adapted for living in trees - though a few species have become more adapted to ground-dwelling.The family ranges from the tiny piculets of tropical forests to the mighty Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico, sadly now extinct. In between there is a considerable variety of species, all of a roughly similar shape and design, inhabiting forests and woodlands through the world except Australasia and Antarctica.Detailed text looks in detail at the biology of the birds, with particular emphasis on field identification, along with voice, habitat, status, racial variation and distribution. The text is accompanied by a series of high-quality photographs – more than 750 images, carefully selected to highlight identification criteria. Each species entry is completed by an accurate colour range map.A sister to Owls of the World in the Helm Photographic Guides series, Woodpeckers of the World is an informative, fact-filled and beautifully illustrated guide to a group beloved by all birders.

ONE OF THE BB/BTO BEST BIRD BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2018This book represents the definitive photographic guide to gulls, by the world's greatest authority on gull identification.This outstanding new guide covers all of the world's gull species, tackling some of the most notoriously difficult identification and taxonomic challenges in birding. Concise text - complemented by an accurate colour range map - places particular emphasis on field identification, with detailed discussion of variation, and coverage of habitat, status and distribution.Each photograph has been carefully selected to highlight identification criteria and, crucially, to allow age and subspecific separation in the field. This book is an invaluable tool for identifying gulls, featuring the most sought-after rarities as well as beautiful, easy-to-identify species.

The story of the discovery of nearly 300 bird species new to science since 1960.Amazing as it might sound, ornithologists are still discovering several bird species each year that are completely new to science. These aren’t all obscure brown birds on tiny islands – witness the bizarre Bare-faced Bulbul from Laos (2009), spectacular Araripe Manakin from Brazil (1998), or gaudy Bugun Liocichla from north-east India (2006).Birds New to Science documents more than half a century of these remarkable discoveries, covering around 300 species. Each account includes the story of discovery, a brief description of the bird (many with accompanying colour photographs), and details of what is known about its biology, range and conservation status.Written in an engaging style, this is a rich reference to an incredible era of adventure in ornithology.

A spectacular and lavish photographic guide to the birds of Japan, Korea, north-east China and the Russian Far East.Eastern Asia is blessed with a rich and spectacular avifauna, and all 520 regularly occurring species are featured in this spectacular and lavish new photographic guide to the region, covering Japan, northern China, North and South Korea and the Russian Far East. The concise text focuses on key identification criteria, and is accompanied by a distribution map for every species. The accompanying photographs, contributed by Japan's top bird photographers, form a stunning series that will allow both field identification and rich enjoyment at home afterwards.This beautiful book is a must-have for anyone interested in the birds of Asia.