Books in the Helm Identification Guides series

This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guide series, looks in detail at the remarkable and diverse birds of paradise--perhaps the ultimate birders'' birds.This Helm Identification Guide covers the taxonomy, biology, and conservation, of birds of paradise and bowerbirds in great detail, including a series of plates packed with beautiful illustrations from Richard Allen, and hundreds of photographs covering the full range of racial and age-related plumage variety. For any naturalist, the name "New Guinea" conjures up one group of animals above all others--the sensational birds of paradise, renowned for their dazzling and diverse plumages. This book, the first comprehensive monograph to the group this century, also includes the bower birds, a group that extends into Australia that is perhaps best known for the males'' construction of "bowers," structures of twigs and sticks used to tempt in females.The product of almost two decades of research and scholarship and a must-have book for anyone interested in these stunning birds, this will remain the standard reference on birds of paradise for many years to come.

Featuring updated data for this second edition, this is a field guide to the tracks and signs of European birds. It covers tracks, trails, nests, roosts, feeding and behavioural signs, pellets, droppings, and feathers and skulls, with illustrations showing the signs as they appear in the field.

This handbook covers 1282 species which occur in the western countries of Africa. Countries covered include Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, and Burkina Faso. 142 colour plates cover all the species described and distribution maps are provided.

This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guides series, looks in detail at the world's 170 species of robins and chats.This large family of small passerines was formerly considered to be part of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now usually treated as a separate family, Muscicapidae, together with the Old World flycatchers. The vast majority of species are Eurasian or African, with only a handful of species straying into the New World or Australasia. The Australian Robins, although superficially similar, have long been regarded as a separate family.Robins and chats are a diverse family comprising both highly colourful and visible species, such as the robin-chats of Africa, as well as some of the most skulking and elusive birds, such as the shortwings of Asia. Many chats, such as the well-known Nightingale, are renowned songsters, and a good number are highly sought-after by world listers for their extreme rarity or simply because they are hard to see.This book discusses the identification and habits of these birds on a species-by-species basis, bringing together the very latest research with accurate range maps, more than 600 stunning colour photographs that illustrate age and racial plumage differences, and 64 superb colour plates by the internationally renowned artist, Chris Rose.This authoritative and sumptuous book will be an essential purchase for all chat enthusiasts, and will become the standard reference on the subject for many years to come.

Based on phylogenetic research, this complete study of the genus Sylvia describes two new species and establishes identification criteria for all members of the family. A lengthy introduction explains the background to the research.

Raptors of the World is the definitive handbook to this most popular group of birds. This field guide uses all of the plates from Raptors of the World, with a concise, revised text on facing pages, to create an invaluable reference covering all 340 raptor species.