Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa | 
 enlarge | Authors: Norman Arlott, Phil Hockey, Ian Sinclair
Creator: Peter Hayman
Publisher: Struik Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $22.26
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Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 114290
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 1770072438
Dewey Decimal Number: 598
EAN: 9781770072435
ASIN: 1770072438
Publication Date: September 19, 2007
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This eagerly awaited new edition of The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa has been brought fully up to date with the third edition of the Field Guide to Birds of Southern Africa. The new edition incorporates the most recent information about bird taxonomy, as well as the latest bird names based on recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee. All distribution maps have been revised and feature dual shading to show relative abundance of a species in the region, as well as crosses to indicate the occurrence of vagrants. Numerous illustrations have been updated and revised where necessary. The essays on identifying problem species have also been revised and updated to bring the book in line with international birding developments.
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| Customer Reviews:
Excellent field guide - larger version of same book July 3, 2008
Basics: 2005, 2nd edition, softcover, 463 pages, 198 color photos, 950 species, range maps
This is a larger version (9 x 7 inches) of nearly the same book by these authors. This larger version is meant to be more of an at-home reference -- unless you don't mind carrying a slightly oversized field guide in your vehicle or in your backpack.
Of the various field guides for southern Africa, this is my favorite for four reasons. One, is its excellent illustrations and their variety of poses. Two, are the larger illustrations due to the size of the book. Three, is the crisper color reproduction. And, four, are the small identification tips written next to the illustrations.
Like most similar guides, you'll be able to use this in the southern six countries plus the south half of Mozambique. The range maps give good detail. However, just like other guides, I do not like the practice of creating an artificial boundary where the bird's range crosses the border of Angola or Zambia. If the natural range advances (which many do), then show it. One last quirk of these range maps is the lack of a legend. Unlike its smaller predecessor, these maps contain white grids over parts of the range. The book makes no mention of what this signifies. Summer? Visitor? Rare? Dispersal?
As for the text, this offers good but brief identification notes. Only scant information is given for the bird's status and calls. The back of the book contains a very nice addendum called "Identifying Problem Species". These 13 pages focus on fourteen groups of problematic species such as large brown pipits, glossy starlings, or small migrant reed-warblers.
I highly recommend this book for your trip to southern Africa, despite its size. The slightly smaller (but thicker and same weight) version might be handier, but it lacks some of the newer plates and some additional extralimital species.
I've listed several related books below...
1) Illustrated Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair/Hockey/Tarboton
2) Roberts Bird Guide: A Comprehensive Field Guide Southern Africa by Chittenden
3) Ian Sinclair's Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair
4) Birds of Africa South of the Sahara by Sinclair/Ryan
5) Newman's Birds of Southern Africa by Newman
6) Complete Book of Southern African Birds by Ginn/McIlleron, Milstein
7) Southern African Birds: A Photographic Guide by Sinclair/Davidson
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