Reviews EDITED by ROBERT M

IL Reviews EDITED BY ROBERT M. ZINK

Thefollowing critiques express the opinions of theindividual evaluators regarding the strengths, weaknesses,and value of thebooks they review. As such, the appraisals are subjective assessments anddo not necessarilyreflect the opinionsof the editorsor any officialpolicy of theAmerican Ornithologists'Union.

The Auk 114(1):147-152, 1997

The Birds of South America, Volume II. The Sub- Birdsof Africa,Birds of the WesternPalearctic, and Hand- oscinePasserines.-Robert $. Ridgelyand Guy Tu- bookof Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctic Birds. How- dor. 1994. University of Texas Press.Austin, Texas. ever, BSA containsnone of the data on the general xii + 814 pp., 1,043maps, 52 colorplates. ISBN 0-292- biologyof Neotropicalbirds that the worksfrom oth- 77063-4.Cloth, $85.00.--Althoughmany visitorsto er continentsinclude. For example,species accounts the Neotropicsare captivatedby its gaudytanagers, in Birdsof Africahave sectionson food, breedingbe- hummingbirds, motmots,and toucans,it is the sub- havior, nests,eggs, laying dates,incubation, devel- oscinebirds that define the region for hardcoreNeo- opment of young, parental care, breeding success, tropicalfield people.Thus, volume 2 treatswhat some mortality,measurements, body mass,and type local- would considerthe soul of the Neotropicalavifauna, ity. This informationis not includedin BSA,yet, most namely the woodcreepers,ovenbirds, antbirds, ta- would considerinclusion of thesecategories as oblig- paculos,tyrannids, manakins, and cotingas.This vol- atory to be classified as a general reference work. ume is dedicatedto the memoriesof Eugene Eisen- Thus,many ornithologists will be disappointedin the mann and Ted Parker. narrow range of topicscovered (essentially only the The introductorysections contain the usualpref- sameshort list of topicsin a field guide), especially atory material--a guide to using the book, a list of given the volume'sponderous size. Even the simple speciesconsidered migratory, and a 13-page section entry "no data" for a topic would have highlighted on conservationthat briefly outlinesthe plights of 83 gapsin knowledge. In particular, BSAmissed the op- speciesof suboscines.The heart of the volume is its portunity to fill the biggest void in the literature in 52 color platesby Tudor and 758 pagesof species Neotropicalornithology, namely, whether a nest has accounts.Each account contains four topics:"Descrip- beendescribed for eachspecies. The field-guidephe- tion," "Similar Species,""Habitat and Behavior,"and notypecontinues in the arrangementof specieswith- "Range,"plus a range map. Someaccounts also are in manyfamilies into look-alikerather than taxonom- followed by noteson specieslimits and rationalefor ic groupsand the insertion of occasionalbird-finding new Englishnames. No Spanish,Portuguese, or French information(e.g. "can be found near the public pool names are included, and I support the authors' de- at BrasiliaNat. Park" for Philydordimidiatus). Another cision not to standardizethese becausethis thorny disappointmentto many ornithologistswill be the topic should not be the job of thosewhose first lan- skimpybibliography of only approximately245 titles guageis English.Families and generaare introduced (versusroughly 1,500in Fry et al. [1988],which covers by usefulparagraphs summarizing their naturalhis- only 400 species).The small bibliographyis partly a tory. consequenceof the few topicscovered, the relatively My major problem with this book (hereafter BSA) smallbody of literatureon Neotropicalbirds, and the is that it has the veneer of a reference volume for partial citation of many papersomitted from the bib- ornithologistsbut the content of a field guide for liography (a topic further developedbelow), but it is birdwatchers.In trying to fill both niches,it cannot also partly the consequenceof unambitiousscholar- succeed. ship(see below). For example, Hilty andBrown's (1986) First, let's consider BSA as a reference work. Al- A Guideto the Birdsof Colombiacontains almost 700 thoughthe authorsmake no pretenseof producinga referencesdespite being "just" a field guide, and it comprehensivereference, the book'sphenotype nev- coversa comparablerange of topicsover a more lim- erthelessinvites comparisonsto such volumes from ited geographic area. other regions.Its dimensions,even larger than vol- Although BSA's target audience might be bird- ume 1, are similar to other referenceworks, e.g. The watchers,it is definitely not a field guide, not only

147 148 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 114 becauseits weight and large dimensionslimit dras- of many species,some of which are describedas "un- tically its use in the field, but alsobecause only two- known in life" (e.g. Cranioleucamuelleri and Thripo- thirds of the speciesare illustrated.The contrastbe- phagacherriei). tween BSA and Hilty and Brown, the best field guide Even as a natural history compilation, however, for anywhere in SouthAmerica, is striking. BSAtreats BSA has defects. Foremost is the erratic nature of the 1,047species, and Hilty and Brown treat 1,695species; literature citations.Although many observationsin both use Tudor's gorgeousillustrations. Whereas 706 the speciesaccounts are referenced,especially in the species(68%) are illustrated in BSA, roughly 1,440 small-print "Notes" section,a substantialportion is (85%)are illustratedin Hilty and Brown.In addition, not. Take,for example,the firstspecies account in the virtually all of the speciesnot illustratedby BSAare text, Geobatespoecilopterus. The species'sudden ap- residents,whereas those not illustratedby Hilty and pearanceat, and possiblereliance on, recent burns Brown are mostly widespread waterbirds and mi- are noted.Neither the observationnor the hypothesis grantsfrom North America for which the absenceof is referenced, and so the reader assumes that both are illustrationsis of minimal importance.Whereas BSA original. However, a paper (Bateset al. 1992) in the weighs2.3 kg (5 lbs), Hilty and Brownweighs 1.5 kg "References" section contains both the observation (3.2 lbs) and can actually fit in field gear. and the hypothesis.(Additionally, BSA'sdescription So, the obviousquestion is, why is BSA so big yet of the display flight omitted potentially important deliver so little? Part of the answer,as noted by Ro- details reported by Bateset al.) Dozens of examples senberg(1995), lies in the relatively large print, gen- exist of information presented in the text without erousspacing between lines, and space-wastingfor- direct referencing.If future volumesof BSAare to be mat. The width of the between-margin sectionof each taken as serious scientific works, then I recommend pageis 14.5 cm, but only 10 cm (69%)is occupiedby that citations be provided for all information in the text. In addition, the left-most 4.5 cm is reserved for "Habitat and Behavior" section and for all new dis- range maps,of which there usually are only one or tribution information. I also recommend that all ref- two per page.Thus, large expansesof blank areasare erences should be full citations in the References sec- left on eachpage, in somecases the entire left-most tion rather than abbreviated citations in the text for third. Wiser formatting,such as wrapping text around those referencesused just once or twice (this would maps, probably could have reduced the number of help alleviatethe conspicuousskimpiness of that sec- pagesby 50%or more, at substantialcost savings. tion). If neither a referencework nor a field guide,what More seriousare the casesin which the appropriate is BSA?It is a compilation,but not a synthesis,of referenceis not cited at all, as noted by Rosenberg natural-historyinformation that anyoneinterested in (1995). For Siptornisstriaticollis, BSA's text on "Habitat South American birds will find indispensable.A more and Behavior"seems to paraphrasethe only paper accurate title for BSA would have been "Identifica- ever publishedon thesetopics (Eley et al. 1979),but tion, Natural History, and Distribution of the Birds the paper is not cited. The vocal descriptionof the of South America." For the families treated so far, it speciesis referenced to "J. W. Eley," without citing providesthe only up-to-datesummary of natural his- the paper in which it was described.The similarity tory for South American species.The plumage de- in foragingbetween Cinclodes nigrofumosus and certain scriptionsand distributions,with range maps, are shorebirdsnoted by BSAhad been studiedby several vastly superior to thoseof BSA'spredecessor, Meyer authors (see Atkins [1980] and references therein), de Schauensee(1970). BSA also provides the latest none of whom are credited.Likewise, the similarity updates on the many taxonomic changesin South in foraging behavior between Pygarrhichasalbogularis American birds, especiallyat the specieslevel. For and Sittanoted by BSA was discussedat length by example, roughly 67 taxa treated as subspeciesby Short (1969), but Short is not credited. Under Knipo- Meyer de Schauensee(1970) or Traylot (1979)are el- legusaterrimus, BSA states that "The very isolatedBra- evatedto speciesrank by BSA,and 12 other taxatreat- zilian population(franciscanus) may warrant full spe- ed as speciesby thesesame authors are demotedto ciesstatus." Silva and Oren (1992) wrote a paper on subspecies.Thirteen new speciesdescribed since 1979 preciselythis, but they are not credited.The remark- also are included. Roughly 20 speciesare placedin able convergencebetween Knipoleguslophotes and different genera than they were by Meyer de Phainopeplanitens was discussedby, but not credited Schauenseeor Traylot.Of greatvalue are taxonomic to, Willis (1976).These and many moreexamples give commentsthat point out potential changesin species the unfortunateand certainly erroneousimpression limits or genericallocation in at least83 species.These that BSAseeks to get creditfor observationsthat should comments illustrate how much is not known about be credited to others.In other cases,BSA is clearly the taxonomyof SouthAmerican birds, which, in my unaware that the reference exists. For example, the opinion, is the most valuable feature of BSA because controversyover the neststructure of Poecilurusspine- of the researchit shouldstimulate. BSA also regularly tails was laid to rest by Bosqueand Lentino (1987). points out how little is known of the natural history In addition, detailed studiesof the natural history of January1997] Reviews 149

many speciesseem to have been overlooked (e.g. uum, BSA sometimes,as above,uses "disjunction" as Skutch [1969] on Phacellodomusrufifrons; Haver- a criterion for ranking taxa at the specieslevel (e.g. schmidt [1953] on Sakesphoruscanadensis; Silva [1988] Cranioleucadissita on Coiba Island), but not in others on Formicivoragrisea; Th6ry [1990]on Corapipoguttur- (e.g. Formicivoragrisea on Pearl Islands). alisand Pipraserena; Smith (1971) on Muscisaxicola; E. Although many of thesechanges probably are cor- O. Willis and Y. Oniki on various antbirds and wood- rect,I urgeall thoseconsidering adopting such changes creepers;B. K. Snowand D. W. Snowon cotingasand to considercarefully the philosophicalconsequences manakins;R. M. Fraga on many Argentine birds; M. of acceptingtaxonomic changes documented only by S. Foster on manakins; and A. Lill on manakins). anecdoteor opinion. On the other hand, I sympathize A moregeneral problem is thatBSA often overlooks with the predicamentfor BSA. Our current species- important quantitativeor synthetic papers directly level taxonomyhas been inherited from a generation relevant to topics covered. For example, anyone in- of workerswho, in retrospect,applied the Biological terestedin the behaviorof tyrannid flycatchersknows SpeciesConcept too broadlygiven what we now know the importance of two papers by Fitzpatrick (1980, concerningthe importanceof vocalizations.Further- 1981) on foraging behavior and searchtactics, which more,many taxaonce recognized as species were de- are often critical to field identification. Yet, neither moted to the subspecieslevel by thesesame workers paperis cited.The importanceof dead-leafsearching without even an anecdoteof publishedrationale. As asa foragingbehavior in suboscinesalso is well known, a result,species-level biodiversity was exterminated but Rosenberg's(1990) paper is not cited.Behavior of by pen-strokes. antwrens is critical to their identification, but Wiley's Another problem with BSA is the practice,contin- (1971,1980) and Pearson's(1977) studies are not cited. ued from volume 1, of meddling with Englishnames, Finally, I was surprised that Munn's (1985) classic most in use since at least 1966. BSA evidently cannot paperwas not referencedsomewhere because mixed- resistthe opportunityto "improve"on Englishnames, speciesflocking is such a prominent feature of the therebypreventing their stabilization. When will this socialsystems of Neotropical birds. In not citing these processend? When will the name-meddlersrecog- and many otherquantitative papers, BSA missed the nize what everyoneelse already knows, that the nev- opportunity to synthesizethis literature for readers er-ending quest for the "perfect" English name is who might not have easy accessto it. Although no pointless?Why not learn to live with a standardset bibliographycan ever be 100%complete, most readers of names,good ones and bad?If we can live, for will share my high expectationsfor a volume with example,with Philadelphia Vireo, Hermit Warbler, the lofty title "Birds of South America." Given the and Mountain Plover, then we can live with any name. difficulty that most South American ornithologists In fact, the history behind incorrect English names facein accessto bibliographicresources, these readers isinteresting in itself.For instance, see Farrand's (1992) in particular need to recognize that BSA does not account of how the Evening Grosbeakreceived its provide anything closeto a completebibliography. silly name.Yet, BSAprovides new Englishnames for Another problem is the introduction of novel tax- at least40 species.Shall we trust BSA to improve on onomic changeswith minimal explanationand no English names?Let's considertwo examples. real analysis.Hopefully, ornithologyhas seen the end The unusual antbird Xenornissetifrons has been of the era of authoritarian taxonomic changesbased known as "Gray-faced Antbird," "Speckle-breasted on opinionand anecdotalinformation. Novel changes Antshrike," "Spiny-facedAntshrike," and "Speckled in specieslimits demand explicit analyses,or mini- Antshrike," with no Englishname clearly predomi- mally, detailedoutlines of the rationalefor changes. nating or having a historicaltradition. Thus, this is a At least 21 of the 79 changesin specieslimits pre- casein which BSA could legitimately pick the "best" sentedby BSA are essentially"taxonomy by author- name. Ridgely and Gwynne (1989) used "Speckled" ity," with only a sentenceor two of rationaleprovid- for the following reasons:"We favor continuing to ed. For example,the novel elevationof Pachyramphus use[Speckled], in part becausethe shortblack bristles xanthogenysto speciesrank is supportedby the fol- at the base of the bill and below the eye are so in- lowing: "Not only are their rangeswidely disjunct, conspicuous,in part becauseXenornis is the only but their habitats are quite different." The habitat antshrike with a speckled pattern." The BSA'sstated difference in this case is one of montane versus low- preference for "Speckled" echoed these reasons,in- land woodland; however, numerous taxa currently cluding describingthe bristlesas "virtually impos- treated at the rank of subspeciesshow this pattern, sible to discern in the field" and with a slight mod- with lowland populationsof southernSouth America ification from Ridgely and Gwynne (1989) "...be- representedin the Andesby differentsubspecies (e.g. causeXenornis is the mostgenerally speckledof the Pachyramphusvalidus). Although the populationsof antshrikes."Thus, although inconspicuousnessof a almostall bird speciesconsist of sub-populationsthat feature is used to support the BSA name, it provided show a continuum of degreesof isolation, with no no deterrent in the caseof changing the long-estab- defensible conceptualthresholds along that contin- lished name of BrownishFlycatcher (Cnipodectes sub- 150 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 114 brunneus)to "Brownish Twistwing," the twisted pri- decessors,although often trivially or questionablyso mariesof which are virtually impossibleto discern (e.g. Flame-crownedManakin becomes"Flame-crest- in thefield (and the bird itself is conspicuously brown). ed Manakin," Yellow-bellied Antwren becomes Even so, the bristlesof X. setifronsmay be inconspic- "Creamy-bellied Antwren," and Rufous-fronted uous,but Whitneyand Rosenberg(1993) recently re- Thornbird becomes "Common Thornbird"), and this vealedtheir significance.They foundthat thisantbird will tempt other authorsto adoptthem. Consequent- makesaerial sallies after prey, much in the manner ly, English nameswill never stabilize, becausethere of Thamnomanesantshrikes, which also have bristles will alwaysbe future authorswho believethat they around the bill (seeSchulenberg 1983). Such bristles can further improve existingnames. It's time to take are typically associatedwith aerial foraging. Their a stand and just live with the names we have, im- presencein both Xenornisand Thamnomanesmight perfectas they inevitablyare. representconvergence, or it might be another reflec- My final complaint about BSA as a compilation of tion of the closetaxonomic relationship proposed by natural history concernsthe form of the distribution Whitneyand Rosenberg(1993). Thus, the nameSpiny- maps. Those in BSA, like those in most books, use faced,invented by Wetmore(1972) and followedby shadingto indicateranges. Although this technique the AOU (1983), callsattention to this important fea- may be appropriate for regions where distributions ture aswell as mirroring the scientificname. Finally, are well known, I believe that it should not be used Ridgely'sclaim that "Xenornisis the only antshrike for a region like South America. Use of shadingto with a speckledpattern," or even retreatingin BSA depict a range implies continuousdistribution. Yet, to "the mostgenerally speckled of the antshrikes,"is in South America, we cannot be confident in the out- open to question.First, the speciesisn't really speck- lines of the rangesof mostspecies, much lesswhether led, which implies to mostpeople a dotted or spotted they are continuouslydistributed within them. My pattern, but rather it is streaked.In fact, the written solution would be to depict known localities for a plumage descriptions in BSA itself use "streak" or specieswith dots and then use shading to present "streaking" three times, but "speckled" not once. hypothesesfor the region within which it will be Likewise,the plumagedescriptions in Ridgely's(! 976, found to occur.Another advantageof plotting local- 1989) Panama guides, and all other literature I can ities is that they could be codedfor the quality of find (including Chapman'stype description),use evidence that supportsthem (e.g. specimen, tape-re- "streaked"but never "speckled."How can "Speck- cording, photo, or sight record). This would permit led" be such a good name? Even so, some other ant- the reader to see, for example,that the "sympatry" shrikes(e.g. Mackenziaena leachii and Hypoedaleusgut- betweenHylexetastes uniformis and H. stresemannipor- tatus)have at leastas much claim to being speckled, trayedby BSAis entirely the consequenceof a single, and female Thamnophilusnigriceps are almost as almost certainly erroneous,sight record (see Haffer streaked. 1992).Although BSA is commendablyconservative A secondexample concerns Anabacerthia variegati- in useof sightrecords (and pointsout someexamples ceps.This furnariid wasknown as"Scaly-throated Fo- of erroneouspublished ones),the reader is left unable liage-gleaner"for the first 75 yearsof this century, to evaluatetheir influenceon the distributionmaps. which seemednot to botheranyone. The speciesdoes For me, the highlight of the volume is the spectac- indeed have a scaly throat. Then, the name was ular artwork of Guy Tudor. The 52 plates are stun- changed by Ridgely (1976) to "SpectacledFoliage- ning. They conveythe beautyand the oddity of the gleaner." Sincethen, Middle American literature has suboscinesso well thatthey alonewill inspireinterest mostly followed Ridgely (1976), whereas South in birdsof the region.Tudor's lively portraitsare the American literature has not. BSA used "Scaly-throat- sort that ornithologists and birdwatchers gaze at for ed" with the followingexplanation: "Because so many hours, just wishing they could have the chance to SouthAmerican foliage-gleaners are equally'spec- study or see those birds. tacled' (even if few in Middle America are--this is My only complaintwith the plateshas nothing to why E. Eisenmannsuggested changing A. variegati- do with the illustrationsbut with their labeling. Un- ceps'sname in the first place), we favor the name fortunately,many booksnowadays, BSA included, Scaly-throated."Thus, not only hasRidgely retreated label individual birdson a plate with codednumbers from his earlier invention, but he also "blamed" Ei- and letters so that namesor age/sex/subspeciesin- senmannfor "Spectacled,"although Eisenmannhim- formationmust be extractedfrom text on the facing self (1955) used "Scaly-throated."Is there a lesson page. Sucha systemis necessarywhen so many birds here for thosepreoccupied with "improving"English are illustrated that no room remains for full names; names? however, this is not the casefor most plates in bird These examplesillustrate the perils of meddling books, including at least three-fourths of those in with English namesand the need for careful consid- BSA.Thus, the reader must spend considerabletime erationof thenew ones installed by BSA.The majority making sure that namesfrom the facing pagescor- of theseare probablyslightly better than their pre- respondwith the codeson the plates,often making January1997] Reviews 151 errorsin theprocess. Because the purpose of theplates The birds of Africa, vol. 3. Academic Press, Lon- is to link visualimages with names,this codingsys- don. tem impedeslearning. Publishers who think thatadd- HAFFER,J. 1992. On the "river effect" in some forest ing namesnext to the correspondingillustrations is birds of southern Amazonia. Boletim do Museu not feasibleneed only consultany guide by Roger ParaenseEmilio Goeldi S•rie Zoologia8:217-245. Tory Peterson.No matter how small the labels,they HAVERSCHMIDT,F. 1953. Noteson the life historyof improvethe utility of the platesdramatically. the Black-crested Antshrike. Wilson Bulletin 65: In spiteof theseshortcomings, this volume (aswell 242-251. asvolume 1) representmajor advancements for South HILT¾,S. L., ANDW. L. BROWN.1986. A guide to the American ornithology. The authorsare to be com- birdsof Colombia.Princeton University Press, mended for the tremendous amount of work that went Princeton, New Jersey. into their compilation of facts. However, the BSA MEYERDE SCHAUENSEE, R. 1970. A guide to the birds volumeswill becomeobsolete the day a true "Birds of South America. LivingstonPublishing Com- of SouthAmerica" (in the senseof its analogsfrom pany, Natberth,Pennsylvania. other continents)appears. As a field guide, the BSA MUNN,C. 1985. Permanentcanopy and understory volumessimply don't work. Nevertheless,until a true flocks in Amazonia: Species composition and referencework on the continent is published,and populationdensity. Pages 683-712 in Neotropical until all regionshave field guidesof the Hilty-Brown ornithology(P. A. Buckleyet al., Eds.).Ornitho- caliber,the BSAvolumes will be extremelyhelpful logical Monographs No. 36. and will find prominent placeson the bookshelves PFARSON,D.L. 1977. Ecologicalrelationships of small of all those interested in South American birds.--J. antbirds in Amazonian bird communities. Auk V. REMSEN,JR., Museum of NaturalScience, Foster Hall 94:283-292. 199, LouisianaState University,Baton Rouge, Louisiana RIDGEL¾,R.S. 1976. A guide to the birds of Panama. 70803, USA. Princeton University Press,Princeton, New Jer- sey. RIDGEL¾,R. S., ANDJ. A. GWYNNE,JR. 1989. A guide LITERATURE CITED to the birds of Panama, 2nd ed. Princeton Uni- versity Press,Princeton, New Jersey. AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 1983. Check-list ROSENBERG,G.H. 1995. [review of] The birds of South of North American birds, 6th ed. American Or- America, vol. 2. Birding 27:405,407, 409. nithologists'Union, Washington,D.C. ROSENBERG,K. V. 1990. Dead-leaf foraging special- ATK•N$,N. 1980. Possiblecompetition between Sea- ization in tropical forest birds: Measuring re- sideCinclodes (Cinclodes nigrofumosus) and Ruddy sourceavailability and use. Studiesin Avian Bi- Turnstones(Arenaria interpres). Condor 82:107- ology 13:360-368 108. SCHULENBERG,T. S. 1983. Foraging behavior, eco- BATES,J. g., T. A. PARKER,III, A. P. CAPPARELI,•,a•qt> morphologyand systematicsof someantshrikes T. J. DAviS 1992. Observationsof the campo, (Formicariidae:Thamnomanes). Wilson Bulletin 95: cerrado,and forest avifaunasof eastern Dpto. 505-521. SantaCruz, Bolivia, including 21 speciesnew to SHORT,L. L., JR. 1969. Observations of the nuthatch- the country. Bulletin of the British Ornitholo- like White-throatedTreerunner (Pygarrhichas al- gists' Club 112:86-98. bogularis)in Argentina. Condor 71:438-439. BOSQUE,C., ANDM. LENTINO.1987. The nests,eggs, SmvA,J. M. C. DA. 1988. Aspectosda ecologiae com- and young of the White-whiskered Spinetail partamento de Formicivorag. grisea(Boddaert, (Synallaxis[Poecilurus] candei). Wilson Bulletin 99: 1789)(Aves:Formicariidae) em ambientes Ama- 104-106. z6nicas.Revista Brasileira de Biologia48:797-805. EISENMANN,E. 1955. The speciesof Middle Ameri- SILVA, J. M. C. DA, aND D.C. OREN. 1992. Notes on can birds.Transactions of the LinnaeanSociety Knipolegusfranciscanus Snethlage, 1928 (Aves: of New York 7:1-128. Tyrannidae),and endemismof central Brazilian ELL•, J. W., G. R. GRAVES,T. A. Pm•KER,III, ANt> D. R. dry forests.Goeldiana Zoologia 16:1-9. HUNTER. 1979. Notes on Siptornisstriaticollis SKUTCH,A.F. 1969. A study of the Rufous-fronted (Furnariidae) in Peru. Condor 81:319. Thornbird and associated birds. Wilson Bulletin FAP,eOaqt>, J. 1992. How the Evening Grosbeakgot 81:123-139. its name. American Birds 46:1184-1186. SMITH, W. J. 1971. Behavior of Muscisaxicolaand re- FITZPATRICK,J. W. 1980. Foraging behavior of Neo- lated genera. Bulletin of the Museum of Com- tropicaltyrant flycatchers.Condor 82:43-57. parative Zoology 141:233-268. FITZPATRICK,J.W. 1981. Searchstrategies of tyrant THf:RY,M. 1990. Display repertoire and social or- flycatchers.Animal Behaviour29:810-821. ganization of the White-fronted and White- FRY,C. H., S. KEITH,AND E. K. URBAN(Eds.). 1988. throated manakins. Wilson Bulletin 102:123-130. 152 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 114

TRAYLOR,M. A., JR. (Ed.). 1979. Check-list of birds I found a troubling unevennessand a lack of con- of the world, vol.8. Museum of ComparativeZo- sistencyin several parts of the book that detracted ology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massa- from both its use and enjoyment. Text citations are chusetts provided in both the opening chaptersand the spe- WETMORE,g. 1972. Birdsof the Republicof Panama. ciesaccounts for particularbits of information. These Part 3. Smithsonian Institution Press,Washing- referencessometimes appear in the more generalci- ton, D.C. tationsprovided at the end of each speciesaccount. WHITNEY, B. M., AND G. H. ROSENSERG.1993. Behav- Unfortunately,the sourcesof many intriguing state- ior, vocalizationsand possiblerelationships of ments and seemingly unique facts (e.g. the lack of Xenornissetifrons (Formicariidae), a little-known pure white eggsin Alexander'sSwift [Apusalexandri], Choc6 endemic. Condor 95:227-231. and that someswiftlet nestsare valued at $1,200per WiLme,R.H. 1971. Cooperativeroles in mixed flocks kg), are not cited in the text, although it would have of antwrens (Formicariidae). Auk 88:881-892. beenhighly appropriate.On the otherhand, one could WILEY,R.H. 1980. Multispeciesantbird societiesin questionthe need to cite a secondarysource indicat- lowland forests of Surinam and Ecuador: Stable ing thata publishedrecord of the White-collaredSwift membershipand foraging differences.Journal of (Streptoprocnezonaris) in Californiahad been accepted Zoology 191:127-145. by the California Birds [sic]Records Committee. The WILLIS,E. O. 1976. Similarity of a tyrant flycatcher terminal bibliography is a nightmare of inclusions and a silky flycatcher:Not all,characterconver- and exclusions.Among other things, author lines in- gence is competitivemimicry. Condor 78:553. clude "et al.," titles are missingfrom two references, issue numbers are occasionallyincluded, "Annon. 1988" is in fact Lasleyand Sexton(1988), and Garrett is misspelled"Garnt" in both the text and bibliography. At least four referencesare not in the bibliography,if citedcorrectly in the text,and severalthat are listed in the bibliographydid not appear to be TheAuk 114(1):152-154,1997 cited in the appropriate places in the text. Further inconsistenciesinclude the use of "du Pont" (correct) Swifts: A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of in the text and "Du Pont" in the bibliography,and the World. - Phil Chantler and Gerald Driessens. 1995. the citation of papersby A. De Roo as "de Roo" al- PicaPress, Sussex, United Kingdom.237 pp., 24 color phabetized under "R." Most of these errors (and a plates,62 figures,8 tables.ISBN 1-873-403-31-3.Cloth, number of others),could have been avoidedby much $40.00.--Thisvolume, treating 92 speciesof swifts more careful editing and proof-reading. andfour speciesof treeswifts,is the latestmonograph Many minor grammaticalerrors appear, particular- dealingwith separatefamilies of birds and the second ly in the opening chapters.Factual errors abound in by Pica Press.It is designed to be "first and foremost the sectionon flight, bespeakingan unfamiliaritywith an identification guide." With this in mind, the bulk the avian skeleton and soft anatomy.The sectionon of the bookconsists of separatespecies accounts that molt seemsto indicate a much greater diversity of concentrateon identificationat the specieslevel, dis- molt patterns in the swifts than I am prepared to tribution, range, and a detaileddescription of one acceptat facevalue. A more general synthesiswould subspecies.Also included in the speciesaccounts are have been appropriate.The molt terminologyused sectionson movements,geographical variation (if any), addsnothing to clarity. voice (when known), habits,breeding information, Range maps should be a strong point in an iden- measurements (when available), and references. The tificationguide that dealswith highly similarspecies relatively brief introductory chapters are entitled that sometimes have restricted distributions. Unfor- "Relationshipsand Taxonomy," "Breeding Behav- tunately,the rangemaps in Swiftsare not completely ior," "Feedingand EcologicalSeparation," "Mortality satisfactory.Ranges are shownby largeshaded areas and Predators," "Molt," "Flight," "Conservation," on somemaps, whereas in othersindividual specimen "UndescribedSpecies," and "WatchingSwifts." The localitiesare shown as dots, with outlying records latter chapter emphasizescharacteristics useful in depictedby an "x." The reasoningis not clear,because identifying swiftsin the field. shadedareas are usedfor somespecies represented The authors have extracted information from 332 by fewer specimensthan other speciesfor which in- references,including somerather obscuresources and dividual localities are shown. Arrows and circles are personal communicationsfrom various field observ- used to direct the eye to specificlocations or smaller ers.Some published sources appeared less than a year partsof the range,but the techniqueis applied in- prior to publicationof this book.Even so,some older consistently.At times, it is usedwhen not really need- referencesare inexplicably omitted, including several ed and omitted when it would have been helpful. by M. A. Andrade on the nestingbiology of Strepto- The shadedareas on continental-scalemaps frequent- procnebiscutata, although secondarysources are cited. ly arebroken up, implyingdiscontinuous ranges, but January1997] Reviews 153

I do not feel that our knowledge of the distribution Productionof colorplates for a groupof birdslarge- of many of thesespecies warrants the degreeof ac- ly characterizedby shadesof black and brown is curacyimplied. daunting.Likewise, the accuratedepiction of the nu- Many swiftsshow a distinctgreenish gloss in fresh ancesof wing shapeand proportions,which may be plumage.This color changes with wear to a bluishor critical to field identification, is a challenge that has purplish glossthat eventuallyis lost (Collins 1968). beenmet, in my opinion,by only a few artists.The Early writers failed to recognizethis and incorrectly platesby GeraldDriessens generally are usefuland useddifferences in glossas the basisfor taxonomic may serve the goal of separationof speciesin the separations,particularly at the subspecificlevel. This field. They are better than somecurrently in use in seasonalchange in glossis correctlynoted in the spe- other identificationguides. Unfortunately, Driessens cies accountsfor Hirundapuscochinchinensis, H. cau- shows an extreme backward curvature of the outer dacutus,and Mearnsiapicina, but is completely re- primariesof many species,particularly in Chaetura, versed in the account of Collocalia linchi. No mention which is not lifelike. Thus, I would not include these is made of the color of the glossin the accountfor platesamong the few that capturethe real essenceof Chaeturachapmani, even though the subspeciesC. c. these dynamic aerialists. viridipennisoriginally was describedlargely on that The trend to producespecialized guides and mono- basis (see Collins 1968). Furthermore, the bluish or graphson particulargroups of birdswill (and should) purplishversus greenish gloss is includedin the sub- continue. Perhapsthese works should be fully re- speciesaccounts for Chaeturabrachyura, Collocalia es- searchedsummaries of all aspectsof the group, and culenta,and C. linchi,implying that it is taxonomically not just identificationguides, because they are un- useful.It is distressingto seethese errors perpetuated likely to be taken into the field or on long trips.Swifts in this work. is not, and was not intended to be, a reference text. Specieslimits in the Apodidae,particularly in the Accordingly,it will find a limited audienceamong highly similarcave swiftlets, often hasbeen touted only the globetrottingbirding community.Even as as one of the most perplexing in avian systematics. an identificationguide, it couldhave been done bet- The authorstake a middle road in picking and choos- ter.--Ct-IARLEST. COLLINS,Department of BiologicalSci- ing, largelywithout comment, from amongthe recent ences,California State University, Long Beach, California treatmentsof the groupby Sibleyand Monroe(1990, 90840, USA. 1993),Dickinson (1989a, b), and Browning(1993). One can hardly quibblewith their choices,because much LITERATURE CITED remainsto be learned before a consensuslist of speciesis produced.Regardless, the choiceto follow re- BROOKE,R.K. 1972. Generic limits in the Old World cent treatments that have reverted to the inclusive Apodidaeand Hirundinidae. Bulletin of the Brit- genusCollocalia (but excludingHydrochous) and not ish Ornithologists' Club 92:53-57. the separationof Aerodramusfrom Collocaliaproposed BROWNING,M. R. 1993. Specieslimits of the cave by Brooke(1972), is unfortunatein light of recent swiftlets (Collocalia)in Micronesia. Avocetta 17: mtDNA sequenceanalyses that supportthis separa- 101-106. tion (Lee et aL 1996). To continue separating Tachy- CFIANTLER,P.J. 1995. Identification of three Chaetura marptisfrom Apus(contra Cramp 1985),and not fol- swifts; Band-rumped Swift Chaeturaspinicauda, lowing Parkes'(1960) review of subspecieslimits in Grey-rumpedSwift Chaeturacinereiventris, and Hemiprocnecomata, seem to me similarly unfortunate Pale-rumpedSwift Chaeturaegregia. Cotinga 4:44- choices. 51. Despite a detailed review of several Neotropical COLLINS,C.T. 1968. Notes on the biology of Chap- Chaeturaspecies presented elsewhere (Chantler 1995) man's Swift Chaeturachapmani (Aves, Apodidae). and included here, Chantler and Driessens failed to American Museum Novitates 2320:1-15. notice the extreme plumage similarity of Chaetura CP,•MP,S. (Ed.). 1985. The birds of the western Pa- egregiaand C. spinicauda.This plumagesimilarity sug- learctic,vol. 4. Oxford University Press,Oxford. gestsa closerrelationship between this speciespair DICKtNSON,E. C. 1989a. A review of larger Philip- than between C. egregiaand C. cinereiventris,a tradi- pine swiftletsof the genusCollocalia. Forktail 4:19- tionalview uncriticallyrepeated here. The placement 53. of the enigmaticSchoutedenapus somewhere other than DICKINSON, E. C. 1989b. A review of smaller Phil- in the Apodini is appropriate.Placing it in the Col- ippine swiftlets of the genus Collocalia.Forktail localini calls attention to basic structural differences 5:23-34. between the Apodini and Chaeturini/Collocalini, LASLE¾,G. W., AND C. SEXTON. 1988. The winter meritinga review of the subfamilylimits in the Apod- season.South Texasregion. American Birds 42: idae. The continuedseparation of Hydrochousfrom 286-292. the other swiflets is a wise choice in light of new LEE, P. L. M., D. H. Ct•YTON, R. GRtFFt?HS,AND R. D. information on its breeding biology (J. H. Becking M. PAGE.1996. Doesbehavior reflect phylogeny pets. comm.). in swiftlets (Aves: Apodidae)?A test using cy- 154 Reviews [Auk, Vol. 114

tochromeb mitochondrial DNA sequences.Pro- to understand all of the maps and other diagrams, ceedingsof the National Academyof Sciences one should read "Part 2: Relevant Introduction" thor- USA 93:7091-7096. oughly. A very user-friendlyidea wasto print a syn- PARKES,K.C. 1960. Geographicvariation in the Less- opsisof thesesymbols and codeson the inside covers er Tree Swift. Condor 62:3-6. alongwith the geographicregions of Israel.This makes SInLE¾,C. G., AND B. L. MONROE, JR. 1990. Distri- it easierfor the reader to find a forgotten symbol. bution and taxonomyof birdsof the world. Yale Eachspecies that has been recordedin Israel (in- University Press,New Haven, Connecticut. cluding the Gaza strip, Judea, and Samaria) is pre- SIBLEY,C. G., AND B. L. MONROE,JR. 1993. A sup- sented in a similar format, making it easy to find plement to distribution and taxonomy of birds information. Also included are the distribution and of the world. Yale UniversityPress, New Haven, statusin the neighboring Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Connecticut. Each speciesaccount starts with a brief summary of the world and Middle Eastdistribution followed by subheadingsthat speakfor themselves:"Status, Hab- itat and General Occurrence," "Distribution, Num- bers and Annual Cycle," and if required "Subspecies in Israel" and "SubspecificIdentification." In this last section, Hadoram is at his best and shows how well The Auk 114(1):154-155, 1997 he knows his birds. The longestsection I found was almost1.5 pageson the Yellow Wagtail (Motacillafia- The Birds of Israel.- Hadoram Shirihai. 1996. Ac- va) and dealt with 14 different subspecies,forms, and ademicPress, San Diego, California.lxxxix + 692pp., hybrids. Theseaccounts are detailed, and many in- 96 color plates,200 line drawings. ISBN 0-12-640255- clude morphometricseither from the Israeli Bird- 8. Cloth, $95.00.--For ornithologists,Israel is one of Banding Schemeor from the banding station of the the most exciting countriesin the Western Palearctic. International Birding Center in Elat. Most of the spe- Millions of birds from Europe and Asia migrate cies accounts are accompanied by range and status through the region to Africa in autumn and back maps, and these maps in turn are accompanied by againin spring.In addition,because Israel is the only transparentoverlays enabling the reader to relate the land bridgebetween the three continents,many Af- distribution of the speciesto climate, vegetationand rican speciesreach the northern limits of their dis- landform habitats, elevation, surface and soils, cul- tribution in this region, the Asianspecies their west- tivation, and aquatic habitats. In addition, a small bar ernmost,and many Europeanspecies their southern- chartdepicts the periodsof occurrenceand migration most limits. To write a comprehensivebook on so during the year, and the periodsof the reproductive diverseand complexan avifauna requiresa special cycle for residentspecies. This work presentsmuch kind of ornithologist.Just such a personis Hadoram more information than can be found in any other Shirihai, who put the last seven years of his life on avian book published for the region. hold to write this monumental work. Further, he con- Another point of interest is the way the various vinced the leading Israeli birdwatchersand scientists species and subspeciesare discussed on a zoogeo- to team up and contribute their unpublished data graphical scale. For some species,one gets the im- and/or expertiseand knowledge. The resultis a unique pressionthat Hadoram'ssuggestions for splitting are book for the Middle East that caters to all levels of overdoing it a bit, but then there are other species bird enthusiasts. for which he arguesfor lumping. His taxonomicdis- Thetwo setsof 96beautiful photographs, many line cussionsare valid and raise points that either have drawingsby Alan Harris, and succincttext convey beenoverlooked or have been ignoredin paststudies. the true measureof diversitythat exists.The opening The bibliographyis voluminousin itself and a good chapterspresent information on the current statusof reference for all of the work that has been done in speciesand on problems ranging from identification Israel over the past decades.Researchers and birders to conservation.Not surprisingly, Hadoram deals in that wish for more backgroundmaterial on certain greatdetail with avianmigration, Israel's geographic specieswill find this a very informative section. location,and the conservationconsequences of fail- If I have a criticism,it is the lack of consistencyin ing to realizeIsrael's role asa majorflyway and stag- presentingthe many beautiful photographs.The cap- ing area.The book presentsa massof information for tions are not presentedin the sameway throughout anyone interestedin avian migration and population and may causea few mix-ups if the reader is not changes.It is really a handbookthat containsfar more carefulor aware of the speciespresented. informationthan the atlases,identification guides, The scopeof this book ranks with those that are and bird booksof many Europeancountries. usuallycompiled by a team of authors(e.g. TheBirds To completelycomprehend this book, and to come of the WesternPalearctic, or TheBirds of North America), to gripswith the numeroussymbols and codesneeded but this publication has been put together by one January1997] Reviews 155 person. As the most significant book on the avifauna in figure 2 shows that fully half of all the quarter- of Israel (and the Middle East), it belongs in both squareswere visited only by camping,further proof personaland referencelibraries. Although the price of the dedication of the atlasers. may seem a bit steep at first, an in-depth look will The main body of the work containsmaps and text prove that the book really provides a lot for compar- for 495 species(the introductionclaims 496) that have atively little money. Also, one should take into ac- been recorded in four or more squaresor have oc- count that this book was voted "The Book of the Year curred in Botswana more than 10 times. An additional 1995" by the British Ornithologists' Union. I strongly 59 speciesclassed as rare are listed in an appendix, recommendthis book to everyone interestedin any without maps.Another appendix("Species which may aspectof the birdlife of the Middle East.--REUvEN occur")contains unaccepted records and a list of spe- YOSEF,International Birding Center, P.O. Box 774, Elat ciesexpected to occuras range extensions from neigh- 88106, Israel. boring countries.There alsois an extensivegazetteer. Each of the 495 speciesgiven full treatment is al- lotted half a page, comprising range map and text. On the map, the presenceof a speciesin each quarter- squareis indicatedby a small black,hatched, or white squareshowing three different abundancelevels. In the top right-handcorner of eachmap is a miniature The Auk 114(1):155-156, 1997 map of sub-SaharanAfrica with the species'African range, to place Botswanain perspective.Maps also Bird Atlas of Botswana.-Huw Penry. 1994.Uni- contain a histogram showing the months in which versity of Natal Press,Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. the specieshas been recorded. viii + 319pp., 9 colorplates, 24 text figures, 495 maps. The text beside the map is divided into three sec- ISBN 0-86980-894-X.No pricegiven.--This scholarly tions. "Status" (5-10 lines) gives a short descriptive work is a welcome addition to the growing number distribution, often with localities, and brief notes on of bird atlasesbeing produced around the world. It abundance,movements, and breeding. One note of is far more than a collectionof maps,although that caution: the breeding information given often is in- in itselfwould be a worthwhile achievement.It might complete. As admitted in the introduction, "The be describedas an "atlasplus." The 41 pagesof in- months mentioned [for egg-laying] are not necessar- troductorymaterial provide a broad overview of the ily the only monthsin which the speciesmay breed." avifaunaand containfull detailsof mappingmethods. Readers who miss this statement will be misled, be- Also includedis an excellentchapter on factorsaf- cause the text reads as though it were telling the fectingbird distributionin Botswana,such as physical whole story.Pity the poor researcher(such as the Birds geography,geology, climate, vegetation (with 24 col- of Africaauthor looking for laying dates)who fails to or photos of habitat types), and human factors.The read the fine print in the introductionand thinks that section on vegetation concludes with lists of birds the breeding data under "Status"are comprehensive. characteristicof the majorhabitat types. This chapter "Habitat" usually is adequately describedin two to is well worth reading on its own, just as an avifaunal five lines, but six or seven lines may be given to study.I cannotthink of anything that ! would wish specieswith varied preferences,like the Long-billed to appear in these introductory sectionsthat has not Pipit (Anthussimilis). The third section,"Analysis," been included. chiefly will be of interest to statisticians.This section Although full credit is due the author as the insti- shows the number of squaresin which the species gator and coordinatorof the BotswanaAtlas Project, has been recorded (expressedas a percentageof the the result is a joint effort by many birders under the 230 squaresin Botswana),the total number of records aegis of the BotswanaBird Club. No fewer than 190 for the species,and the proportion of the total data- contributorsare acknowledgedby name; 9 of whom baseoccupied by that species'records. contributed more than 100 field cards, the author BirdAtlas of Botswana is an attractivebook. The pages leadingthe packwith 501.The countrywas mapped are large (30 cm x 20 cm) and not crowded,the paper in squares,the boundariesof each being a degree of quality is good,and the mapsare very clear and read- latitude and longitude (i.e. a latilong). For example, able. It contains a monumental amount of data. Be- one squarewould consistof the area bounded by 23 causethe data are mainly basedon sight records,the and 24øSand 22 and 23øE.Each square was subdivided usual caveatsapply. However, all unusualrecords into four quarters,A through D. The extent of cov- were screenedby a RecordsSubcommittee, and the eragecan be gaugedby the fact that every single full list of major contributorsincludes many well-known squarewas visited (though not everyquarter of every and experiencedbirders from Botswanaand else- square). This is a remarkable achievement, consid- where in southernAfrica, in addition to professional ering that nearly half of Botswanaconsists of the ornithologists. Consequently, the margin of error KalahariDesert, and large areas are roadless. The map probably is small. This book belongs in all libraries ! 56 Reviews [Auk, Vol. 114 with a sectionon ornithology, and no student of Af- Three-banded Plover (C. tricollaris) mentions a "con- rican birds should be without it. I hope it will serve spicuousred eye-ring." There also are some other as a model for future African atlases.--$TIJARTKEITH, errors that detract from the work. For example, the 19356Lee View Lane,Redding, California 96003, USA. range of the spinosarace of the Northern Jacanais described as "W Panama south to Guatemala and Be- lize." The sequenceof speciesin the text follows closely the list presentedin the systematicorder given at the The Auk 114(1):156, 1997 end of the book, but there are departuresfrom the list. This discrepancywas done intentionallyto place Photographic Guide to the Shorebirds of the togethersimilar species with overlappingranges. This World.- DavidRosair and David Cottridge. 1995. Facts is a useful tacticfor a field guide, but this book is not on File, New York. 175 pp. ISBN 0-8160-3309-9.Cloth, a field guide (measuring22 x 29 cm), and it is dis- $29.95.--David Rosairand David Cottridgehave pro- concertingto encounter a speciessubstantially sep- duceda very nice first attemptat combiningconcise arated from its congeners.For example,a member of text and photographsof a majority (208) of the 212 Vanellusappears among Charadrius, separated from its speciesof shorebirds,"this most enigmatic group of congenersby 20 pages,and the AsianDowitcher (Lim- birds."To accomplishthe task,they gatheredphotos nodromussemipalmatus) is with the godwits, 40 pages from sources around the world and traveled exten- from the other dowitchers. sively to acquaintthemselves with as many species The vast majority of photographsare high quality as possible.It is clear from the descriptionof their and illustrate well the diagnosticfeatures of the spe- travelsthat they enjoyedtheir taskimmensely! ciesas well as any sex,age, or race differencesthat The book,after a brief (lessthan a page)introduc- occur.The photosare printed with a semi-mattefinish tion and a figureof shorebirdtopography, launches that is easy to view and sharp enough to pick out directly into the heart of the project with written detail. A few photosprobably could have been omit- descriptionson the left pagesand photographsof the ted (e.g. Giant Snipe[Gallinago media]), but they were specieson the facing pages.Each pair of pagescovers included to come closeto completingthe statedmis- 1 to 4 specieswith textsranging from 160to 360 words sion of the book. For the shorebirds,it is especially and 1 to 12 photosof the speciesdescribed. The text useful to have photos of the birds in flight. Rosair includescommon name, scientificname, length (in and Cottridge have tried to include such pictures inches),breeding range, plumage description (adult, whenever possible.Whereas most of the flight pho- juvenile, and in flight), descriptionof the voice,des- tographsare informative,others could have beenleft ignation of races(with geographicand/or morpho- out without diminishing the usefulnessof the book logical distinctions),descriptions of typical habitat (e.g.Eurasian Dotterel [Eudromias morinellus] and Dou- and characteristicbehaviors, and descriptions of ble-banded Plover [Charadriusbicinctus]). movement patterns.This text/photo sectionoccupies The captions for the photographs appear on the 164of the 175pages of the book.The bookends with left-hand page with the text and are keyed to a dia- a listing of the speciesin systematicorder, photo- gram of the photo page for identification.In most graphicacknowledgments, bibliography, and index. casesthis systemworks well, allowing quick and easy The text is concise, as noted in the introduction, correlationof captionto photograph.Several pages, and is written in a telegraphicstyle that usually is however, have lettersarranged in an odd order caus- unambiguousand informative. The descriptionsof ing a little confusion,but this is only a minor incon- plumageare thorough,covering breeding and non- venience. The captions themselvesare clear, but oc- breedingadults as well asjuveniles, and they include casionallylack consistencyor specificitythat would a very useful descriptionof the bird in flight. The be helpful. For example,two very different-looking commentson habitat and behavior provide a good, pictures of European Golden-Plovers(Pluvialis apri- though brief, sketch of the species.There are, how- caria) are labeled "adult breeding" and "breeding ever, someminor lapsesin precisionand consistency male." In this case,it would be helpful to have a that are distracting.For example,the descriptionof clarification of "adult." the Northern Jacana(Jacana spinosa) includes refer- This bookwill makea goodaddition to the library ence to a "three-lobedyellow wattle." This fleshy of anyoneinterested in shorebirds.Other than some protuberanceclearly is a frontal shield and bearsno minor annoyances,it is thorough and well done and resemblanceto the depiction of a wattle from the containsa nice collectionof shorebirdphotographs shorebirdtopography page. In addition,the Killdeer that is a unique resourcein itself. It is not a replace- (Charadriusvociferus; the specificepithet is misspelled ment for the excellentshorebird guide of Hayman, in the text)is describedas having a "brightred orbital Marchant,and Prater, but it certainly is a good sup- ring," which obviouslyrefers to an eye-ringas de- plement.At $29.95,it is an excellentvalue.--TERRENCE scribedin topography.This may causeconfusion for R. MACE,Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, some, especiallybecause the next descriptionof the Tacoma,Washington 98416, USA. January1997] Reviews 157

The Auk 114(1):157, 1997 The Auk 114(1):157-158, 1997

Seabirds on Islands: Threats, Case Studies and Ac- North American/World BirdArea and BirdBase. - tion Plans.- David N. Nettleship,Joanna Burger, and SantaBarbara Software Products, Inc. 1996.[Available Michael Gochfeld (Eds.). 1994. Birdlife Conservation from Santa Barbara Software Products, 1400 Dover SeriesNo. 1. BirdLife International, Cambridge,Unit- Road,Santa Barbara, California 93103;phone 805-963- ed Kingdom. 318 pp. ISBN 0946888 23X (Europe); 4886].--These two programs,BirdArea and BirdBase, ISBN 1-56098-526-7(USA). Paper,$32.00.--The stan- come in both DOS and Windows (95 or 3.1) formats. dardsof editing and presentationof this volume are BirdBaseis a databasemanager that allows one to extremely high, and I thoroughly recommendthis record sightingsof birds in a variety of formats.A book as a rare exampleof exceptionalvalue for the built-in masterlist of speciestaken from Clements' money. It contains 19 chapters grouped into three Birdsof the World:A CheckList is used to selectsight- sections. The first section, "Threats to Seabirds," in- ings for individual lists.One can then producelists cludesthree excellentreviews, one on pollution, one of birds seen for many regions and different field on fisheriesinteractions, and one on effectsof pre- trips.Notes of interestcan be addedto everysighting. dation and humans. The bulk of the book fails into The masterlist canbe changedif taxonomicchanges section two, entitled "Major Seabird Problems," are made (a virtual certaintyin North America),and whereasfive chaptersin sectionthree are headed"Ac- somemight want to incorporateother world lists of tion Plans,Progress and Solutions."I found the sep- species,such as that in preparationby Charles G. aration between sections two and three to be some- Sibley (pers. comm.). The program keeps track of what misleading.Many of the topicsin sectiontwo sightingson individual listsand keepsa running tally dealwith highly effectiveconservation programs that of your overall list of species(i.e., your life list). I might betterbe placedin sectionthree. For example, have used it to record my "yard list," the only list I in "Seabirds of the Chatham Islands," the New Zea- keep. Unfortunately,I found the manual somewhat land Departmentof Conservation'sstrongly hands- non user-friendlyand laborintensive to use,and the on approachto conservingendangered populations instructionstook sometime to follow. For example, merits more detailed treatment. In contrast, "Status interrupted half-way through entering my list, it was and Conservationof Seabirdsin the Cape Verde Is- difficult to find out how to continueto add sightings. lands" is placed in section three, although the im- The manual is pretty dense reading and there is no plementationof long-overdueconservation measures on-line help; many of the proceduresrequire a lot of there remains embryonicat best. keystrokes. The 16 chapterson particularsites range from Sval- BirdAreais a companionprogram that "knows" the bard to Amsterdam Island, and appear as a rather geographicrange of everyexisting bird species(again disconnected set of case studies. However, this book following the Clements list). Thus, one can select a essentiallyis part three of a series,the predecessors geographicarea, such as South Africa, and generate being Statusand Conservationof the World'sSeabirds a list of all birds that occur there, with endemics for (Croxall, Evans, and Schreiber, 1984, International the region highlighted. I checkedthe list included Council for Bird Preservation, Technical Publication for Minnesotaand foundit basicallyaccurate, missing No. 2) and SeabirdStatus and Conservation: A Supplement only a few recentlysighted species. Thus, one could (Croxall, 1991, International Council for Bird Pres- producea generallyaccurate list of birds for a given ervation, Technical Publication No. 11). area.Ranges in the masterlist can be amended asnew All seabirdbiologists should have all three of these information becomesavailable. The problemsinher- volumeson their bookshelves,as they provideby far ent in such an undertaking include the fluid nature the most detailed review of the status, numbers, and of bird ranges, and the difficulty in telling a truly threatsto seabirds,as well asinspiration for planning continuouslydistributed speciesfrom one that is or imagining trips to remoteisland groups. Students widespreadbut occurringonly sporadically(in either of conservationbiology, ecosystem management, ge- spaceand time). That is, one cannot evaluate the ography,and restorationecology, also will find the abundanceof particularspecies from the listsprovid- chaptersa gold mine of detailedhistorical examples ed. For example,both Baird'sSparrow (Ammodramus of over-exploitationof resourcesor carelessmanage- bairdii)and SongSparrow (Melospiza melodia) are listed ment, followed by varying degreesof successin res- for Minnesota, yet the latter is widespreadand com- toration eCO1Ogy.--ROBERTW. FURNESS, Graham Kerr mon, and the former is very localizedin occurrence. Building,University of Glasgow,Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scot- However, for thoseneeding a startingpoint for com- land. paring lists of speciesfound in different regionsof the globe,BirdArea would be a good choice.BirdArea and BirdBasecan be usedtogether such that eachbird in the many hundredsof area lists that can be pro- ducedwill be markedto show if you have seenit in the particular area specified.I suspectthat thesepro- Reviews [Auk, Vol. 114 gramswill be of greatestinterest to seriousamateurs style. The paintings are for the most part adequate, and professionals,and those with the time and pa- some directly from Petersonfield guides,although tience to masterthe programs.The programscould otherslack critical details (especially the hawks);these also be of value for teaching. One nice aspectis the illustrations are not for serious student of bird iden- ability to print out a list of birds that are known to tification. However, without all of the other species occurin an area but have not been seenduring some found in a full-length field guideto confusethe issue, period. This list could focusthe attention of students thosein the early stagesof bird watchingmight have on what they have missedduring a semesteror what a better chance of correct identification (and be en- they might expect to see later in spring migration, couragedto try). Of course,in my neighbor's back- for example.With theseprograms, one would have yard, Cooper'sHawks (Accipitercooperii) are more a powerful set of tools on hand for seriousbirding, commonthan Sharp-shinnedHawks (A. striatus),but teaching,or basiccompilation of specieslists for more the former is not depicted in BackyardBirds. Many scientific endeavors, subject to the caveats noted otherspecies occur in backyardsthan what are figured above.--ROBERTM. ZIIxlK,Bell Museumof Natural His- in this guide, but perhapsmost of the common ones tory, 100 EcologyBuilding, University of Minnesota,St. are figured for most areas. Such problems are not Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. likely fatal to the intended useof theseflash guides. The intent of the flash guides is for field use by thosesuch as hikers who do not want to be weighted down by one or more field guides(I am not sureabout the durability of the flashguides in the backpocket of a camper). I supposethat anything that increases the public awarenessof birds is a good idea. There- The Auk 114(1):158, 1997 fore, I suspectthat there is niche for theseflash guides. For those unfamiliar with birds, having the species Peterson Flash Guides (Hawks, Eastern Trailside culled to the most probableones to be encountered Birds, Western Trailside Birds, Atlantic Coastal Birds, in an area might stimulatethose not willing to page PacificCoastal Birds, Backyard Birds). - RogerTory through a field guide. Thosebird watcherswho al- Peterson. 1996. Houghton Mifflin Co., New York. U. ready have a field guide and are not intimidated by S. Patent No. 5,063,637. $7.95 each.--These "flash it will not usethese flash guides often, if at all. Serious guides" present a new conceptin field aids for bird birdwatcherswill opt for completefield guides,and identification. Each of the six guides coverseither a these will not replace field guides for ornithology different group of birds (e.g. backyardbirds) or a classes.I would recommendthese guides as educa- specificarea, with 50-100 speciesdetailed per guide. tional tools for youngstersor as enticementto others Eachguide consists of 12 plates(11.5 x 21.5cm) print- who havenot yet beenintroduced to the wondersof ed on eachside that are laminatedtogether (the lam- birds.--RoBERTM. ZINK, Bell Museumof Natural His- inationdoes repel coffee stains). The guidesopen out tory,100 Ecology Building, University of Minnesota,St. or fold into a map-like 11.5 x 21.5 cm composite.In Paul, Minnesota55108, USA. the BackyardBirds is a colorcoded map to six "ecoregions"of North America.Each species account (without scientific names) contains informlltion on total length of the species,feeding preferences, where the bird occurs and where it is abundant or rare, and sometimesdescriptions of vocalizationsor other an- The Auk 114(1):158-159, 1997 ecdotalinformation. For example,in BackyardBirds, a red star followed by a purple circle tells you that the Rose-breastedGrosbeak (Pheucticusludovicianus) is Bird Identification: A Reference Guide.- Kristian commonlyfound in ecoregion1 in summer,a blue Adolfssonand StefanCherrug. 1995. Wallin and Dal- plus red circlein parenthesestells you it is lessabun- holm BoktryckeriAB, Lund, Sweden.379 pp. ISBN dant in ecoregions2 and 4, a brown and orangecircle 91-86572-24-5.Paper, 220 SEK. [Order from Skanes indicatesmigrant-only status in ecoregions3 and 5, OrnitologiskaForening, Ecology Building, S-22362 a black silhouette of a birdfeeder tells you that it Lund, Sweden].--This book contains references to frequentsabove-ground feeders, and line drawings more than 11,800 articles that deal with field identi- of large seedstells you what to put in the feeder. ficationtips for approximately870 speciesof birds Unfortunately thoseof us who are at least partially found in the western Palearctic and Arabia, culled red-greencolorblind will (do)not appreciate this cod- from 66 ornithologicaljournals published between ing scheme,and I had to ask a colleagueto identify 1975 and 1994(5). The purpose is to put under one the colorsfor me. Distinguishing field characteris- cover referencesthat deal with problemsin, or aids tics are illustrated in hallmark Peterson-field-guide to, field identification of specificspecies. In many January 1997] Reviews 159 instances, references also are made to articles that shrikesworldwide, many are declining or are locally containphotographs. This referenceshould be of in- extinct. Yet, studies have tended to focus on the hand- terest to all serious birders visiting the region COV- ful of speciesthat occurswhere ornithologistslive ered.-ROBERTg. ZINK,Bell Museum of Natural History, and work. The symposiumwas attendedby 71 par- 100 EcologyBuilding, University of Minnesota,St. Paul, ticipants from 23 countries,including a strong con- Minnesota 55108, USA. tingent from the former "Iron Curtain" countries. The main objectivesof the symposium were to review current research,understand the global status of shrikes, create a "World Working Group on Shrikes,"set researchpriorities, and develop conservation guidelines. The Proceedingscontain the pa- perspresented in subjectorder. The five broadsubject The Auk 114(1):159, 1997 topicsare systematicsand biogeography,status and populationtrends, ecology, reproductive ecology, and reproductionin captivityand associatedtechniques. Birds to Watch 2. The World List of Threatened This publicationshould be of value to anyoneinter- Birds.--Nigel J. Collar, M. J. Crosby, and Alison J. estedin knowing the statusof researchon shrikes.-- Stattersfield. 1994. BirdLife International, Cambridge, JEANM. VESALL,Bell Museumof Natural History, 100 United Kingdom. 407 pp. ISBN 1-56098-528-3.Paper, EcologyBuilding, University of Minnesota,St. Paul,Min- $25.00.--BirdLife International (formerly the Inter- nesota55108, USA. national Council for Bird Preservation) has as its central commitment"the preventionof globalextinction through the identification and documentation of threatenedspecies." The publication of the RedData Bookhas been a part of their programsince 1964.This book is an updated version of the first Birdsto Watch by N.J. Collar and P. Andrew. Both serve to update information on globally threatened birds as the Red The Auk 114(1):159, 1997 Data Bookis being updated. This latest volume is the official source for birds for the IUCN and uses their Important Bird Areas in the Middle East.-M. I. criteria for assessment of risk of extinction. Entries Evans(compiler). 1994. BirdLife International, Cam- for each speciesincludes four items: Distribution, bridge, United Kingdom. 410 pp. ISBN 1-56098-525- PopulationStatus or Trend, Habitat(s),and Threat(s). 9. No price given.--This study is the second in a Data analysesindicate some causefor concernfor globalprogram by BirdLife Internationalto identify more than one-fifth of all bird species,making this all "Important Bird Areas"of the world (the first be- resource valuable to avian conservationists.--JEAN M. ing ImportantBird Areasin Europe,1989). The region VESALL,Bell Museumof Natural History,100 Ecology coveredincludes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Is- Building,University of Minnesota,St. Paul, Minnesota rael and the Occupied Territories, Jordan, Kuwait, 55108, USA. Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the Unit- ed Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The main text is an inventory of 391 sitesimportant for the conservation of birds that also have their own intrinsic value as ecosystems.On a global scale,the Middle East generally has a higher level of biodiversity (more than 800 speciesof birds, of which more than 60 are en- The Auk 114(1):159, 1997 demic) than the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere.Each entry in the siteinventory includes Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World: Biology and Con- the following components:site name, coordinates, servation.-Reuven Yosef and Fred E. Lohrer (Eds.). size of area, international protectionstatus, national 1995.Proceedings of the WesternFoundation of Ver- protectionstatus, site description,summary of birds, tebrateZoology, Volume 6, No. 1. WesternFounda- other threatened/endemic wildlife, conservation is- tion of VertebrateZoology, Camarillo, California. 343 sues,and further reading and references.Those in- pp, numerousfigures and tables.ISSN 0511-7550.Pa- terested in the coordination of land-use and nature per, $25.00.--This collectionof papersis the Pro- conservation in the Middle East should find this re- ceedingsof the First International Shrike Sympo- source an important tool in planning and decision- sium, which was held (11-15 January1993 in Lake making.--JEANM. VESALL,Bell Museum of NaturalHis- Placid, Florida) to focus attention on the worldwide tory, 100 EcologyBuilding, University of Minnesota,St. declineof shrike populations.Of the 30 speciesof Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. 160 Reviews [Auk, Vol. 114

The Auk 114(1):160, 1997 The Auk 114(1):160, 1997

Songbirdsof Turkey: An Atlas of Biodiversity of U.S. Department of the Interior Biological Report Turkish Passerine Birds.--C. S. Roselaar. 1995. Pica No. 28. EndangeredEcosystems of the United States: Press,East Sussex, United Kingdom. 240 pp. ISBN 90- A Preliminary Assessmentof Loss and Degrada- 74345-07-7.Paper, L 24.--Turkey is a key area for the tion.-Reed F. Noss, Edward T. LaRoe III, and J. Mi- study of geographicvariation in Western Palearctic chael Scott. 1995. U.S. Department of the Interior, birds. However, the author noted that detailed maps National BiologicalService, Washington D.C. 58 pp. of breeding areas of Turkish passerineswere not No price given.--Through a literature review and available.This book aims to presentall of the avail- survey of conservationagencies and professionals, ableinformation on taxonomy,morphology, and dis- the authorsreport estimatesof the decline of natural tribution of Turkish songbirdsand compareit with ecosystemsin the United States.They identify 30 crit- similar information from other countries in the Mid- ically endangered,58 endangered,and more than 38 dle Eastand southeasternEurope. threatenedecosystems. Conservation plans based on Each speciesaccount gives details of the habitat in detailed studiesof ecosystemstatus and trends may which the speciesis found and its distribution ac- help forestall the significantloss of biodiversity oc- cording to the subdivisionsof Turkey recognized by curring at the ecosystemlevel in the United States. the Ornithological Society of the Middle East. Data The protection of pristine sitesand the restoration of on geographicvariation for all subspeciespresented disturbed sites are recommended.Of particular in- are the result of field and museumresearch gathered terestare the estimateddeclines of ecosystemsin the over the 20-year program for Birds of the Western United States, which are presented as concise and Palearctic. The author's intent is that the book will documented statementsin Appendix A. This section increasethe awarenessof the unique nature of Turk- alone clarifies the need for a broad-based conserva- ish birds and the importance of conservationof sub- tion agenda.--JEANM. VESALL,Bell Museum of Natural speciesand populations at the local level.--JEAN M. History, 100 EcologyBuilding, University of Minnesota, VESALI•,Bell Museumof Natural History, 100 Ecology St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. Building,University of Minnesota,St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.