Reviews

tions and conservation. A longer THE SIBLEY GUIDE section (440 pages) treats the fami- TO LIFE AND lies of which occur in North BEHAVIOUR: America. Each family has headings A COMPANION TO such as , food and for- THE NORTH AMERICAN aging, breeding, movements, con- BIRD GUIDE servation and accidental species. Illustrated by David Sibley. Extra topics are introduced if there Edited by Chris Elphick, John is something interesting to say. A B. Dunning Jr & David Sibley. box describes average traits of the Christopher Helm, A & C family. Black, London, 2001. 587 This is an attractive introduc- pages. ISBN 0-7136-6250-6. tion to the life of birds, pitched at Hardback, £35.00. the student or enthusiast. There are other books on general bird biology and on the variety of the David Sibley is widely known as world’s birds, but there are few the author and illustrator of the with this book’s mixture. The style superb The North American Bird is simple and readable. There are of the species and stories are Amer- Guide. Like most field guides, this no references, even where deriva- ican. On the other hand, the fami- tells you how to identify birds and tion from a single study or publica- lies covered include more than half roughly where to find them by tion is obvious. David Sibley’s of all bird families and have a very range and habitat, but little about artwork is beautiful, and there are high overlap with those which are their biology. Although subtitled as colour sketches on most pages. You represented in Europe. Bird a companion to the field guide, The could read from cover to cover, biology is, of course, universal, Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behav- though I imagine that most people although favoured subjects vary. It iour is really a separate book the would browse and dip. You could is especially interesting to see how title of which is branded, I would hardly fail to learn something new active and important systematics imagine, in the hope of association and interesting. I was amazed to and taxonomy are in America com- with a best-selling field guide. It is discover, for instance, that there are pared with Europe. The spelling is an edited multiple-author work, of about 30 species of exotic parrot American throughout, with the which Sibley is both the illustrator (Psittacidae) commonly recorded exception of the title. Someone and one of the editors and authors. and probably established in the must have feared that ‘Behavior’ in It is a book of two halves. About USA. the title would deter Europeans. I 100 pages cover biology, taxonomy Europeans will find this quite do not think that it should. and evolution, habitats, popula- an ‘American’ book because most Colin Bibby

THE AVIFAUNA OF By G. J. Carey, M. L. Chalmers, D. A. Diskin, P. R. Kennerley, P. J. Leader, M. R. Leven, R. W. Lewthwaite, D. S. Melville, M. Turnbull & L. Young. Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Hong Kong, 2001. 564 pages; 31 colour plates; 139 maps; 412 figures; 20 tables; line-drawings. ISBN 962-7508-02-0. Hardback, £34.50.

Hong Kong has a long tradition of published an annual report since bird-recording. The first docu- 1958. The previous work on the mented observations were made in status and distribution of Hong 1860, by Robert Swinhoe, and Kong’s birds reached four editions, much has been published on Hong but this new Avifauna eclipses all of Kong’s birds since then, particu- them. It is in a league of its own. larly in the last 50 years. There has The introductory sections, been a succession of field guides to amounting to more than 100 climate, the breeding-bird survey, the birds of the former British pages, cover such topics as the winter waterbird counts, and bird- colony, and the Hong Kong Bird history of in Hong ringing. These are informative and Watching Society (HKBWS) has Kong, physical characteristics, well written. A complete species list

© British Birds 95 • April 2002 • 205-208 205 Reviews is also included, as well as based on 41 years of HKBWS The paper is of top quality, the breeding-distribution maps (based records and surveys, while compar- layout is clear and uncluttered, and on the first comprehensive isons are made with data collated the two-colour maps add to the breeding-bird survey of Hong as long ago as 1861. Most accounts ease of interpretation. The artistic Kong), and a selection of bird and are accompanied by one or two cover may not be to everyone’s habitat photographs. graphs. Enormous numbers of taste, but inside these unassuming The species accounts comprise records were analysed in order to covers there lies a veritable treasure the bulk of the book and these are prepare these charts, and the trove of information. This is an impressive. Each account begins authors have succeeded in pre- essential reference to the status and with a summary of world range senting a vast amount of informa- distribution of birds in south and taxonomy, followed by a tion clearly and succinctly. , and anyone with an interest detailed analysis of the status and This important book has been in this region should buy a copy. distribution in Hong Kong. This is produced to the highest standards. Nigel Redman

American species are shorter (on WRENS, DIPPERS AND THRASHERS average, just over a page long) than By David Brewer & Barry Kent Mackay. Christopher Helm, those of species which occur in the A & C Black, London, 2001. 272 pages; 32 colour plates; 124 species USA and elsewhere (on average, illustrated in colour; 132 maps. two pages long). This major ISBN 1-873403-95-X. Hardback, £35.00. portion of the book appears to have been as thoroughly researched as Wrens, Dippers and Thrashers will the impressive bibliography sug- appeal primarily to those birders gests, and a wealth of information who live in or visit the Americas, is authoritatively presented. The where 121 of the 124 species attention to detail is such that a treated are endemic. Winter Wren number of obscure points of Troglodytes troglodytes also occurs interest can be found in the text, widely in North America, and only including the occurrence of a Eurasian Dipper Cinclus cinclus Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus and Brown Dipper C. pallasii are brunneicapillus (an apparently absent from the two continents. sedentary species in southwestern The book contains short USA and Mexico) in Saskatchewan, sections entitled contents, Canada, during a blizzard, and the acknowledgements, introduction, existence of both Dr John Le Conte, explanation of the species after whom Le Conte’s Thrasher accounts, classification and rela- Toxostoma lecontei is named, and tionships, conservation issues, his cousin, another Dr John Le topography, bibliography, index Conte, of Le Conte’s Sparrow and regional maps. The latter com- posture is not lifelike, the plumage is Ammodramus leconteii fame. prise maps of Central and South too dark and cold-toned, and the At £35.00, Wrens, Dippers and America which show the provinces birds look unnaturally scruffy. An Thrashers, with its 32 colour plates named in the distribution sections over-reliance on museum specimens and 272 pages in total, is over- of the species accounts. Where may have been a contributory factor. priced compared with some other appropriate, these chapters seem to Furthermore, there are no paintings recently published books in the have been well researched. of birds in flight; such images same series: Thrushes, with 60 Each of the 32 full-page colour should have been included for colour plates and 463 pages overall, plates covers, on average, four certain species in order to illustrate also costs £35.00, while Pigeons and species, and contains nine or ten distinctive wing and tail patterns. Doves, with 76 colour plates and a images. Every bird is coded, and is The systematic section is 160 total of 615 pages, is priced at captioned on a facing page with its pages long. The species accounts £38.00. Many of those who bought age, and sex where relevant, and are subdivided under the headings one or both of these other books comments on its structure and identification, description, geo- after little more than a glance at plumage; there are also statements graphical variation, voice, habitat, some of the splendid plates will on each species’ habitat and range. habits, status and distribution, need longer to discover that Wrens, To my eye, the quality of the paint- breeding, food, movements and Dippers and Thrashers, mainly on ings falls short of the high standard measurements; all include a distrib- the strength of its extremely well- which we have come to expect from ution map. Understandably, the written text, also deserves a place books in this series. In many cases, accounts of historically less well- on their bookshelves. the proportions are wrong, the studied endemic Central and South Peter Lansdown

206 British Birds 95 • April 2002 • 205-208 Reviews

plumage. Backgrounds are also : pleasing and show either typical A GUIDE TO THE habitat or food plants. The images SUNBIRDS, are mostly numbered consecutively FLOWERPECKERS, and in the same order as on the SPIDERHUNTERS AND opposing caption page. Distinctive SUGARBIRDS races are portrayed and, in some OF THE WORLD cases, immature or non-breeding By Robert A. Cheke, males are illustrated. The subjects Clive F. Mann & Richard include some of the most colourful Allen. Christopher Helm, birds in the world and, with some A & C Black, London, 2001. figures approaching life-size, this is 384 pages; 48 colour plates; one of the most attractive of the numerous line-drawings; Helm Identification Guides. 176 distribution maps. The species accounts follow the ISBN 1-873403-80-1. now familiar format, and concen- Hardback, £37.00. trate mainly on identification, status and distribution. ‘Geograph- VI (Fry, Keith & Urban 2000) ical variation’ describes subspecies would have avoided errors such as This is the first book since the and their range. The grey-scale mapping Blue-throated Brown nineteenth century to cover all the maps are very clear and use a C. cyanolaema for Kenya, world’s sunbirds, flowerpeckers variety of tones, as appropriate. and also giving an altitudinal range and spiderhunters (Nectariniidae) Measurements include mass but do there, despite the single record in detail, while the allied subfamily not give an overall size. The from Kakamega having been of sugarbirds (Promeropinae) is sequence, taxonomy and English rejected. Bronze Sunbird Nec- included, too. The introductory names are fairly standard, and tarinia kilimensis is mapped for sections cover topography, mor- based mainly on Distribution and Ethiopia and Red-chested Sunbird phology, relationships and tax- Taxonomy of Birds of the World Cinnyris erythrocerca mentioned as onomy, behaviour, breeding, (Sibley & Monroe 1990). The few a vagrant to that country, even distribution and habitat, parasites, changes include the separation of though these records were dis- mortality and predators, physi- Grey-headed Sunbird Deleornis missed in The Birds of Africa.Tsavo ology, migration and other move- axillaris from Scarlet-tufted Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris ments, economic importance and Sunbird D. fraseri, and different tsavoensis is described (incor- conservation. There are 15 pages of generic names for Ruby-cheeked rectly?) as occurring in southern references, with approximately 900 Sunbird Chalcoparia () Ethiopia and Sudan, though not citations. singalensis and Golden-winged mapped for either. The heart of the book is, of Sunbird Drepanorhynchus (Nec- This is a beautiful and well- course, the illustrations and the tarinia) reichenowi. produced book which is both a individual species accounts. The I noticed few errors. The map delight to browse through and a plates are excellent, well laid-out, for Western Olive Sunbird great source of detailed informa- aesthetically pleasing and accurate. obscura indicates the tion. It is a worthy addition to the Richard Allen’s attempts to show the species’ presence on Zanzibar series and, being the first mono- iridescence on sunbirds are quite Island and Pemba Island, Tanzania, graph on the group to be published subtle, and present a less garish por- when in fact it is the preceding since 1880, is surely destined to trayal than is found in some other species, Eastern Olive Sunbird C. become the standard work for works, while still conveying some- olivacea, that is found there. Closer some time to come. thing of the brilliance of the birds’ reference to The Birds of Africa Vol. Iain Robertson

The latest in an impressive list of frames and some still photographs. GULLS: A VIDEO GUIDE TO video guides filmed by Paul A 12-minute introduction pro- THE GULLS OF EUROPE, Doherty, this double cassette deals vides an excellent summary of how ASIA & NORTH AMERICA with all the familiar (and some less to approach gull identification, Filmed by Paul Doherty; familiar) gull (Laridae) taxa of the which includes details of ageing, narrated by Bill Oddie. Bird northern hemisphere. It is a com- moult, and plumage topography, Images Video Guides, prehensive distillation of much of and stresses the bewildering range Sherburn in Elmet, 2001. the current proliferation of work of individual variation. Each of the Double video set; running on gull identification, illustrating more distinct taxa is then treated time 5 hours 32 minutes; at at least 56 taxa in a range of age- separately, with a general introduc- least 56 taxa covered. £27.95. classes with high-quality video tion followed by an overview of footage, complemented by freeze- status and distribution, including

British Birds 95 • April 2002 • 205-208 207 Reviews comments on real, as well as poten- Oddie did not get where he is today ence for even the most seasoned tial, vagrancy patterns. Poorly without being able to keep viewers gull-watchers, as well as for reason- understood subspecies or forms are entertained (despite the – arguably ably experienced birders who have also mentioned in some accounts – rather dry subject matter). The yet to grasp the proverbial nettle, (e.g. Black-headed Gull Larus ridi- work is thorough and clearly well although there is perhaps rather bundus of the form sibiricus and researched and, in particular, I too much detail here for beginners. California Gull L. californicus of liked the pragmatic approach At just over five-and-a-half hours, the form albertiensis). The identifi- adopted, avoiding some of the there is a lot of material to get cation accounts describe size and dogma associated with current gull through, and even for the most structure, followed by plumage identification and taxonomy. While obsessed gull-fanatic this is a lot to details from juveniles through to there is some treatment of hybrid watch. Surely, a DVD or CD-ROM adults, all footage being labelled gulls (particularly from the west version would make it a much with dates and locations. For coast of North America), I felt that more practical source of reference; closely related species, very useful this could have been expanded to not since watching the film Basic direct comparisons are made by include, for example, Herring L. Instinct have I employed the pause using freeze-frame and stills to argentatus × Lesser Black-backed and rewind buttons so much on highlight the main plumage cri- Gulls L. fuscus. I would also have my video. teria for separation. Finally, the appreciated some advice con- Love them or loathe them, gulls calls of most gulls are given, a sur- cerning where to watch gulls (most always generate some form of prisingly useful feature in locating birders do not habitually visit land- debate. If you wish to be a little some species. fill sites, sewage outfalls or pig more informed, this video is well This is an excellent video, with farms) and the most appropriate worth buying, although there is no some superb footage (the Red- weather conditions to choose substitute for your local rubbish legged Kittiwakes Rissa brevirostris (cold, sunny days are quite the dump. are quite stunning) which I really worst conditions). These are, enjoyed watching. The commen- however, minor quibbles. This Stephen Votier tary is easy to follow, and Bill video provides an excellent refer-

fully researched. In Great NORFOLK: A BIRDWATCHER’S SITE GUIDE Yarmouth, however, Mediterranean By Phil Benstead, Steve Rowland & Richard Thomas. Gulls Larus melanocephalus are Shoebill Books, Cambridge, 2001. 106 pages; maps. best looked for in the central beach ISBN 0-9528065-1-7. Paperback, £12.95. area, not north of the town, and the harbour entrance is, sadly, no longer a haunt of Purple Sand- At last, Norfolk, Britain’s premier and the opening times and access pipers Calidris maritima, although county for birdwatching, has its arrangements of reserves are well these are, admittedly, only minor own site guide, and this well-pro- covered. A selection of ‘bird- inaccuracies. I would also have duced book is most welcome. With watching tips’ for each site is most chosen to include both Winterton a suitable colour photograph useful when planning a trip, partic- south dunes and the Burgh Castle adorning the front cover, the ularly for special species. I espe- area. For the West section, it was authors have divided the county cially liked the inclusion of good to see the Cambridgeshire into four main areas: West, North, directions to the nearest garage and Ouse Washes mentioned (since East and the Broads, and the other useful amenities. they link up with Welney), but, for Brecks. Within each area, the bird- There is obviously some bias the Brecks, the authors have listed watching sites are described in towards the famed north Norfolk Mayday Farm without mentioning detail, with excellent maps for the coast, and certainly this is true for that it is in fact in Suffolk. most important locations. It was Holme, Titchwell, Holkham, Wells The book concludes with a full good to see the Birdwatcher’s Code and Cley. It was good to see other Norfolk species list, plus a list of all of Conduct brought to prominence less well-known areas mentioned, useful addresses, together with tele- at the beginning, and spread over such as Stiffkey Fen and Kelling phone numbers and websites. I two pages. Quags, although I found the omis- thought that the book was a little The individual site entries sion of Scolt Head’s potential, and overpriced for a spiral-bound contain a great deal of information of the seawatching facilities and volume, but it is easy to read and is on a selection of species track-record of both Sheringham an essential guide for all seasoned throughout the year. The location, and Cromer, puzzling. In the East birdwatchers who live in or intend the car-parks and how to get there and Broads section, which I know to visit this magical county. are all noted, using Ordnance best, 20 chosen sites were well Survey six-figure map references, spread out, and in most cases care- Peter Allard

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