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Shrikes: a Guide to the Shrikes of the World, by Norbert Lefranc,Illustrated by Tim Worfolk

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Shrikes: a Guide to the Shrikes of the World, by Norbert Lefranc,Illustrated by Tim Worfolk BOOK REVIEWS Parrotsbrings together more identificationinformation in a singlevolume than has previouslybeen available for thisfascinating group. It willbe especiallyuseful to those who travelto parrot-richregions currently lacking good field guides(e.g., much of SouthAmerica), as well as thosewho live in partsof California,Florida, and Texas. The book's shortcomingspresumably reflect a haste to bring it into print in the competitiveworld of identificationguides; many could have been rectified by stronger regionalreview and greateruse of museumspecimens by someof the artists.North Americanswho are not parrotaficionados and do not planto travelto areasof high parrot diversityshould be aware that the identificationof naturalizedparrot popula- tionsin North America will be made easierby greatlyexpanded coverage in the 3rd editionof the NationalGeographic Society field guide and in DavidSibley's forthcom- ing North Americanidentification guide. Kimball L. Garrett Shrikes: A Guide to the Shrikes of the World, by Norbert Lefranc,illustrated by Tim Worfolk. 1997. Yale Univ. Press,New Haven, CT. 192 pages, 16 color plates,75 black-and-whitefigures. Hardback, $35.00. ISBN 0-300-07336-4. Shrikes followsthe familiar format of the Pica/Yale family guides,with brief introductorysections (discussing taxonomy and an overviewof generacovered), color plateswith shortfacing-page texts, and speciesaccounts (which include range maps). Despite its title, this book coversonly 31 of the world's 75+ shrike species(the principalomission is the bush-shrikes,subfamily Malaconotinae). The authorsuggests that the three genera covered(Lanius, Corvinella, Eurocephalus)are the "true shrikes,"but this classification,based on DNA-hybridizationstudies, is ratherweak, and this book cannotclaim to be a comprehensivemonograph of the shrikes. In general,the text is informative,but there is lessemphasis on identificationthan most readerswould probably expect, and I foundthe taxonomicapproach frustrat- ingly inconsistent.One recentlyproposed split is followed,the separationof the SouthernGray Shrike(L. meridionalis)from the Great Grey (-- Northern)Shrike (L. excubitor),while the Red-tailedShrike (L. phoenicuroides)is left within isabellinus, despitepublished evidence for itsspecific status (partly from the sameresearcher who suggestedthe meridionalissplit!), evidence that evenLefranc admits should "be taken seriously"(p. 14). For the subspecifictaxonomy of the NorthernShrike, only weak justificationis givenfor ignoringthe conclusionof Phillips(1986; The Known Birds of North and Middle America, part 1) that invictusshould be synonymizedwith borealis,suggesting the authormay not appreciatevariation in nearcticpopulations. While the Northern Shrike of North America shows affinities with the eastern palearcticsibiricus, the text stressessimilarities, omits some significantdifferences (e.g.,the patternof the outerrectrix), and makesno mentionof the possibilitythat the Northern Shrike may be a distinctspecies (as has been suggestedrecently for a numberof trans-Beringianavian taxa). The plates are good if somewhat"flat," but too few non-adultplumages are illustrated,especially where they would be mostvaluable for identification(e.g., in the cristatus-collurio-isabellinuscomplex). The distributionmaps are excellentfor palearctictaxa but markedly less detailed for afrotropicalspecies and the Loggerhead Shrike. This bookpartially fills an obviousniche in the ornithologicalliterature and will be requiredreading for shrikeenthusiasts, but it doeslittle to dispelsuspicion that many avianmonographs are increasinglyEurocentric and of decreasingvalue in termsof species(and content)per dollar. Jon R. King 128 .
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