Reviews included in the earlier works are snippets on status, habitat and geo- BIRDS OF SOUTH ASIA – excluded here, on the basis that the graphical variation. THE RIPLEY GUIDE authors consider the observations Vol. 2 includes an appreciation By Pamela C. Rasmussen and to be unproven or unreliable. of S. Dillon Ripley, followed by John C. Anderton. Scientific names mostly follow introductory sections and acknowl- Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 2005. Ali & Ripley (1983), with some edgments, the main species Two volumes; 1,061 pages; 180 changes adopted by Inskipp et al. accounts and sonograms, along plates; 1,450 distribution maps, (1996). There are other changes with ten appendices, selected refer- line diagrams, sonograms, etc. though, with many of the laugh- ences and an index. Although both ISBN 84-87334-67-9. ingthrushes recently grouped in are named as authors, Rasmussen Hardback, £55.00. Garrulax being reassigned to was responsible for the preparation several older genera. Each taxo- of the bulk of the text, while In recent years, birders travelling to nomic split introduces at least one Anderton co-ordinated the produc- the Indian subcontinent have had new English name; for example, tion of the plates. The introductory at their disposal two excellent field the former Pompadour Green pages include sections on coverage, guides, using largely standardised Pigeon Treron pompadora now geography and avifauna, moult and nomenclature and taxonomy but becomes four species, each with a plumages, measurements, illustra- following different species new English name. tions, identification, vocalisations, sequences: Grimmett et al. (1998) Vol. 1 contains 180 plates, 70 of taxonomy, maps, records, history of adopted that of Inskipp et al. these by John Anderton, including ornithology in South Asia, and con- (1996), while Kazmierczak & van four flight illustrations in servation. The content of each of Perlo (2000) followed the tradi- blackish/sepia-and-white – surely these sections is much as expected tional Peters sequence. With this colour would have been worth- but, in places, becomes turgid and new work, a third option is avail- while? A further 11 artists were hard to grasp in one reading (one able, using the older, Peters-based commissioned to produce the sentence on page 12 has 162 sequence, but with a considerably remainder. Inevitably, the styles words). The section on taxonomy altered nomenclature and an even vary somewhat, though less so than outlines the authors’ thinking more radically modified taxonomy. in some comparable guides. Most behind the substantial changes they The project was conceived and illustrations are good, but some have introduced. These include no launched by the American just do not look right, for example fewer than 203 species-level ornithologist S. Dillon Ripley, who the pipits Anthus on plate 102, changes from Ali & Ripley (1983) died in 1996. Long-term illness which seem to have abnormally and 131 from Grimmett et al. forced Ripley to enlist two of his small heads, several of the bulbuls (1998). In some cases, the changes associates at the Smithsonian Insti- (Pycnonotidae) on plate 106, and have been widely anticipated and tion, Pamela Rasmussen and John some of the flycatchers, notably will be warmly welcomed; but there Anderton, to continue the project. White-gorgetted Flycatcher are many instances where the evi- The scope of this work encom- Ficedula monileger on plate 123 dence to justify the decision passes India (including the and the male Snowy-browed Fly- remains inconclusive, and a fair few Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Sri catcher F. hyperythra on plate 124. where that evidence is pretty flimsy. Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, To my eye, there is an inconsistency All 1,441 species reported Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Lak- throughout the plates in the inten- within the region are covered. Of shadweep, Maldive and Chagos sity of rufous tones, some being these, the occurrence of 1,298 Islands. Vol. 1 comprises the field too bright and some too reddish. species is established beyond doubt guide, while Vol. 2 is subtitled The accompanying texts vary and these are known, or assumed, ‘attributes and status’. A total of greatly in length and detail, with to occur regularly. A further 58 are 1,441 species are included, com- up to 170 words for each of the vagrants, with at least one con- pared with c. 1,300 in the two field harriers Circus but a miserly 30 for firmed record each. Unfortunately, guides mentioned above. Although some pipits. The 27 words the authors considered that records the geographical scope exceeds describing Great Black-headed of no fewer than 85 species in the these earlier works, this increase Gull Larus ichthyaetus wrongly region were ‘hypothetical’ and that chiefly reflects around 130 taxo- imply that all ages have a black all claims remain unproven. In the nomic changes. Almost all are the subterminal tail-band. Vocalisa- records section, the authors explain result of the upgrading of previ- tions are not dealt with, which is a that a large number of published ously recognised races to distinct major shortcoming if Vol. 1 is used field observations and sight records species, although many have been on its own in the field. The distrib- (presumably appearing in bul- adopted without reference or justifi- ution maps are small but easy to letins, trip reports and site lists as cation. Furthermore, some species interpret, and often include useful well as respected journals) without © British Birds 98 • November 2005 • 609-613 609 Reviews full supporting details must be includes detailed written descrip- workers and birders alike, and treated as being unreliable, tions of all or most of the known perhaps disarray in the various rel- although they have apparently vocalisations, and one or more evant journals for the foreseeable made little effort to track down sonograms are shown for 886 future. Despite the authors’ observers for further information. species. I suspect, however, that few reasons, the wholesale rejection of Doubtless this reflects the fact that birders can interpret sonograms so many undoubtedly valid recent the authors are primarily museum and also that few who regularly field observations is unfortunate. workers. They bemoan the fact that make field recordings onto tape or This attitude will do nothing to Sri Lanka is the only country in the minidisc have the facilities to encourage observers to publish region with an established Records convert their recordings to sono- their observations, or submit Committee (yet the only claim of gram. Sonograms are not included records to the relevant regional or White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris for a number of families for which national authorities for review and fuscicollis for the region came from they would surely be useful, such as verification. Sri Lanka; it was rejected by that woodpeckers (Picidae), pipits and country’s Records Committee, but rosefinches (Fringillidae). References it still appears in this book as a There is no doubt that this Ali, S., & Ripley, S. D. 1968–1974. ‘hypothetical’ species!). All the so- work represents a major contribu- Handbook of the Birds of India and called ‘hypothetical’ species are tion to South Asian ornithology, Pakistan. OUP,Bombay. — & — 1983. Handbook of the Birds included within the main section but it seems unlikely to displace the of India and Pakistan. Compact edn. of the book, complete with a full established market leaders in the OUP,Bombay. species account, but on a darker field-guide market. I feel that the —, —, & Dick, J. H. 1983. A Pictorial background. Also included, with two books would have been more Guide to the Birds of the Indian rather shorter accounts, are a commendable if produced as one Subcontinent. OUP,New Delhi. further 67 species which occur larger format book, with a larger Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., & Inskipp,T. 1998. Birds of the Indian close to the boundaries of the font size and larger plates and Subcontinent. Christopher Helm, region, but which have yet to be maps, possibly with a spin-off field London. found within them. In this respect, guide, including notes on vocalisa- Inskipp,T., Lindsey, N., & Duckworth, many more migrants could equally tions, to come in the future. Just W. 1996. An Annotated Checklist of well have been included. how widely accepted the wholesale the Birds of the Oriental Region. Oriental Bird Club, Sandy. The variety and importance of changes to taxonomy will become Kazmierczak, K., & van Perlo, B. 2000. songs and calls, and the great value remains to be seen. In some cases, A Field Guide to the Birds of the of recording them, are discussed at further studies are clearly needed, Indian Subcontinent. Pica Press, length, while the structure, param- and the many changes to nomen- Sussex. eters and interpretation of sono- clature and reversion to an older grams are explained in great detail. species sequence are likely to cause Nick Dymond Each species account in Vol. 2 considerable confusion to field- age’ of twitching into a contempor- obsessively birding and chasing a PELICAN BLOOD ary setting. So take donkey jackets, goal of seeing 500 birds in Britain. By Cris Freddi. hitch-hiking, far-left political ten- If such profound existential pon- Fourth Estate/Harper Collins, dencies and the irregular use of derings don’t float your boat, you’ll London, 2005. 266 pages. mild narcotics and imagine them be glad to know that the story is ISBN 0-00-718518-9. alongside internet birding, ‘cheque packed full of murders, sex, drugs Paperback, £10.99. book’ twitching, pagers and recent and rock n’ roll. taxonomic amendments. So when that Oriental Plover The story revolves around three Charadrius veredus is found on With recent books such as Tales of iconoclastic, super-cool characters Shetland, take Pelican Blood with a Tribe, Beguiled by Birds, A Bird in that regularly car-share on the way you because this gripping, moving the Bush, Whose Bird? and Birds to twitches.