Reviews knowledge and experience pours HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS from every page. To fill this many OF THE WORLD. VOL. 8. pages in such an informative BROADBILLS TO manner, about so many aspects of TAPACULOS the lives of these often rare and Edited by Josep del Hoyo, secretive species, further empha- Andrew Elliott & David A. sises the skills of all contributors Christie. Lynx Edicions, and their colleagues. Having once Barcelona, 2003. 845 pages; spent an hour in bamboo 81 colour plates; numerous (Poaceae) with an Automolus distribution maps and foliage-gleaner and failed to even photographs. discover its name, my admiration ISBN 84-87334-50-4. for all their efforts knows no Hardback, £120.00. bounds. Volume 8 follows the same formula as the previous seven: an The cloacal temperature of the introduction to the family followed were obtained, are often of the little-known Hooded Gnateater by the species accounts, both of highest quality, considering how Conopophaga roberti was once which are divided into pre-deter- hard some of these birds are just to found to be 39.8°C. You will learn mined sections. The essay on food see. So up-to-date in all aspects is much more from this volume than and feeding of the Thamnophilidae this volume that it even includes to beware of scientists carrying is just one of many that makes the first published photographs of thermometers. It is not for such compulsive reading. Such a rigid some species. gems of ornithological trivia that approach may not always be neces- Transcribing bird songs and this tome is so memorable, but sary. For example, we read in the calls is no easy task. While I am rather the comprehensive accounts movement section in the introduc- sure that the described song of the of both the families and species tion to the Rhinocryptidae that ‘all Chucao Tapaculo Scelorchilus which make up Volume 8. tapaculos are entirely resident’. Do rubecula is technically correct, it This marks the start of the we then need to have 55 movement does not evoke the ringing ono- passerines, and what a bunch they sections in the species accounts matopoeic sound familiar to are! Anyone who has visited the stating ‘sedentary’? There are anyone who has ever stood in a tropics will have searched hard, similar examples, taking up space central Chilean forest. A more and often long, for the broadbills that might have been better used. human, less scientific approach can (Eurylaimidae), asities (Philepit- The illustrations, as one would be just as meaningful (and is used tidae), pittas (Pittidae), ovenbirds expect, vary in quality, usually for many other species). (Furnariidae), antbirds (Thamno- between good and excellent. Many That these criticisms are largely philidae) and tapaculos (Rhino- are the best I have seen of a species unimportant is testimony to cryptidae), which contain some of and some of the Furnariidae are another near-faultless effort. The the lister’s most prized birds. This simply sumptuous. There are previous seven volumes in this volume contains all one could wish exceptions (for example, I do not series have rightly amassed a to know about any of these birds like the Restinga Antwren Formi- plethora of rave reviews and all the except which bush it is in. civora littoralis) and I would have good things apply here as well. This It is doubtful whether the writ- loved to have seen the two genera volume is exactly as one would ings of so many pre-eminent field of ant-thrushes (Formicarius and have expected – magnificent. ornithologists have ever occurred Chamaeza) on separate plates – if together within the covers of a only to increase drooling time. The Richard Schofield single book. Their wealth of photographs too, however they For many years, the collection of Jean Roché and Jérôme Chevereau BIRD SOUNDS OF EUROPE songs and calls by Jean C. Roché on ten CDs, which looks set to & NORTHWEST AFRICA (1993), issued on four CDs or cas- establish a new standard. This new By Jean C. Roché & Jérôme sette tapes, has been the best- publication builds upon the orig- Chevereau. WildSounds, selling sound guide to most inal recordings by expanding the Norfolk, 2002. Ten CDs and a European birds. In 2002, however, scope into northwest Africa, 44-page booklet. £69.95. WildSounds published an updated including many of the omitted series of recordings, compiled by European species and adding in 102 © British Birds 97 • February 2004 • 102-106 Reviews some recent splits. The main differ- lights deserve a special mention, diomedea, not borealis); Yelkouan ence from the four-CD set, apart either for their quality or because Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan; from the expanded geographical of the rarity of the recording. For Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachin- area, is that this new collection me, these include Black Stork nans (michahellis/atlantis, not contains more material per species. Ciconia nigra at the nest and in cachinnans); Three-toed Wood- Unfortunately, this additional flight; Small Button-quail Turnix pecker Picoides tridactylus;Yellow space has not been used wisely. sylvatica (in another publication I Wagtail Motacilla flava (includes Instead, we are treated to more of read that this was recorded near both southern and northern taxa); what we heard on the original pro- Oualidia, Morocco, presumably Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe duction, with much of this addi- long ago); Great Bustard Otis tarda hispanica; ‘olivaceous warbler’ tional space being devoted to songs (amazing!); Jack Snipe Lym- (songs of both Hippolais pallida rather than calls, although addi- nocryptes minimus display; Poma- and H. opaca are given, but the tional examples of songs are some- rine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus; calls are left unidentified); times included. the owls, in particular Eagle Owl Marmora’s Warbler Sylvia sarda The larger geographical area Bubo bubo; Hoopoe Lark Alaemon (subspecies sarda, not balearica); covered means that many, but by alaudipes; plus the songs of Dipper Subalpine Warbler S. cantillans; no means all, interesting taxa from Cinclus cinclus, Wallcreeper ‘Bonelli’s warbler’ (the calls at least northwest Africa are treated, along Tichodroma muraria and Desert are Phylloscopus bonelli, not P. ori- with the Icelandic specialities. Sparrow Passer simplex. Names are entalis); Pied Flycatcher Ficedula Within the core area of western not announced, but the user can hypoleuca; Blue Tit Parus caeruleus; Europe, all the native and regular easily look them up based on track Citril Finch Serinus citrinella; and breeding species, including several number. Indeed, WildSounds are Common Redpoll Carduelis introduced species, are covered, to be congratulated for a simple flammea. The above list is not apart from Madeiran Storm-petrel and effective means of selecting a exhaustive, and one could name Oceanodroma castro, which breeds particular species. Each CD comes several other taxa which may be in autumn just off the Portuguese in its own colour-coded cardboard split in the future. The news is not coast. Towards the eastern limits of sleeve to match the disk, and the all bad for those interested in sys- Europe, the decision to include or sleeves have a track index on one tematics though, since a number of omit species appears somewhat side and an alphabetical index on interesting North African taxa are random; for example, Pied the other. In the accompanying included, such as endemic popula- Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka and booklet, it is easy to find the tions of Tawny Owl (Strix aluco Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus species notes quickly. mauritanica), Black-billed Magpie agricola are included but Pallid A major and recurrent criticism (Pica pica mauretanica) and Harrier Circus macrourus,Steppe of many CDs is the poor documen- Common Chaffinch (Fringilla Eagle Aquila nipalensis and Citrine tation supplied. Unfortunately, this coelebs spodiogenys). Wagtail Motacilla citreola are not. collection is no different, and the The inclusion of dates would Other exclusions include all Mac- lack of date and location data have enabled the user to draw a aronesian species, the specialities severely limits its value. This makes distinction between calls limited to and endemics of the Caucasus, and it difficult or impossible to say the breeding season and those many vagrants to Europe. which taxon or geographical popu- which can be heard throughout the An average of just over one lation a particular vocalisation year. In fact, it would have been minute is devoted to each species, belongs to. While it would be helpful to include separate tracks and the recordings are generally unfair to expect the authors to for songs and calls, or breeding- good quality mono. Some record- anticipate every taxonomic change, season and year-round vocalisa- ings are over-filtered, e.g. Hazel information about the provenance tions. Given that there are generally Grouse Bonasa bonasia and Black of the recordings would have made about 50 tracks per CD, this would Guillemot Cepphus grylle, and the the CDs much more useful to the not have been difficult to achieve, volume is nearly always loud many users who are interested in with the material being spread over regardless of whether the original systematics. Vocalisations often a potential 99 tracks per CD. sound was. For example, a male form a key part of the basis of the Regrettably, quite a few species on Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus decision to split taxa, and this col- the CDs which are most frequently aegyptius with ‘very weak calls’ is lection contains several examples observed on migration by Euro- nevertheless presented at full of taxa which have already been pean birdwatchers, or during the volume. A small number of record- split by some authorities. Examples winter months, are represented in ings are surprisingly poor, include (for some I indicate the this collection by sounds almost including those of Oystercatcher taxon actually heard on the CD in entirely limited to the breeding Haematopus ostralegus and a large parentheses): Bean Goose Anser grounds.