Botswana birds

[sidwithey]

Hi there,

I'm planning a trip to Botswana in September and would appreciate some recommendations on field guides. As no local bookshops stock anything remotely relevant the only viewing I can do is of front covers and publisher notes on the internet. I would prefer a book which concentrates on the more common birds of the region rather than a comprehensive guide, as this is a general wildlife and touring trip rather than an exclusively birdwatching one.
Recommendations on general wildlife guides would also be much appreciated.

Sid

[jc122463]

Hi Sid,
The Ian Sinclaire guide is definately the best comprehensive bird guide. It covers all the birds in Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe).
If you're looking for something much more generalized, my suggestion would be The Wildlife of Southern Africa. It covers the same area, but has info on not only birds, but lower invertebrates, arachnids, insects, fish, frogs, reptiles, mammals, grasses, flowers and trees. It's a basic field guide and easy to carry with you when travelling. Obviously it doesn't have extensive info covering all the species, but definitely does cover a lot of different species.
This link should take you right to it on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Wildlife-Southern-Africa-Animal-Plants/dp/1868724514/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199661924&sr=1-1

Hope that helps. If you're looking for a more mammal specific guide, try the Kingdon guide.

Cheers,
Benji

[sidwithey]

Thanks for your reply Benji

Sid