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Handbook of Western Palearctic birds (1 Viewer)

Maffong

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I'm somewhat surprised about the content of volume 1. Why doesn't it start with non-passerines like all other checklists and books and why does it only include some passerine families?

Maffong

Maffong, see the NHBS blurb about the publication: This unique and spectacular handbook is the most complete and comprehensive photographic guide to the passerines of the Western Palearctic.
Cheers,

Richard
 
Does anybody know if it's planned to translate the books into other languages?
Personally I'm not afraid to read english books but I'd prefer to buy one in German.
 
Does anybody know if it's planned to translate the books into other languages?
Personally I'm not afraid to read english books but I'd prefer to buy one in German.

I don't think that there will be a translation. Many handbooks on birds or other animals are only in English, see HBW or HMW.
 
Disgraceful and ignorant comment - you should be ashamed of yourself.

Nothing new there then, I've often been ashamed but never when you've told me I should be so don't presume to tell me what I should think and or say. Some people just cannot tolerate a view other than their own.

'Two guys in the desert, looking for Pallid Scops I think it was. A certain person turns up and offers to show the guys the birds for a fee, money exchanges hands and the man simply points and says, 'there it is'.

The guys were standing just a few metres away and literally, did not have to move an inch - at least, that's how this story has been told to me by numerous people. I think it's quite a funny story as long as it's not your own money being handed over.
 
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I assume there will eventually be an online version like the North American equivalent (HBNA) and HBW? If so, I hope—probably forlornly given the economics—that it’s put online volume by volume rather than waiting until the series is complete.
 
When if at all, I wonder, will the implied volume(s) on non-passerines appear?

Is the implication through the title? From the accompanying write-up, I understand there are no plans for a non-passerine volume.

"The handbook is divided into two volumes, with the first covering larks, hirundines, pipits and wagtails, bulbuls, accentors, robins, chats, wheatears, thrushes, prinias and cisticolas, and warblers, and the second covering flycatchers, reedlings, tits, nuthatches, orioles and sunbirds, shrikes, corvids, finches and buntings, along with extreme vagrants"

If so, guess it should really be called the Handbook of Western Palearctic Passerines :)
 
I assume there will eventually be an online version like the North American equivalent (HBNA) and HBW? If so, I hope—probably forlornly given the economics—that it’s put online volume by volume rather than waiting until the series is complete.

It will be available in digital form, yes. (From the pub date of 26 July).
 
I feel that in 15 or so years since this book was first announced, it might have lost its usefulness.

Songbirds in the Western Palearctic and their plumages were described in smallest details in several books already. Photos will be probably great. However, internet is now overfilled with perfect bird photos. I can open surfbirds.com and get bored before I browse all photos.

More interestingly, is there still a market for such large atlas-type books of European birds? I have several and stopped buying them. Or is it a dying technology, like multi-volume paper encyclopedias or VHS recorders?
 
I feel that in 15 or so years since this book was first announced, it might have lost its usefulness.

Songbirds in the Western Palearctic and their plumages were described in smallest details in several books already. Photos will be probably great. However, internet is now overfilled with perfect bird photos. I can open surfbirds.com and get bored before I browse all photos.

More interestingly, is there still a market for such large atlas-type books of European birds? I have several and stopped buying them. Or is it a dying technology, like multi-volume paper encyclopedias or VHS recorders?

Agreed. Although I'm sure this will be a fantastic book to browse and reference, the price will also be a limiting factor. Full price of £150 for the 2 volumes of passerines. A return for their investment is needed, but I wonder how many will actually be sold. With the wealth of other in-depth material available on WP passerines (existing publications and on 'net), I personally wouldn't even start thinking of investing.

Mark
 
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