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HBW 14 announced (1 Viewer)

Yes, Chris has painted them all. A job that has cost him four months to accomplish. Makes you wonder about a plate or two, doesn't it ?
 
Received the leaflet in the post the other day and yes, Chris' pics are great (which is why it annoys me when they use sub-standard artists!) but I bet he's a bit pissed that the credit at the bottom of the page goes to Hilary Burn....
 
I also received their letter and was shocked by their statement that some volumes will be soon out of print. I only have the first two, so I better start saving for the rest.
 
No, its says:

"Please note that stocks of some volumes of HBW are low and we advise who wish to complete their collections not to wait until the last moment before ordering"
 
The blurb for the series originally said that they would be publishing update volumes 'so that it will be a living series'. That claim disappeared from the website after a few years, and has not returned. Has anyone else heard anytying about this - either revised volumes (which might be technically difficult) or update volumes?

Cheers,

Keith
 
Swissboy said:
Enjoy, and let us know what you think of the sample plates. I hope Chris Rose has done ALL of the Birds of Paradise. I very much like his art.
Click to expand...

So do I, even if the males of two of the species (upperparts of Magnificent BOP & underparts of Twelve-wired BOP) on the sample plate look rather faded - somewhat like these species often end up looking in captivity. Compare these photos of wild individuals:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9115329@N04/576226114/
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43024

Anyhow, based on his usual standard I'm sure the vast majority will be spot on, and certainly look forward to this volume - esp. the Corvids (and not only because they're the only group in this volume with represents in the Neotropics!).

I was also wondering about the updates they mentioned early on, but I'm not entirely sure how that could be done without re-publishing several of the early volumes in new versions (which I doubt they will).
 
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Has there been any speculation about an on-line version of HBW does anybody know? This, it seems to me, is the only sensible way of keeping a massive work of this kind up-to-date. Witness, for example, BNA-online which is continually up-dated & has several other advantages--e.g., audio files, video files--over the now, I believe, out-of-print printed edition (which I almost bought some years ago & am now very glad I didn't).

Obviously, it doesn't make much sense for the publisher to scout the possibility of an on-line version before the printed series is complete, as doing so would probably hurt sales. But that doesn't mean that eventual on-line treatment isn't in the cards.
 
fugl said:
....Obviously, it doesn't make much sense for the publisher to scout the possibility of an on-line version before the printed series is complete, as doing so would probably hurt sales. But that doesn't mean that eventual on-line treatment isn't in the cards.
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Online versions certainly have the advantages you mentioned. However, I definitely prefer having a book that I can actually leaf through. An online version would only serve as an addition for me for sounds, videos and updates. But definitely never as a substitute.
 
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Swissboy said:
Online versions certainly have the advantages you mentioned. However, I definitely prefer having a book that I can actually leaf through. An online version would only serve as an addition for me for sounds, videos and updates. But definitely never as a substitute.
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Agree totally with this statement. There's just something about picking up a book and leafing through its pages... a timeless tactile quality that could never be substituted
 
birdboybowley said:
Agree totally with this statement. There's just something about picking up a book and leafing through its pages... a timeless tactile quality that could never be substituted
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I like books too, and have read lots of them in my long life. Nevertheless, on-line publishing (or some non-paper equivalent) is surely the wave of the future, particularly with respect to handbooks & other reference material needing constant up-dating. It's simply not economical for publishers to keep printed versions of works like HBW up-to-date and, for my part, I'd much rather have a living breathing on-line publication than a dead lump of a book--however pleasant to handle & to leaf through--getting further out-of-date with each passing year.
 
I am really curious whether there will be an account for the Boulou Burti Boubou and how they will treat the Somali Boubou.
 
fugl said:
Ihandbooks & other reference material needing constant up-dating.
Click to expand...

I very much prefer the book format. Pleasure of reading, beauty of pictures, no aching eyes from the monitor.

Electronic manual - I still doubt if it is possible with natural sciences. Despite improvement of all the portable gizmos, there is a need of high-quality pictures, easy access, damage-proof cover. I will leave electronic manuals for programming.
 
Handbook of the western palearctic came in a DVD version after completion. I have been hoping for something like that for HBW, because, honestly, I dont have enough shelves for the entire printed version.

Niels
 
jurek said:
Electronic manual - I still doubt if it is possible with natural sciences. Despite improvement of all the portable gizmos, there is a need of high-quality pictures, easy access, damage-proof cover. I will leave electronic manuals for programming.
Click to expand...

Not yet, I agree. Kindle II (which I just bought) handles text beautifully--no aching eyes I assure you--but still isn't up to complicated charts & high quality color illustrations. But Kindle III (or IV or V) will surely be so & that is what I'm waiting for.
 
Only a few weeks left until the release of HBW 14. In particular i am curious on the chapters about the Bowerbirds and the Birds of Paradise (by Clifford and Dawn Frith).
 
HBW 14 is out now. BTW: Is someone here who knows whether the Uluguru Bush-shrike was ever photographed in its natural habitat?
 
Although just read today on the OB chatgroup that Filip Verbelen's excellent photo (first-ever!!) of the recently rediscovered Banggai Crow is appearing in the latest volume of HBW out next week...so who knows??? Also in the message was a brief history of the bird, that it was known from only 2 specimens rom 1900 until 2007 when 2 more specimens were secured.....great! 2 more dead birds from an obviously very low population....
 
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