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Best bird guides by region...Asia (2 Viewers)

What would be the actual go to for Thailand.
Birds of South East Asia and Birds of Thailand both seem to have had an Update/New Edition since last covered here.
 
The one currently out has an excellent range of contributors which will tempt me to buy just to look at and read as at present i have no plans to visit but i do like having field guides of potential trip destinations in the Palearctic:t:

Laurie -
 
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Go To Field Guides for Sulawesi AND Malaysian Borneo?

It looks as though I'll be fortunate enough to bird on both of these islands.

I've seen that there are a number of field guides out there including some newer editions. I realize I'll probably need one for each island.

Any recommendations? Thanks!
 
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Andy, isn't there something out there that's more like a softback field guide that you can recommend?

There's nothing else for Sulawesi. (And before that book came out there wasn't a guide at all that was in print; so be thankful for it).

If you want to buy two books, you could get the Myers Guide for Borneo (second edition). It is a lightweight paperback.
 
Thanks for replying. I do intend to purchase the Myers Borneo Book. Jim and Andy, do you know anything about this publication: "Birds of the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, and Wallacea (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)"?

It appears as though it might cover Sulawesi and Halmahera, but the information I've found is a bit sketchy. I have no idea what an "illustrated checklist" is, though.
 
Thanks for replying. I do intend to purchase the Myers Borneo Book. Jim and Andy, do you know anything about this publication: "Birds of the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, and Wallacea (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)"?

It appears as though it might cover Sulawesi and Halmahera, but the information I've found is a bit sketchy. I have no idea what an "illustrated checklist" is, though.
I had forgotten about that one because it doesn't claim to be a full field guide. "Illustrated Checklist" typically means the book has less information (and sometimes smaller and lower quality illustrations) than a field guide--but that can vary from just a picture and a name to an attempt to offer something like what you would get in a full field guide.

I see this one also covers Borneo. I haven't seen the book, but reviews say range maps are separate from the illustrations, which could be a major drawback for a book covering such a large area.
 
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Tell you what. I'll get it and post a review. The maps would be a pain, but there is a work-around if I feel like doing a little work, which I will.
 
Review of "BIRDS OF THE GREATER SUNDAS, THE PHILIPPINES AND WALLACEA" by Arlott, Princeton Illustrated Checklists, to be subsequently referred to as GSPW.
The first fact to report is that I have not yet traveled to Indonesia/Malaysia, so this field guide will not be truly put to the test until Aug. - Oct., 2020.
This is the 5th birding book from the Princeton University Press that I'll be using, but the first labeled an "Illustrated Checklist" vs. a field guide. I'm comparing this to "Birds of India", "Birds of Thailand", "Birds of Europe" and "Birds of Southeast Asia".
The bird illustrations in GSPW are slightly smaller than those in some of the field guides, but I don't think the smaller size will generally be a problem. A quick search through the pages indicates that most of the similar birds are found on different islands/countries. I do like the fact that those similar-looking birds have been placed on the same page to make identification easier. On the down side, it does appear as though the reddish-orange colors are a little too saturated and some of the darker shades are too dark. Overall, the illustrations are fairly good, but not excellent.
The written information opposite the illustrations is a bit skimpier than a true field guide, but does describe habits, calls, habitats and country/island where the species can be found. There is no information dealing with identification making the illustrations all the more important.
All range maps have been relegated to the back of the book. It would have been nice had they been placed opposite the illustrations.
With 179 illustrated plates the book covers more than 1,900 species, and the size is very manageable. The specs are 13cm X 19cm X 2.5cm and weighs about 450 grams. (Being a Yank, I had to do all these conversions to metric; I hope you appreciate that!) :)
 
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………….. The specs are 13cm X 19cm X 2.5cm and weighs about 450 grams. (Being a Yank, I had to do all these conversions to metric; I hope you appreciate that!) :)

Hi Bruce, looks like another attempt to finally catch up with the rest of the world regarding convenience of measuring units. ;) o:)

I know it's a pain both ways! I lived in the US for 5 years when there were no convenient computers.
 
Truly! Whenever I travel I have to brush-up on metric. It's ridiculous that the American people do not switch to it.

Ironic that your monetary system was metric from it's inception, you should have tried handling the old Pounds, Shillings and Pence before we went decimal!

4 Farthings to a Penny
2 Halfpennies to a Penny
12 Pennies to one shilling
20 Shillings to 1 Pound
21 Shillings = 1 Guinea which oddly, is still the unit for prize money in many horse races and in many cases, for purchasing horses.
 
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Andy, surely you haven't forgotten the thrupenny bits, tanners, and half-crowns already? Real money; not namby-pamby metrics ... the kids of today don't know they're born, etc, etc. When I were a lad .........
 

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