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

Does anyone know if they'll be a second printing of Mark Brazil's guide to Birds of East Asia? I was wondering because it's been since 2009 that the guide first came out.

I know there are some corrections (I think he has a list somewhere on the web) of some range maps and a few new species that always occur and a small number of errata.

I was considering buying this guide and didn't know if I should wait on a second printing or not.

Thanks in advance

Also, is the Princeton version of this guide essentially the same as the (dearer) Helm one?
And I don't know if anyone can tell me how much these books weigh? I'll be hiking in Kamchatka and need to keep the weight down. If it's too much I might stick with my Wild Bird Society of Japan guide for Japan which seems to cover virtually everything I might see.
 
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Also, is the Princeton version of this guide essentially the same as the (dearer) Helm one?
And I don't know if anyone can tell me how much these books weigh? I'll be hiking in Kamchatka and need to keep the weight down. If it's too much I might stick with my Wild Bird Society of Japan guide for Japan which seems to cover virtually everything I might see.

My Princeton version weighs 955 grams. The two editions are likely the same, except for the cover.
 
My Princeton version weighs 955 grams. The two editions are likely the same, except for the cover.

Many thanks. I'm already looking at carrying a 30kg rucksack on this trip, so an extra kilo will be too much, but maybe I'll buy it anyway and refer to it before and after the trip.
 
I'm going backpacking to india and southeast asia later this year. I noticed that there has been recommendations for east of these areas separately (each over 500p). I figured both books may be a little too much to carry, so if i compromise with quality, is there any field guide that covers both regions?
 
is there any field guide that covers both regions?

Don't think there is, for sure not of decent quality. I wouldn't compromise (at least if birding makes a good share of your trip) and rather buy one in the region and send the other one back (or give to a local birder/guide). For SE-Asia, you can go for the condensed 2005 version of the Robson
 
Birds of SE ASia

I have heard somewhere, some months ago, that there was a new edition of Robson's Field Guide to Bords of SE ASia due that would have many of the latest taxonomic revisions.
As I'm off to Vietnam/Cambodia next month - I'm interested if anyone has any word if it is indeed immenent..... or just wind !

Ray Murray
 
I have heard somewhere, some months ago, that there was a new edition of Robson's Field Guide to Bords of SE ASia due that would have many of the latest taxonomic revisions.
As I'm off to Vietnam/Cambodia next month - I'm interested if anyone has any word if it is indeed immenent..... or just wind !

Ray Murray

The second edition of the full version (2008) has the most up to date taxonomy. I have not heard of any update in the works. The compact field guide version (2005), which I personally prefer for field use, is not as current, but handier and lighter. Only the field guide version has main text opposite the plates.
 
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My thanks for the link - I see however from the page length that it is the 'larger' version - I recall this was not especially 'field-friendly' and remember in the early 2000s swapping the old large version of the book for the abbreviated version of half as many pages and 2/3rds the dimensions - just plates and facing pages and the smaller format that meant you were not lugging around 2km of book.
As I've got the most recent taxonomy on computer I might just have to cope with the old 2005 version plus advice from the bird guides we encounter ! A pity !

My thanks again for your help.

Ray
 
What about Thailand, folks? Seem to be various possibilities and all roads lead to Robson......
Would be using this in the field.

Cheers,
Jim.
 
What about Thailand, folks? Seem to be various possibilities and all roads lead to Robson......
Would be using this in the field.

Cheers,
Jim.
Yes, the compact SE-Asia FG edition is fine. No range maps, unfortunately, only range descriptions.
 
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China & South East Asia

There probably isn't anything to cover this as I have already done a bit of 'googling' but I thought it's worth asking the question.

I am going on 2 non-birding holidays in the next 12 months the first is China, doing the classic Beijing - Xian - Yangtze Cruise -Shanghai route and the other to Thailand again a tour, Bangkok, River Kwai, Chang Rai, Chang Mai. So apart from the cultural experience I'm sure we will see a good number of birds.

Plus in the future trips to Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos may be on the cards.

I don't anticipate going on a specialist birding holiday to any of these countries, as much as I would like to! But am looking for a field guide that might cover all areas, as it is it looks like I will have to buy at least 2. Anybody any advice?

Cheers
Tom
 
There probably isn't anything to cover this as I have already done a bit of 'googling' but I thought it's worth asking the question.

I am going on 2 non-birding holidays in the next 12 months the first is China, doing the classic Beijing - Xian - Yangtze Cruise -Shanghai route and the other to Thailand again a tour, Bangkok, River Kwai, Chang Rai, Chang Mai. So apart from the cultural experience I'm sure we will see a good number of birds.

Plus in the future trips to Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos may be on the cards.

I don't anticipate going on a specialist birding holiday to any of these countries, as much as I would like to! But am looking for a field guide that might cover all areas, as it is it looks like I will have to buy at least 2. Anybody any advice?

Cheers
Tom
The Birds of east Asia by Mark Brazil for China. The Birds of Southeast Asia by Craig Robson for the rest.
 
I'm off to Goa in January. Is Birds of the Indian Sub-continent the only guide worth taking? Any other guides out there to cover Butterflies, Reptiles etc?
 
Any ideas for Mongolia folks. My wife is heading there in September for a riding holiday and always keeps an eye out for birds.

Thanks
 

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