Recommendation, please (1 Viewer)

A birding friend is being married in late June. She is marrying an airline pilot who is taking her to Australia and New Zealand for their honeymoon.

As she is interested in a field guide for the trip, I'd like to give them one for a wedding gift. I plan to embellish a blank journal to keep their memories in, to go along with it (I'm also into paper crafting, rubber stamping, etc.)

May I have your recommendations on a field guide for Australia and/or New Zealand, or both? One that would be available in the US?

I know my friend wants to 'bone up' on the birds well before they leave, so I hope to make this an early gift, and have it to them early in May.

Thanks for any help you can give me!!

hi Beverly. What a wonderful place to honeymoon- I've never visited either N. Zealand myself or Australia, but they're sure on my wish lists
I just have to recommend a bird guide to you though. I recently met a fascinating woman via a butterfly photo group. Her name is Denise Goodfellow , a native Australian who leads eco-tours and much more- she has just come out with a wonderful guide on Australia's north end birds- she was kind enough to send me a copy and it is a very informative & well written guide- her website is at:
http://www.denisegoodfellow.com/

for additional guides, I would check with American Birding Association- they have access to every field guide published world wide. You can order at their website store or request a catalog.
http://www.americanbirding.org/

Your wedding gift of a hand-made journal sounds like a wonderful gift

"A birding friend is being married in late June. She is marrying an airline pilot "
My deepest sympathies to her.... they're a rough bunch

I have an excellent field guide for Australian birds.... 'Simpson and Day's Field Guide To The Birds Of Australia", even has a waterproof cover, ideal for Melbourne! It's published by Christopher Helm in the U.K.
I know Amazon.com (in the U.S.) has the previous version of this book 'Birds Of Australia' for about $27, but not 100% sure about it's content.
Hope that helps a bit.
Andy

Hi Beverly,

I would recommend, for starters, the "Pizzey and Knight Field Guide to Birds of Australia", which is my favourite field guide (having said that, I also own and use the Simpson and Day and Morcombe Field Guides, either of which are comprehensive and quality field guides). All three are in the modern text+facing page pictures format. The only field guide to the birds of NZ that I have seen is the "Collins Field Guide Birds of New Zealand" by Falla, Sibson and Turbott. It is in the old-style of separated text and pictures, and I am sure there are far better guides out there.

I hope this helps,

You're all so kind to give me recommendations! I'll check this books out and find one for the wedding present.

I've never visited there either, but thanks to a couple of birding forums elsewhere, I know I'd find some familiar faces, at least around Brisbane. An aunt of mine is a native of Melbourne, and still has family there as well. She visits there every 3-5 years, and every time she goes, I offer to be her slave and carry the baggage, etc. She never takes me up on my offer. Can you imagine?