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Lynx: Birds of Thailand, Birds of Vietnam (1 Viewer)

dalat

...
Switzerland
I saw that there is a new Birds of Thailand fieldguide by Lynx edicions, and they also announced a Birds of Vietnam with the same concept:

https://www.lynxeds.com/product/birds-thailand-0
https://www.lynxeds.com/product/birds-vietnam

Anyone got the Thailand guide and can comment? Any reviews out there already?

I'm not sure what to think about the idea with the QR codes for every species, linking to the IBC collection. Perhaps practical, but personally I usually do research on images and videos not on the phone, but on the PC, and then not only look at IBC only but at other resources as well. So I guess I would not use it much and prefer not to have these ugly codes plastered all over the book.

But if the book is good in anything else, that would be just a minor annoyance to me.
 
I've got the Thailand guide. Initial impressions are favourable, though I've not looked at it too closely. The format is similar to other Lynx guides (e.g. the Indonesia and New Guinea ones). I get the impression that there's less wasted space in the Thailand guide though (i.e. less blank space at the bottom of pages), which is a good thing. The illustrations of individual birds seem a bit bigger in most cases too. There's the quirk of having the maps included in the plates rather than with the text, which takes a bit of getting used to but the maps are big and clear.

I've not looked closely at the text yet, but the format is similar to other Lynx guides with useful stuff such as a similar species section and any alternative names listed. One minor annoyance I spotted was with the ordering of species in the plates, particularly in the Phylloscopus warblers, where similar species weren't always grouped together in a very logical way e.g. Eastern Crowned Warbler appears rather randomly in amongst the 'Seicercus' type warblers, which don't look very similar to it.

I would certainly get the book if you've an interest in birds in the region.
 
The format is similar to other Lynx guides (e.g. the Indonesia and New Guinea ones).

Thanks a lot! I have the Indonesia guide and like it (although unfortunately had not yet the opportunity to use it in the field). So I will certainly get the Vietnam book once it is out.

I think Lynx is reusing the plates of HBW for these guides, and comissioned additional drawings for different plumages and positions (e.g. in flight). I wonder if these additional plates are then added also to HBW alive?
 
I see the Thailand guide is listed as being a hardback. If that means it is similar to the Indonesian archipelago guide in weight, it will be uncomfortably heavy for field use. Really don't understand why the publisher is not offering paperback editions.
 
I see the Thailand guide is listed as being a hardback. If that means it is similar to the Indonesian archipelago guide in weight, it will be uncomfortably heavy for field use. Really don't understand why the publisher is not offering paperback editions.

Yes, it's pretty much the same size and weight. It's a little bit slimmer (44 pages shorter) but otherwise is fairly hefty. I like to think Lynx will bring out an app at some stage in the near future but I don't know if that will actually happen.
 
I think Lynx is reusing the plates of HBW for these guides, and comissioned additional drawings for different plumages and positions (e.g. in flight). I wonder if these additional plates are then added also to HBW alive?


The answer to your question is yes.
 
I see the Thailand guide is listed as being a hardback. If that means it is similar to the Indonesian archipelago guide in weight, it will be uncomfortably heavy for field use. Really don't understand why the publisher is not offering paperback editions.


Overall weight is largely governed by the number of pages and the quality of the paper used. Whether a book is softback, hardback or laminated softback really makes rather little difference to the weight of any given guide. Given this, Lynx has typically published hardcover field guides in the belief that these will be more resistant to the rigours of field use. It is, nevertheless, the case that a hardback book might prove less easily stuffed into a small space like a day bag.
 
Overall weight is largely governed by the number of pages and the quality of the paper used. Whether a book is softback, hardback or laminated softback really makes rather little difference to the weight of any given guide. Given this, Lynx has typically published hardcover field guides in the belief that these will be more resistant to the rigours of field use. It is, nevertheless, the case that a hardback book might prove less easily stuffed into a small space like a day bag.

I think I've only used one hardcover in the field (Wallacea) and it didn't fare that well, as you say, not easy to jam in to a bag resulting in damage to the cover, especially corners.
 
Overall weight is largely governed by the number of pages and the quality of the paper used. Whether a book is softback, hardback or laminated softback really makes rather little difference to the weight of any given guide. Given this, Lynx has typically published hardcover field guides in the belief that these will be more resistant to the rigours of field use. It is, nevertheless, the case that a hardback book might prove less easily stuffed into a small space like a day bag.

Agree, but paperback editions are significantly lighter in my experience; just because it is paperback doesn't mean the only change they make is to swap covers.
 
Thanks a lot :t:

I also prefer paperback editions generally to hard covers. The pointy corners of the hard cover are usually bothersome and wear off quickly.

Of course, the soft corners of the paperbacks wear out as well. In the end, they usually look worse in less time.

But I also prefer soft covers, particularly those that come with some type of lamination. It's the fact that the soft covers adapt better to the space available that is important. Plus, the hard covers make the book thicker, that is often more of a problem than the slight weight increase.
 
I have had only a couple of hardcover books that I actually have used in the field. In both, the back fell off, and later the front came off one of them, while the back came off the other. I have used a number of softcover books extensively in the field: I have not experienced a softcover book fall apart in the same way.

Niels
 
I have had only a couple of hardcover books that I actually have used in the field. In both, the back fell off, and later the front came off one of them, while the back came off the other. I have used a number of softcover books extensively in the field: I have not experienced a softcover book fall apart in the same way.

Same here.

I also like best laminated soft covers. The cover needs to have the same size as the pages and not protrude. Corners will also wear off, but slower as with prodtruding covers and the cover will not come off entirely.
 
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