Best bird guides by region...Africa (1 Viewer)

[ovenbird43]

For southern Africa, I suggest Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair, Hockey, and Tarboton (Princeton, 2002)

 

[Swissboy]

For Ghana and Togo, it's clearly the new Birds of Ghana FG published in the Helm Series.

For East Africa, my preferred book is Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe (Poyser).

 

[njlarsen]

For southern Africa, I suggest Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair, Hockey, and Tarboton (Princeton, 2002)

Surpassed by 4th edition, supposedly (I have only seen third which is this one)

Niels

 

[Swissboy]

Malagasy region

I presume Madagascar and the surroundings also go under Africa. So here is an addition:
Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands Madagascar-Mauritius-Réunion-Rodrigues-Seychelles-Comoros by Ian Sinclair and Olivier Langrand
Fully revised edition 2013, Struik Nature, Cape Town, South Africa

 

[jedigrant]

This is just about to come out: Birds of Western Africa: Second Edition, by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

I don't have the first edition (or any other field guides to this region), so I can't do any comparisons. But it's a standard-looking modern field guide, and looks pretty good to me. It's a bit thick for the number of species included, but the plates are relatively uncrowded, which isn't an altogether bad thing.

 

[Swissboy]

This is just about to come out: Birds of Western Africa: Second Edition, by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

I don't have the first edition (or any other field guides to this region), so I can't do any comparisons. But it's a standard-looking modern field guide, and looks pretty good to me. It's a bit thick for the number of species included, but the plates are relatively uncrowded, which isn't an altogether bad thing.

I'm a bit puzzled about this book. There used to be a first edition with 832 pages, and later, a FG derived from it came out with 512 pages. So is this second edition with 592 pages meant to replace both of them? No mention of Field Guide in the title, though. But the layout seems to follow FG practice. And comparing sizes also indicates that the book is meant to serve as FG.

Edit: I just noticed the book runs in the Helm Field Guides series. But preview comparisons (at least on Amazon, and they usually get the contents from somewhere) seem to compare it with the larger original edition.

 

[temmie]

For the Horn of Africa, there is one very good choice: Birds of the Horn of Africa by Redman, Stevenson, Fanshawe, Small et al.

 

[Arbu]

I guess Guide to the Mammals of Madagascar by Nick Garbutt is the one to get for Madagascar mammals?

 

[Swissboy]

I guess Guide to the Mammals of Madagascar by Nick Garbutt is the one to get for Madagascar mammals?

Not exactly a bird guide , but for mammals, I also guessed that I should get this one. I have not had a chance yet to use it, but a trip is forthcoming for November.

 

[Zangazanga]

Is there errata page anywhere for publishing misses/errors with this book?

This is just about to come out: Birds of Western Africa: Second Edition, by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

I don't have the first edition (or any other field guides to this region), so I can't do any comparisons. But it's a standard-looking modern field guide, and looks pretty good to me. It's a bit thick for the number of species included, but the plates are relatively uncrowded, which isn't an altogether bad thing.

I just got this book, and first impressions are ok (I have been using Birds of Africa South of the Sahara 2nd Ed.), I did get a bittaken aback by how dark some of the plates seem (for example the large eagles).
But my concern is that one of the plates (Plate 226: Drongos and Piapiac) has been published without the text to show what bird each illustration is meant to represent. 8 black birds on a page with no good way to connect them with the 5 birds described on the facing page.
Has the publisher addressed this issue anywhere?
z.

 

[Swissboy]

Second FG for Malagasy region

I presume Madagascar and the surroundings also go under Africa. So here is an addition:
Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands Madagascar-Mauritius-Réunion-Rodrigues-Seychelles-Comoros by Ian Sinclair and Olivier Langrand
Fully revised edition 2013, Struik Nature, Cape Town, South Africa

A second FG for the same region has just been published. This one in the Helm FG series.
Here is my comparative brief review: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=316547
see post #14 and 15

 

[Swissboy]

.............

For East Africa, my preferred book is Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe (Poyser).

A new second edition of this book is now scheduled for July 2017. That is, if there are not any more delays. It should long have been out by now.

 

[Paulo Paixao]

I just got this book, and first impressions are ok (I have been using Birds of Africa South of the Sahara 2nd Ed.), I did get a bittaken aback by how dark some of the plates seem (for example the large eagles).
But my concern is that one of the plates (Plate 226: Drongos and Piapiac) has been published without the text to show what bird each illustration is meant to represent. 8 black birds on a page with no good way to connect them with the 5 birds described on the facing page.
Has the publisher addressed this issue anywhere?
z.

I asked Bloomsbury and they sent me a replacement page - see attached pdf.

I've also notices an error in Plate 244 Widiwbirds and Bishops II, on page 521 - the names of the two species at the bottom should be switched: the pair on the bottom left is Yellow-crowned Bishop; the pair on the bottom right is Yellow Bishop.

 

[Carol Rushton]

Best photographic Field Guide to the birds of Botswana.

Hi everyone,

I have just returned from an exhausting but very enjoyable trip to mainly Botswana.

It was not a dedicated birding trip and the leader / driver had a good knowledge of mammals and where to find them,but not birds.

Therefore there was a need to mainly self guide , on the birds.

I took several pictures during the trip, with my Lumix bridge camera, as well as field notes.

However I am by no means a very good photographer.

Having returned I am now scratching my head , as I thumb through this the Fied guides, as to the identification of what I saw.

So please can anyone recommend a book which gives a good photographic guide to the birds of Botswana.

As well as helping with identification of what I saw, I would also like to look at far better images than those I took of the birds of Botswana, so would find thumbing through such a book, now I am back at home in Clevedon, a real pleasure.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions which you can make.

Kind regards, Carol

 

[CaliSteve]

A new guide for Cameroon just published. We are not exactly spoiled with guides for this part of Africa so this is a very welcomed addition.

https://www.nhbs.com/2?q=&hPP=60&id...ects_books.lvl1][0]=Ornithology&qtview=224003

 

[Andy Adcock]

Looks to be a more of an academic work, status and distribution rather than a field guide, I don't see it replacing 'Borrow and Demey' any time soon?

 

[Jim M.]

Looks to be a more of an academic work, status and distribution rather than a field guide, I don't see it replacing 'Borrow and Demey' any time soon?

Yes, the sample pages indicate it is not a field guide. Just has photos, detailed distribution maps, and a discussion of distribution.

 

[Andy Adcock]

A new second edition of this book is now scheduled for July 2017. That is, if there are not any more delays. It should long have been out by now.

This title is now showing for 10/20 on NHBS.

 

[jurek]

Are there any guide books to DRC or Sudan, other than The Birds of Africa and HBW?

 

[Swissboy]

Are there any guide books to DRC or Sudan, other than The Birds of Africa and HBW?

DRC = ?