Collins Bird Guide - errata and queries (1 Viewer)

[wimvdam]

Amazon seem to have the hardback dated 7Jan and the softback dated 4 Mar publication at the moment. where do i get the new hardback one from?

I bought mine at Waterstone's in Leeds. -Wim

 

[nsclayton]

Amazon seem to have the hardback dated 7Jan and the softback dated 4 Mar publication at the moment. where do i get the new hardback one from?

I received mine from Amazon the other day and it was the reprinted up to date version, it took 3 to 4 weeks to be delivered so I assume they were waiting to for the updated version before sending. Therefore I would suggest you order it from Amazon.

 

[JPAC]

This copy has ISBN:978 0 00 726726 2 hardback

11 13 15 14 12 10
3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

This probably means something to someone in publishing.

The Amazon price changes every time I look.

 

[Lars Svensson]

The amended printing of 2nd ed. is out in most stores - what a relief! 90% of the typos and other minor (and admittedly a few more grave) mistakes have been corrected, much thanks to you all, and a particularly warm thanks of course to Steve Preddy, who have sorted all the helpful comments into a workable list. (A free copy of course on its way to him for that.)

But, due to shortage of time and various considerations by the printer and publisher, most of the corrections related to maps have not been amended yet. But they will be in due course. I have updated some 65 maps thanks to the input from this thread and a few other sources. These will be included in reprints in the future.

I have a few questions related to maps and would appreciate advice.

In the Errata list, on White-fronted Goose it says 'the winter distribution in Germany is more extensive than shown'. As can easily be appreciated, it is difficult to act on such loose information. So, a sketched map or a reference would help.

If I understand previous comments correctly, Lady Amherst's Pheasant no longer breeds in England and the map could be dropped. Correct?

For Greater Flamingo I read that it 'winters in Oued Righ Valley in NE Algeria'. I am afraid I cannot find this locality. It is not listed in Isenmann & Moali (2000) either.

For Crested Lark, the Errata list says 'mapped distribution in NW Germany is too extensive'. Again, I need more precise information to act on.

 

[Richard Klim]

Lady Amherst's Pheasant

If I understand previous comments correctly, Lady Amherst's Pheasant no longer breeds in England and the map could be dropped. Correct?

Lady Amherst's Pheasant is no longer considered to have a self-sustaining population in Britain, and was therefore reassigned (in 2005) from Category C1 to new Category C6 [Former naturalized species – species formerly placed in C1 whose naturalized populations are either no longer self-sustaining or are considered extinct].

BOURC 32nd Report (Oct 2005):
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118619797/PDFSTART [p199]

Dudley 2005. Changes to Category C of the British List:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118644709/PDFSTART [p816]

Richard

 

[Microtus]

This copy has ISBN:978 0 00 726726 2 hardback

11 13 15 14 12 10
3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

This probably means something to someone in publishing.

The Amazon price changes every time I look.

Yes. The lowest number in the string indicates the printing of the book. So, the "2" means that you have purchased the second printing of the second edition. Many of the typos in the first edition will have been corrected. When the third printing of the book comes out, the lowest number in the string will be "3" and hopefully all the mistakes will have been corrected.

 

[Richard Klim]

Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Lady Amherst's Pheasant is no longer considered to have a self-sustaining population in Britain...

...so there's a strong case for deleting it from the guide altogether, perhaps replacing it with full coverage of the more deserving Reeves's Pheasant...?

Richard

 

[njlarsen]

I have a version with the full list of errors. The only one I would consider serious is the use of the wrong illustration for the juvenile Whitethroat (if I recall correctly). Is there any chance the correct one could be provided as a sticker?

Niels

 

[Acrocephalus]

For Greater Flamingo I read that it 'winters in Oued Righ Valley in NE Algeria'. I am afraid I cannot find this locality. It is not listed in Isenmann & Moali (2000) either.

Hi Lars,

Oued Righ (or Oued el Righ, Oued R'hir dependent on transcription) is an oasis complex localised some 207 to the south of town of Biskra (you can found this on the map). If you want, I can send you the article that I posted earlier (Houhamdi et al. 2008) that describes the wintering ecology of Flamingo in this region. It contains a map and description of the area.

Regards

 

[Nick Smith]

Yes. The lowest number in the string indicates the printing of the book. So, the "2" means that you have purchased the second printing of the second edition. Many of the typos in the first edition will have been corrected. When the third printing of the book comes out, the lowest number in the string will be "3" and hopefully all the mistakes will have been corrected.

or does the 2 refer to second edition as opposed to second printing of the second edition?

 

[Swissboy]

or does the 2 refer to second edition as opposed to second printing of the second edition?

No, my first printing has a 09 in the upper row on the left. And a 1 below it is indicating first printing. You may have noticed the even numbers on the right, the uneven ones on the left. The lowest number of the upper row is the year of printing. 09 being for the first printing in this case. Apparently it is the easiest way to show year and printing sequence in this way. I'm no specialist, thus can't explain the actual reason for placing the even and uneven numbers separately, rather than sequentially. Maybe someone else can?

From the present set of numbers you can conclude that up to ten printings are planned, and a third edition will not be likely within the next five years. Thus, it's a fine thing that many corrections can be done from one printing to another. As this must surely be the FG with the most thorough checks and the highest number of constructive comments, it's particularly useful that the individual printings are not all that large. Thus allowing for new input more often. And on the side, many of us will probably get more than one or two printings from the same edition. So the publisher gets double benefits as well; the first one being less tied up money in large stocks.

My next copy will be the large edition, and I hope it will already benefit from even more corrections than what was possible for the second printing of the HB FG edition. I will then wait for the German version. But eventually, an English PB edition with the then latest updates will be my then third purchase of the basically same book.

 

[Lars Svensson]

Hi Lars,

Oued Righ (or Oued el Righ, Oued R'hir dependent on transcription) is an oasis complex localised some 207 to the south of town of Biskra (you can found this on the map).

Dear Mohamed,
It is not in Google Earth, Encarta World Atlas or in Times Atlas of the World. The distance you mentioned ('207'), is that steps, yards, miles or km? Probably the last alternative. Well, then I know roughly, thanks. I don't need the paper, but thanks anyway.

 

[Acrocephalus]

It is not in Google Earth, Encarta World Atlas or in Times Atlas of the World. .

Hi Lars,

I found the area in Google maps, and only with help of the map in the article. I agree it is difficult to find it in any map, because of the problem of the transcription of the Berbero-arabe names into Latin alphabet. This transcription is not standardized, so you can found many transcriptions for a single place. Anyway, found now. It is localised at halfway between Biskra and Touggourt (encircled in the first attached map). The Oued Righ valley is in reality a big oasis complex which is composed mainly by 2 large chotts: Chott Felrhir and Chott Melrhir. Chott Felrhir in Google maps is known also by Chott Merouane (described by this name in the article of Houhamdi et al. 2008). It covers 337.700 ha and is practically covered with water during all year-round; it is the principal wintering site of the waterbirds of the entire Oeud Righ complex.

Regards

 

[Paskman]

Lars,

At the risk of sounding sycophantic (!). Can I say a big "Thank You" on behalf of all on this Forum, to you and all of your team for producing the best guide for birds this part of the World. As someone who is unable to contribute to the whereabouts of the Greater Flamingo in NE Algeria or such like (well not yet anyway!) your guide is brilliant. I took the old one along with me to Menorca last year and can safely say that life does not get much better than sitting on a lounger by the pool, in the villa you have rented, whilst drinking an ice cold beer and watching the Booted eagles soar that tou have just identified in the Collins Bird Guide sitting by you sideB

I can't wait for the day when I can send you the latest on the first breeding Hoopoes in East Sussex:t:

Keep up the good work.

Paul

 

[StevePreddy]

For completeness, here's another version of the consolidated list, including all corrections and queries that have been identified to date.

Steve

 

[Pedro Ramalho]

Hi

The 2 edition is to me a great improvement in relation to the first, and the minor faults are not particularly relevant, but there is a problem in the description of the Black headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla, the description given it´s for Lonchura malacca (both species were split) but the species that occur in Portugal is the Lonchura atricapilla and not the L. Malacca, so the description of the adult male is wrong, also, I believe that the description of the female is in fact a description for the juvenile bird, the problem is that occurs in Portugal another Lonchura, the Spyce finch Lonchura punctulata, and the juveniles of both species can fit the description for the“female”.

 

[Richard Klim]

Black-headed Munia

...there is a problem in the description of the Black headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla, the description given it´s for Lonchura malacca (both species were split) but the species that occur in Portugal is the Lonchura atricapilla and not the L. Malacca, so the description of the adult male is wrong...

My understanding also is that the Black-headed Munia population established in Portugal represents Lonchura atricapilla Chestnut Munia, which has chestnut rather than white underparts – split from L malacca Tricolored Munia by, eg, IOC, BLI, Cornell/Clements, Lynx/IBC, AOU, China OS.

Richard

 

[StuartReeves]

On the subject of Portuguese birds, an Algarve-based bird guide I was talking to last week commented that the distribution maps are out of data for Portugal as the information comes from an old and rather large scale bird atlas which has recently been superceded by a more detailed and comprehensive atlas.

 

[Tao Wild]

Please can someone post the offical website address for Collins Birds Of Britain And Europe 2nd Edition?

 

[JPAC]

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Our_Titles/Pages/Home.aspx?objID=36363