I think we've been privileged to live through what have been the halcyon days for field guides and handbooks. No previous generation has had so much information at their fingertips or such quality illustrations to help with ID. I think though, that now, we may be witnessing the begining of the end for hard copy as more and more publications are available electronically, it will be a sad day when the last book is printed.
I certainly agree with you. For my first trip to Costa Rica in 1971, there was simply nothing except a heavy book with descriptions that was also out of print. And the next best books with at least some plates were one for Guatemala by Hugh Land (1970), and De Schauensee for South America. Simply terrible. The first book with halfway decent plates appeared in 1972. But the author L. Irby Davis used his own names and splits (when they were not yet fashionable) that the book became very difficult to use together with others like those for Mexico and even the US. The attached scan shows how one had to deal with the difficulties, but also the relatively good quality of the illustrations.
I've used the same seller for about 25 years and only if they can't get something, do I resort to other sources.
We have one local "regular" bookstore, and it's a chain, and it's actually the next town over, so about a 30 minute drive. I try whenever possible to buy books in person there, but other than the super popular guides (like Nat Geo or Sibley), they seldom have much of a selection of natural history related books.
You should visit the British Birdwatching Fair at some point, there are numerous booksellers who have stands there though they tend to be pricey. They carry a good range of books including antiquarian and some that are hard to get.
All depends how much of a book collector one really is. I for one am mostly interested in new FGs now. I feel like at my age (78) I should rather sell than buy anyway. But in most ways, I have pretty much been in a situation like Niels here in Switzerland. It is easy to find the books I need/want as long as they are written in German. But for the ones in English (by far the majority for me), the Internet has long been the best/often only way to go.
ATBOTW has arrived. It’s awesome. Definitely not a field guide. The vast majority is replicated, and more, online. But to have it in front of you is fantastic. And so far after a quick flick through, the quality is great. None of the criticisms from earlier reviews. I love just losing myself in it.
Yep. Among the possible improvements must be the inclusion of the 'newly' described endemic Pincoya Storm-petrel.
Well, it depends how you define textual addition. There are entries on Length, Weight, World Range and Habitat, Social Behaviour, Nest, Incubation, Fledging Period, Food, Voice, Migration, Conservation status in the Elphick book. And then it depends on the family: There are families (e.g. Tyrannids) that have some more text and than there are families which have rather less text (e.g. Seriemas)No one, anyone?
Ticking doradito and Patagonian forest earthcreeper splits are not really covered in the original either
Bird Families of the World is more informative, as the Elphick book did not recognize new families like Modulatricidae
