The Birds of China [Hardcover]

Rodolphe Meyer De Schauensee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1984

A reference catalogue which provides a guide to all the birds found in China - 1195 species in 88 families. It offers an account for each species with emphasis on diagnostic field characteristics, followed by the bird's general and detailed range. Notes on ecology and taxonomy are included.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (June 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198586027
• ISBN-13: 978-0198586029
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,001,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Illustrated guide, not a field guide, November 7, 2008

By 

Soleglad (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birds of China (Hardcover)

Basics: 1984, hardcover, 602 pages, 38 color plates of 516 species, 1,200 species discussed, no range maps

This book is a cross between an illustrated guide and a general accounting of China's birds. What this book is NOT is a field guide. Here are the four reasons. One, this book illustrates only 516 (40%) of China's 1,300 birds. Two, most of the species that are illustrated are shown by only one plumage, which is of the adult male. Three, the illustrations contain no information or identification notes next to the plates except for the bird's name. And, four, this book has a larger format (9 x 6.5 inches) which will be cumbersome in the field.

It appears the selection of species tends to be the more colorful birds or those with distinctive identification features. These are portrayed in 38 color plates which offer fair to good artistry. This range of artistic quality comes from the use of three different artists, each who've illustrated other bird guides. Of the 38 plates, 23 were drawn by one artist and are the lesser quality of the plates. These illustrations show a style that has a cartoonish flavor with a generalized wash of color and with little feather detail. The artist has captured the essence of the bird's color patterns but not the realism. The remaining 15 plates by two other artists are notably better. There is better realism with posture, proportions, and certainly with feather detail and color. This book contains another 39 black-and-white drawings which are scattered throughout the book. These typically take half the page and include a natural background with the birds. These are quality drawings done by a fourth artist.

The text is more complete, covering 1,200 (92%) of China's birds. Each species receives its own account that is up to a half-page in length. This material covers description, range in China, global breeding range, habitat, and voice. For many of the birds, additional material is given to compare against similar species. The descriptions given on each bird are brief and somewhat generalized. They don't often point out useful identification features. If you come across an uncertain identification in the field and, assuming you can narrow down your choice to a couple of the birds with or without the plates, these descriptions might be able to help you identify the bird but, not always.

The ranges given for each bird are good, but are somewhat general due to the large size of China. Since no range maps are included, you'll definitely need to brush up on your geography of China to become more familiar with the names of the various provinces, mountain ranges, rivers, valleys, and other features mentioned as boundaries of the bird's distribution. Here's an example for the Blue Roller: "Found in nw Sinkiang south to the Tien Shan and the Kunlun and east to the Khotan River".

This book will be helpful as a secondary source of information. Its best use is probably at your desk to study in advance of a trip or, to refer to with your other books when you still have questions about a mystery bird. Fortunately, better options exist for a field guide in China. Some recommended books are "The Birds of Hong Kong and South China" 8th edition by Viney/Phillips and "A Field Guide to the Birds of China" by MacKinnan/Phillipps. For color photos, the "A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong" by the Hong Kong Birding Society is good. A more recent book by Mark Brazil, "Birds of East Asia", is very good but covers only the eastern half of China. -- (Written by Jack at Avian Review / Avian Books, November 2008)

I've listed several related books below...
1) The Birds of Hong Kong and South China 8th ed. by Viney/Phillips
2) A Field Guide to the Birds of China by MacKinnon/Phillipps
3) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong by HKBS (ISBN 9621428947)
4) Atlas of birds of China by Qian (ISBN 7534915643)
5) Birds of China by Zhang
6) Atlas of the Beijing Birds by Zhao (ISBN 7503822570)
7) The Avifauna of Hong Kong by Carey (ISBN 9627508020)
8) Birds of China by Zhang
9) Les oiseaux de Chine, de Mongolie et de Coree non passereaux by Etchecopar
10) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Japan and North-East Asia by Shimba
(written by Soleglad at Avian Review or Avian Books, November 2008)