Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East [Paperback]

Lars Jonsson (Author), David Christie (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996

Originally published in five volumes, Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East covers all but a few of the Western Palearctic's breeding birds, and includes information on all regularly encountered vagrants. This guide has over 400 color illustrations, including 140 completely new plates, up-to-date color maps, and a fully revised text. With species accounts, distribution maps, and illustrations on facing pages, it is practically designed and easy to use.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These works are very similar in content: taxonomically arranged handbooks with concise texts emphasizing field identification and well-executed color paintings, they both include small-range maps for all regularly occurring species. However, the format differs: Peterson gives the texts, plates, and maps in separate sections; Jonsson usually has all three on the same double-page spread. The first (1954) edition of Peterson was the very first European bird guide and has been regularly revised. This new edition has 17 more plates and four more maps than the fourth (1983) edition; the text has been revised extensively by D.I.M. Wallace. Entries include English, Dutch, French, German, and Swedish common names; scientific name; identifying features (measurements are now given in both traditional and metric units); voice; habitat; and notes on similar species (when relevant). Jonsson is a new work, first published in Swedish. The entries include the same basic information found in Peterson but give only English common names and only metric measurements. Both works have accurate, up-to-date texts that will meet the needs of birders equally well. Jonsson's arrangement is more convenient; Peterson's maps are clearer. The greatest difference is in the illustrations. Most of the plates in Peterson still contain his usual rows of small birds, identically posed with no background; Jonsson's vivid plates show fewer but larger birds in natural poses, usually against a background indicating normal habitat. Jonsson often depicts more variant plumages than Peterson as well. Large libraries and most birders will want both titles, but where one work will meet reader demand, the more convenient arrangement and superior illustrations give Jonsson the edge.
- Paul B. Cors, Univ. of Wyoming Lib., Laramie
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Swedish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691026483
• ISBN-13: 978-0691026480
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,229,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well illustrated, informative, confusingly organized, March 21, 2000

By 

Tanager (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East (Paperback)

I have used this guide in Europe, a region with which I am not (in terms of avifauna) particularly familiar, and I find it informative and useful. I have heard varying opinions on the artwork - some rave about it, others say it is too artificial/unnatural/etc. I align myself with the former camp - intracacies and details of field marks are well illustrated and easily discernible - yes, perhaps more so than they would be in the field, but I have trouble with those who fault a guide for showing features not readily visible in the field - any experienced birder should know this is an eternal pitfall to *any* guide.

The text is excellent - well-written (I of course have only used the English translation, I have seen translations in other European languages as well) and concise. I do have two critiques, however: one, I would like each species description to be subdivided by keywords in boldface to make finding important features such as size, habitat, etc. easier to find in a pinch, and two, the criticisms I have read of the layout are mostly well-founded. It is not always clear to which drawing/painting a given species description applies - range maps are not always on the same page as the text or illustration, etc. This is inexcusable and would have been easily remedied if only by use of large, boldfaced numbers a la Simpson and Day (Aus.) or Grimmett et al. (India/Subcontinent).

As for the size, I almost always carry either a buttpack or daypack into the field - so it doesn't bother me a whit. I can't imagine *not* carrying a pack, in fact, so I disregard this criticism entirely - but those who feel otherwise might want to borrow a copy to see how it works for them. For any birder, however, I would say the use for which this guide is most well-suited is as a prep guide - the book to pore over en route to your birding site, soaking in as much of the extremely informative text as possible. It is by no means without fault as an in-the-field guide, but very good nonetheless.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a very user-friendly field-guide..., August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East (Paperback)

Although I have not yet used this book in the field, I am disappointed at first look. On many, many illustrations, there is ambiguity about the species id. of the many confusing illustrations on the plate. The format tries to follow the plan of text-on-left, plates-on-right, but thumbing through becomes difficult because there are too many exceptions. Even range-maps are sometimes placed on the 'wrong'side of the fold. Many users rave about the art-work---but it is too arty; Some birds of a well-camouflaged comportment are almolst impossible to even find in the illustration, due to the over-emphasis of showing the birds in their habitat. Most passerines are shown in distortedly 'fat' body shapes, defeating the value of identifying a bird by its comparative posture. There are page-numbers only on pages without plates--a terrible nuisance. The paper quality does not absorb my written-in notations quickly, so writing in notes and turning the pages results in smudging or bleed to adjacent pages. I am dreading the thought of entering an area where I have no previous familiarity with birds, and trying to use this guide to identify birds.

On the other hand, for the European birder already familiar with most species, I have no doubt that the depth and thoroughness of Jonsson would make it a valuable reference. But even the paperback of Jonsson is too large and heavy to carry in the field. I consider this book to be unsatisfactory as a primary field guide to a new area, and I will not go to Europe without a more user-friendly field guide.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No.1 Guide in Europe for many years, January 28, 2000

By 

Alan Browne (Glastonbury,England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East (Paperback)

Lars Jonsson's book has been the number one recommendation for both beginners and experianced birders for many years now, only recently improved upon by the Collins 'Birds of Britain and Europe' by Killian Mullarney et al.

The illustrations in Jonssons book are not perfect but are indeed a good guide to the birds of Europe when 'in the field'. Some birds are illustrated looking 'puffed-up' or 'fat', guides cannot show ALL postures, they should be used as guides only. The book is not as portable as other guides but if you can carry it in your bag then try to do so.

Birds of Europe : With North Africa and the Middle East is definately worth having as part of 'group' of reference guides to the birds of Europe.