Birds of the Horn of Africa (Helm Field Guides) [Paperback]

Nigel Redman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2009 | Series: Helm Field Guides

The Horn of Africa has the highest endemism of any region in Africa, and around 70 species are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these are confined to the isolated highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, but a large number of larks specialise in the arid parts of Somalia and adjoining eastern Ethiopia, whilst the island of Socotra has its own suite of endemic species. The region is also an important migration route and wintering site for many Palearctic birds. This is the first field guide to the birds of this fascinating region, and a companion to Birds of East Africa by two of the same authors. Over 200 magnificent plates by John Gale and Brian Small illustrate every species that has ever occurred in the five countries covered by the guide, and the succinct text covers the key identification criteria. Special attention is paid to the voices of the species, and over 1000 up-to-date colour distribution maps are included. This long-awaited guide is a much-needed addition to the literature on African birds and an essential companion for birders visiting the region.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Without a doubt, this is an essential companion for birders visiting the region.' Biologist (August 2009) 'A classic Helm field guide of typically high standard...vital to any birder visiting this area.' Scottish Bird (2009) 'This beautifully produced book is reasonably priced and conveniently sized; it will do much to advance knowledge and conservation of the birds of the region.' Book Review - British Ornithologists' Union (2009) '...bang up-to-date, gives good coverage of subspecies and even includes a few, as yet unresolved, mysteries.' Birdquest (August 2009) '...an essential reference for any birdwatching trip to the region...everything you need to make a visit to the region the trip of a lifetime!' Birdwatch (May 2009)

From the Back Cover

"Birds of the Horn of Africa is a welcome addition to the literature on the birds of Africa. . . . [I]t is an outstanding work."--Emil K. Urban, Augusta State University

"This eagerly awaited field guide is the first ever to cover the stunning birds of an outstanding region. . . . With its unrivalled, truly authoritative coverage, Birds of the Horn of Africa is indispensable for birders and ornithologists alike."--C. Hilary Fry, University of Aberdeen

"This is one of the best field guides in the world. The writing is of a very high standard, and I am impressed by the overall quality of the plates and attention paid to local subspecies. Birds of the Horn of Africa is the premier field guide to the region."--Keith N. Barnes, editor of The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd (April 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713665416
• ISBN-13: 978-0713665413
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,999,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > History > Africa > Djibouti
  • #55 in Books > History > Africa > Eritrea

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent plates makes it a must-have for birding in the region, May 27, 2009

By 

Soleglad (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of the Horn of Africa (Helm Field Guides) (Paperback)

Basics: 2009, softcover, 496pp, field/identification guide, 213 color plates of all 1,000+ species in the region; range maps

This is another top quality book produced by the authors for the eastern region of Africa. Upon opening this book, you'll recognize many of the plates from their earlier work, "Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa" (see #6 below). You'll also see many new plates along with modifications of prior ones.

The artistry is very good, easily making this book equal to or better than any other field guide on African birds. The 213 color plates illustrate all 1,000+ species found in the four "Horn" countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia (plus the island of Socotra, which belongs to Yemen). Nearly every bird is shown with multiple (2-5) drawings that display excellent detail. The Yellow Wagtail has 13 different illustrations that compare the wide variation of this species. The plates do a great job at showing variations between genders, ages, and subspecies. I especially appreciated the extra effort that went into separating out the many subspecies. Additional focus seems to have been given to in-flight poses for many of the non-passerines.

A brief paragraph is given for each bird across from its illustration. Although the amount of text may seem light, the information is very informative, to the point, and precise. About 80% of the information is on identification. A couple more lines are dedicated to habitat, distribution notes, and voice. You may want to take note of the font size, which is small and thin; consequently, you might want to have your reading glasses handy.

The range maps - one for each bird - shows the resident, breeding, and non-breeding ranges in three different colors. These maps reflect the bird's range within only the four countries and artificially stop at the political borders. The maps show very good detail; however, this is sometimes difficult to make out due to the shaded highland regions in the background and to the rather faint gray boundaries that separate the countries. Ranges of birds with a very restricted distribution (e.g., Sidamo Lark, Ash's Lark, Djibouti Francolin, Black-backed Cisticola) can be difficult to see with just a small dot representing the range. Inserting an arrow would have been helpful. Making a more prominent note of the 70+ endemics would also have been appreciated, versus simply burying the word "endemic" within the text.

In case you're wondering if you would need this book over the authors' prior book for East Africa, the answer is "Yes, if you are visiting any of these four countries." Twenty percent of the birds found in the Horn are not in the other book. Also, when there is overlap of the species between the two regions, the authors' have modified the plates to reflect the plumages of the local subspecies.

This is a superb guide that will be essential for birding in these countries. Being the only complete book for this region makes it even more indispensible.

1) Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea by Atkins/Ash

2) Ethiopia's Endemic Birds by Urban

3) A Guide to Endemic Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea by Pol

4) Ethiopia: In Search of Endemic Birds by Francis

5) Birds of Somalia by Ash

6) Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Stevenson

7) Birds of Africa South of the Sahara by Sinclair/Ryan

8) Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman

9) A Checklist of the Birds of Ethiopia by Urban

(written by Soleglad at Avian Review or Avian Books, May 2009)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Birds of the Horn of Africa, March 29, 2010

By 

Ted W. Peterson (Lynnwood WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Socotra (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

This is another excellent bird guide by the authors. On a recent trip to Ethiopia, I found this book to be an indispensable companion. The drawings are outstanding as is the text on each bird. The range maps and in particular the elevation guides were very helpful in this geographically variable country. The details of this guide are well covered in previous reviews and this book would be a welcome addition to the library of those who love to travel in Africa. I left this guide with our local semi-bird guide to encourage his growth in birding. He was both emotional and appreciative to receive this book. I bought a new one on my arrival home.

Ted Peterson

Lynnwood WA USA

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, March 19, 2011

By 

BuffyT - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Socotra (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

Like an idiot, I didn't buy a bird book BEFORE my trip to Ethiopia. Upon returning home I bought this book and I'm successfully using it to ID the birds I saw on my trip, based on my photographs and notes. A very user friendly layout with intuitively displayed range information.