4.0 out of 5 stars
Companion guide with typical quality work from Newman, September 11, 2008
This review is from: Birds of Malawi: A Supplement to Newman's Birds of Southern Africa (Paperback)
Basics: 1992, softcover, 110 pages, 14 color plates, 75 species, range maps
As noted in the subtitle, this a supplement and not a complete field guide for Malawi. Due to Malawi's geographic positioning, some of its birds are not covered in any of the books created for the birds of southern Africa. This small book includes the 75 Malawi birds not found in other guides (as of 1992).
The 14 good-quality, color plates illustrate 75 species. Many of these birds have multiple illustrations. The artistry is very good and will be effective for identifying the birds in the field. You might recognize the artistry of these plates, which are painted by the author (Newman) who published another excellent field guide, "Birds of Southern Africa." In fact, the author notes this supplement should be used in combination with his larger guide.
Each bird is given one paragraph, with most of the text being dedicated to identification. Just as in the larger guide, this information is accurate and effective. Additional notes are given for the voice and habitat.
Range maps of Malawi are shown for each bird. Just one color is used to denote the bird's range.
The last 2/3 of the book consists of four Malawi maps plus a checklist to all 620 species in Malawi. These four maps display altitude, parks, localities, and habitats.
You won't really be able to use this book by itself in Malawi since it contains only a fraction of its birds. As noted by the author, you'll need one of the complete field guides for southern Africa for 88% of Malawi's birds and this small supplement for the other 12%.
I don't know if Newman's more recent version (2002) of his southern guide now includes these Malawi extras.
I've listed several related books below...
1)
Newman's Birds of Southern Africa by Newman
2)
Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair/Arlott
3)
Southern African Birds: A Photographic Guide by Sinclair
4)
Complete Book of Southern African Birds by BHB International
5)
The Birds of Zambia by Benson
6) A Field Guide to Zambian Birds Not Found in Southern Africa by Aspinwall
7)
The Birds of Southern Mozambique by Clancey
8)
The Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi (Princeton Field Guides) by Stevenson/Fanshawe
9)
Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
10)
Birds of Africa South of the Sahara (Princeton Field Guides) by Sinclair/Ryan
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