A Dictionary of Birds [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Bruce Campbell (Editor), Elizabeth Lack (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0931130123 | ISBN-13: 978-0931130120 | Publication Date: May 1985 | Edition: illustrated edition

A Dictionary of Birds enlists contributions from over 280 ornithologists and other specialists from around the world. Major, authoritative articles cover the field of modern ornithology and related subjects, many of them running to several thousand words. In addition there are articles on all the bird families, almost all of which are illustrated by a representative species. There are also numerous short entries defining special terms, application of names, etc. The total gives a text of over 800,000 words, supported by more than 500 photographs, drawings and diagrams. The photographs have been selected under the guidance of Eric Hosking to illustrate different activities of birds, and Robert Gillmor has assembled a collection of over 200 drawings of birds, almost all of which were specially drawn for the Dictionary. Compiled for the British Ornithologists' Union, this new work is in line of succession from Newton's A Dictionary of Birds of 1896 and Landsborough Thomson's A New Dictionary of Birds published in 1964 (2nd impression 1965) and now long out of print. This new dictionary, encyclopaedic in treatment, is destined to be a major reference in any ornithologist's library; and its editors and contributors, most of whom gave their time and knowledge freely, have earned the thanks and acclaim of users for many years to come. Frances James, President of the American Ornithologists' Union, writes in her preface of "the role the dictionary will play in fostering communications among nations. For students it will serve as an entrance to the present status of the field. For scientists it will serve as a research tool and a bridge between disciplines."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 670 pages
• Publisher: Buteo Books; illustrated edition edition (May 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931130123
• ISBN-13: 978-0931130120
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,362,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not immediately obvious., March 1, 2010

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A DICTIONARY OF BIRDS (Hardcover)

Yes, this is another out-of-date book which has attracted my attention but, if I can come across a copy for very little money and be impressed by the content, layout, information and photographs, then so can anyone else. I often find books which are well out of print are either very cheap or ridiculously expensive. Thankfully, this one appears to fall into the former category. Add to that the simple fact that the subject matter (i.e. Birds!) has remained largely unchanged since publication and the product represents excellent value for money.

This is a large "coffee table" book which really ought to find a place in the home or on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the subject. In order to find a specific bird, the reader must consult the index which occupies the final 128 of the book's 352 pages. All birds are listed alphabetically under common and Latin names with the relevant information specific to each bird appearing under the Latin name only. For me, the presence of common names was not immediately obvious - but it was Monday morning and clearly going to be a slow week!

With a remarkably small "Contents" right at the beginning, this book is so easy to use it needs no explanation. Beginning with some very technical data - Faunal Regions, Origins of Species, Anatomy and Classification which occupy only 25 pages, the book then deals with "Abbreviations and Notes" and Acknowledgements before getting down to detail and hard facts. There now follows 192 pages of glossy colour photographs covering over 1,000 different species of bird. The standard of photography is very good throughout and often quite excellent.

People know what to expect from a Dictionary - i.e. a list of words in alphabetical order with an explanation of each word. One of my pet hates is books which profess to be either a Dictionary or Encyclopaedia when they are no such thing. This book is described as a Dictionary in the title and is exactly that. As such it will make bird identification much easier for the majority of those with an interest in the subject.

Altogether an invaluable tool.

NM