A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines [Paperback]

Robert S. Kennedy (Author), Pedro C. Gonzales (Author), Edward C. Dickinson (Author), Hector Miranda (Author), Timothy H. Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford Ornithology Series | Publication Date: October 19, 2000

Here is the first and only guide to cover all 572 species of birds known to occur within the 7,100 islands that comprise the Philippines. The Philippines are the home of nearly 172 species that are not found anywhere else in the world-many of which are endangered as the result of high levels of habitat destruction in the Philippine forest. Thus, knowledge and study of the endemic characteristics of the birds of the Philippines are of critical importance.
This Guide is beautifully illustrated with 72 specially painted color plates, showing all species recorded from the Philippines except four rare accidental species. The accompanying text gives detailed information about the plumage, voice, range, distribution, status, habitat, life history, and behavior of the birds and includes helpful distribution maps for all the species highlighted.
Created by an expert team of authors and artists that includes two prominent Philippine ornithologists, this book combines over 60 years of experience and research. Not only will it appeal to ornithologists and avid birders, but it will enthrall conservationists and all nature lovers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Less than a decade ago, there were several major gaps in coverage of the Asian avifauna by modern field guides, but with the publication of this new book on the birds of the Philippines the last of these has been filled. ... this book represents a huge advance in the documentation of the Philippine avifauna, and is now the essential reference for birdwatchers visiting the archipelago and for researchers conduction scientific studies of the islands' birds."--Ibis

About the Author

Robert Kennedy is the Director of Natural History Collections and Research for the Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati Museum Center. Pedro C. Gonzalez is Curator Emeritus at the National Museum of the Philippines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 369 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First edition (October 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198546688
• ISBN-13: 978-0198546689
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Philippines gets a bird guide, September 30, 2000

By 

Mike R. (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines (Paperback)

Long needed, a well written and well organised field guide to the birds of the Philippines is finally available. The 72 color plates illustrate all the species of the islands. A nice color distribution map and a short summary of status and occurance, along with identification information is opposite each image.

The book follows the current trend in bird guides of using more than one illustrator. The result, though well done in some other books, often results in a clash of styles, and worse, inconsistancy. This book is illustrated by twelve artists and suffers a little from the latter. The work here is uneven, some of the illustrators being better at capturing the look of the birds than others. And so we have a fair number of illustrations here that betray a lack of knowledge of the form of birds that really shouldn't be in a modern field guide. Not with the high standards achieved in other works, which this book otherwise seems to meet.

The proportions, build, and "facial expression" are not correctly drawn for many species. Experienced birders will have fewer problems translating what they are seeing in their binoculars to what is on the color plate. But beginners and more casual observers may encounter some frustration. For example, the figure of the Citrine Flycatcher on plate 62 resembles the bird only in general color pattern. This species usually appears brighter, and you would not be far wrong if your impression on seeing it, is of an all yellow bird. Also, given the head size, the body should be shown slightly larger and more filled out. The folded wing is incorrectly drawn, as are those of every other bird on the plate.

Although not unique to this guide, many of the species that have olive or yellow-green upperparts are shown too dull and gray. The White-eyes on plate 70 for instance are bright, trim little characters, that may remind North American birders of Wood Warblers, not the dull, misshapen things depicted.

Despite these problems, all of the plates are adequate for identifying the birds, indeed, many are quite well done (e.g. Plate 11 - especially Palawan Peacock-Pheasant - also note very good parrots, kingfishers, hornbills), and the authors and artists have produced a work of lasting value. It certainly will be a useful book in the field or reference on the shelf.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs up for this book, August 15, 2001

By 

Eric Raymond G. Patdu (Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines (Paperback)

This book is definitely the best field guide yet that came out of press. The plates are good and rendered better. Although, what is lacking is the description of the different races of each bird. Only the nominate race is described and I still have to refer to the book "Philippine Birds" by DuPont for the info lacking in this book. Still waiting for a better one.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good book, April 23, 2005

By 

Jean Paul Potet (FRANCE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines (Paperback)

I am not an ornithologist. I have been using KENNEDY et al.'s book for several months, and find it all the more useful as I wasn't able to find any other book on Philippine birds. It is frustrating, however, in so far as Tagalog and other indigenous names are not mentioned, or very seldom. For instance I looked for balatitî / bulatitî and lilíw that are often mentioned in my documents, but couldn't find them. Nevertheless, KENNEDY and his team should be encouraged to work on a second, enriched edition, with finder lists in Philippine languages.