The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia [Hardcover]

Ken Simpson (Editor), Nicolas Day (Editor, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 1996

The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia is a handy, portable manual for identification of Australian birds all over the country. In paintings of extraordinary beauty and precision, Nicolas Day captures the details of all 770 bird species in Australia. More than 2000 color illustrations are accompanied by distribution maps, descriptive drawings, and essential field information edited by Ken Simpson. This book has been expanded to provide even more new illustrations and information than earlier editions. There are 20 new color plates. The identification section has been completely reordered to reflect the most up-to-date knowledge about the classification and evolutionary relationships of Australia's bird families. The distribution maps have been entirely redrawn and updated, and numerous black-and-white illustrations have been added. All readers--occasional or avid birdwatchers, ornithologists or students--will find The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia an invaluable companion, whether they require readily accessible information in the field or reliable reference material for the desk.Features include: Every bird species of Australia illustrated in over 2000 painted imagesSimple-to-use Key to FamiliesField information and distribution maps adjacent to each painting of a speciesData on abundance and movement for each speciesHandbook section giving detailed information on bird behavior, feeding, breeding, evolution, and taxonomyA rare bird bulletin describing fifteen rare and vagrant speciesInformation for bird-watchers on the five Australian island groups

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This tool has all the qualities a good field guide should have: a key to families; range (i.e., distribution) maps, which have been revised and redrawn for this edition; and excellent color plates (including 20 new ones for this edition) of each species opposite its description. Supporting the color plates, numerous black-and-white drawings show such things as a side view, an underwing pattern, and a unique perching stance or nest. Distinguishing field marks; differences between males, females, and immatures; voice; and habitat are all covered, and an extensive section called "The Handbook" provides information on behavior, feeding, reproduction, evolution, and taxonomy as well as useful tips for the amateur birdwatcher. Further reading lists are offered for most of the family descriptions. Finally, a checklist identifies species that may be found on the five Australian island groups and gives data on rare species. The book is bound in a soft plastic cover that should hold up to field handling. In the field and at home for further study, this guide should serve amateur and experienced birders well. Recommended for comprehensive natural history and reference collections.?Nancy J. Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; 5th edition (March 4, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691025754
• ISBN-13: 978-0691025759
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,289,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible guide to Australian Birds, May 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Hardcover)

I used this guide on a recent trip to Australia and found it to be an excellent companion. The illustrations are accurate and the text draws attention to the most important ID features. The maps seem to be well researched and accurate. Unlike most Field Guides this guide includes a handbook section which gives a potted biography, family by family of behaviour and ecology. This handbook section always provided some interesting extra detail of birds seen. In conlusion, a great field guide, well illustrated and researched.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent drawings and ecological info, but a bit large, January 24, 2001

By 

Eleodes (Lubbock, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Hardcover)

I used two field guides on my trip to Australia last year. I primarily used the Simpson guide and occasionally referred to the Pizzey guide. I found the Simpson guide to be quite helpful, with excellent drawings, range maps that were placed alongside each species, and interesting ecological information about each ornithological order at the end of the book. My main criticisms of the Simpson guide are that I thought the Pizzey guide did a better job at depicting the subtle features that separate the honeyeater species, and the Simpson guide was too large to fit into a jacket or pants pocket. Despite these criticisms, I thought the Simpson guide was a very good birding field guide. I have a friend who will be traveling to Australia soon, and I will be buying the Simpson guide as a gift to her.

5.0 out of 5 stars A requisite for birdwatching, January 11, 2012

By 

M. E. Watson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Hardcover)

The Simpson Guide is an excellent, well-researched field guide and it shows. Although this book doesn't have photographs of the birds, the illustrations are first-rate. These illustrations are particular insofar as they depict both male and female plumage, chicks and juveniles, ventral and dorsal flight, face pattern, bill/beak length and more. Obviously, the information varies in length from bird to bird. The entries include plumage, habitat, size and voice and convenient avifaunal range maps, which again are accurate.

Towards the end of the book, there is what is called a handbook, explaining at length the life cycle of a bird, types of habitat, prehistory, Australian bird families and a rare bird bulletin (again showing smaller colored illustrations of these rare birds) To top it off, there is also a glossary and and index of Latin names.

Overall it is comprehensive, thorough volume.