The Southern African Birdfinder: Where to Find 1,400 Bird Species in Southern Africa and Madagascar (Sasol) [Paperback]

Callan Cohen (Author), Claire Spottiswoode (Author), Jonathan Roussouw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2007 | Series: Sasol

The authors outline and describe 39 key bird routes and more than 330 birding sites (and their associated birds) across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and the little-documented but increasingly popular areas of Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. All sites are ranked into one of three categories of priority: essential (the region s best), excellent (top sites but expendable to a time-limited visitor) and local interest (ideal for those looking for new areas to explore). Sites include practical details of access, best times to visit, habitat diversity and the birds that occur there and general natural history; the more important sites feature a detailed map. A guide to finding the region's top 150 birds and an annotated checklist conclude the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Callan Cohen is Director of Birding Africa, a specialist bird tour company, and was the youngest person at the time to see the landmark 800 bird species in southern Africa. He is the co-author of Essential Birding, Western South Africa (2000) with Claire Spottiswoode. Claire Spottiswoode is a Doctoral student at Cambridge University, with a strong interest in evolutionary biology. She has professionally led birding tours for the foreign market on a part-time basis and these activities have afforded her intimate knowledge of the region's best birding sites. Jonathan Roussouw's passion for birding originated in KwaZulu-Natal and he has travelled to all the corners of the earth, amassing over 6 000 species on his life-list!

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Struik Publishers; Pap/Map edition (January 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1868727254
• ISBN-13: 978-1868727254
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > History > Africa > Madagascar

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff, January 8, 2007

By 

Antonio Salvadori "Antonio Salvadori" (Guelph, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Southern African Birdfinder: Where to Find 1,400 Bird Species in Southern Africa and Madagascar (Sasol) (Paperback)

I just got back from a two month self-guided birding trip to South Africa. I used this book for all my planning and selection of the places to visit. The book proved invaluable. It is well laid out, includes very good maps - including one of the whole of Southern Africa with all the birding spots clearly marked on it, it has many excellent bird and scenery photographs and a complete list of all the birds that can be seen with a cross-reference to their location in the book. A few minor points that caused me some irritations during the trip: only odd pages are numbered in the middle of the right hand side (very confusing); some of the maps are a little misleading e.g. the Sir Lowry's pass map is incorrect - the trail starts directly opposite the car park and not downhill as shown; some of the instructions are also incorrect e.g. the instructions to the Damara Tern Colony (I could not find the location.) These are minor points that an able birder can easily overcome. The book also covers other Southern African countries however having lived in Zambia and Zimbabwe I found their coverage of these two countries to be very sparse only covering the top birding spots. I strongly recommend this book if you are planning a trip to this beautiful area of our planet so rich in birds.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Southern African Birdfinder: a recipe for success, February 5, 2010

By 

P. Penning (Rotterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Southern African Birdfinder: Where to Find 1,400 Bird Species in Southern Africa and Madagascar (Sasol) (Paperback)

Bird watching will always be dependent on luck, but this book helped me find species that I wouldn't have found without it. Sometimes the bird appeared as if on cue - exactly on the spot where it should be. It's not an armchair book, you should use it for preparing for trips and take it along with you. Best buy in the last 12 months.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, December 13, 2008

By 

Texas Birder (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Southern African Birdfinder: Where to Find 1,400 Bird Species in Southern Africa and Madagascar (Sasol) (Paperback)

Covering 11 countries from South Africa to Madagascar to Angola, Zambia, and Malawi, this book site descriptions, maps, and photos to take you to the birds you want to see. We bought it for South Africa, but are using it first for Malawi. It describes driving conditions and seasons to visit. It has good descriptions of the special birds to be found at each site, and where to look for them. If you want to make the most of your birding trip to any of these countries, or plan future trips, this is an essential guide.