Sylvia Warblers [Hardcover]

Hadoram Shirihai (Author), Gabriel Gargallo (Author), Andreas Helbig (Author), Guy M. Kirwan (Editor), Lars Svensson (Editor), Alan Harris (Illustrator), David Cottridge (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

The culmination of more than a decade of work, this is the most complete manual available on the large family of insectivorous passerines, the Old World warblers Sylviidae, native to Israel and other Mediterranean countries.

The authors include detailed information on the phylogeny, distribution, ecology, appearance, and behavior of Sylvia warblers. They draw on tremendous experience and expertise to sort out the complex plumage variations of these notoriously stealthy birds, noting coloration changes by distribution, age, and sex. Attention is also given to the wide variation in song among Sylvia. The volume contains an incredible amount of original data, compiled from field studies and meticulous museum research. Importantly, the authors use a novel approach to systematics, resulting in the proposal of four new species splits. One of Europe's finest bird illustrators contributed the beautiful color plates, and a respected pioneer in field bird photography spent countless hours in desert conditions to obtain the 546 remarkable color photographs of these furtive warblers.

No other book has provided such an abundance of detail for one genus of birds, nor the quality and number of illustrations showing individual and geographic variation. All this, combined with DNA information on systematic relationships, makes this book unique among modern identification guides. It is that rare guide that constitutes both a major contribution to ornithology and an excellent reference for birders. It marks a new stage in ornithological literature and will set the standard for future works.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A significant extension of the handbook genre. . . . I can express little but awe at the scholarship of the authors and of the remarkably comprehensive nature of this volume, which now sets a very high bar indeed. -- Thomas S. Schulenberg, Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Inside Flap

"Based on Hadoram Shirihai's field research and interpretation of plumage detail, what we have here is one of the most exciting and detailed reference books . . . ever written on a genus of Old World warblers. . . . The book sets a standard of achievement that is head and shoulders above other monographs and will no doubt receive many accolades as one of the great modern standards in ornithological field study."--Steve Madge, author of The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 572 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691088330
• ISBN-13: 978-0691088334
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Ornithology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book of massive information and quality photos, October 26, 2008

By 

Soleglad (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sylvia Warblers (Hardcover)

Basics: 2001, hardcover, 576 pages, 20 color plates of 22 species, 96 plates of 546 color photos, range maps

This is a masterful book. Of all the books in this series of bird family/groups, this is the most outstanding due to its in-depth text, superb artistry, and extensive series of quality photographs. Covering all 22 species (plus subspecies) of warblers in the genus Sylvia, this thick book leaves almost nothing undocumented that one would want to know about these birds. The book does an incredible job at reviewing every subspecies and geographical race. Its research also proposes new species split out from the existing ones.

The 20 color plates exhibit top notch artistic skill. All illustrations show wonderful detail and accurate colors. Each bird is displayed with 5-21 different illustrations to cover all the plumage variations of genders, races, and seasons. All of the paintings are large and show good detail. Additional black-and-white drawings are supplied for each bird. These offer detail on tail or wing patterns as well as behavioral jizz.

Another 96 plates provide 546 excellent color photographs. Every photo is outstanding. It's hard to believe any plumage or variation is not depicted within this collection. Even the less common melanistic form of the Blackcap found in Madeira is shown with six different photos. Just as a note, 60-70% of the photos are of birds held in the hand.

Each bird is assigned its own chapter, which ranges from 22-36 pages each. The five warblers (formerly known as Parisoma) in the African-Arabian area receive only 4-6 pages each. The text offers an incredible amount of information arranged into eight sections. These are introduction, field identification, voice, identification in the hand, subspecies taxonomy, moult-age-sex, general biology and ecology, and population size and trends. Each of these sections is often broken down into further segments. Additional information is provided in tables and graphs for measurements and other biometrics. Detailed drawings are provided of the opened wing to demonstrate the progression of moult for each bird. Sonograms are also provided for each bird.

The range maps are large and very detailed. For some birds, two full pages are used to display the summer and winter ranges. Political borders of the countries and many rivers are included to offer greater geographic orientation. My only critique of the maps is how they are sometimes skewed or stretched to fit into the page.

As on other critique, the plates are found within the bird's respective chapter. This means it is not easy to compare similar species side-by-side without flipping through many pages.

This book is a real masterpiece and is a requirement for any ornithologist's or avid birder's library.

I've listed several related books below...
1) Guide to the Warblers of the Western Palearctic by Parmenter
2) Warblers of Europe, Asia, and North Africa by Baker
3) A Field Guide to the Warblers of Britain and Europe by Moore
4) The Chiffchaff by Clement
5) Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East by Jonsson
6) Birds of Europe by Mullarney et al.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sylvia Warblers by Hadoram Shirihai, June 29, 2006

By 

David Olsfanger (Kochav Yair, Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sylvia Warblers (Hardcover)

This a great book which I highly recommend for any birder who needs a text book to be used as a reference after spending an exciting day in the field. It is beautifully illustrated, reads easily and is a wealth of information which makes the understanding, identification and differentiation of the warblers native to Israel and other Mediterranean countries easy and exciting. It is not a field guide but a reference book which each time I have consulted has clarified for me quickly and logically problems found in the field. I consider myself lucky to be the owner of this magnificent monograph which obviously has been written and illustrated by talented experts who enjoy their work and sharing their knowledge with others.