|
BOOK REVIEWS |
A Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East RF Porter, S Christensen and P Schiermacker-Hansen T&AD Poyser, London 1996. ISBN 0 -85661-176-3, hardback, 460pp + xv, £29.95 I knew this new field guide was coming, but having already used the - in my opinion- slightly disappointing Birds of the Middle East and North Africa by two of the same authors ( Porter and Christensen) in addition to P A D Hollon and artist Ian Willis (Poyser, London 1988, ISBN 0-85661-047-X) I wasn't holding my breath. Hence, I was not prepared for this new field guide. It is simply one of the best bird guides to a specific region that I have ever seen. In contrast with the 1988 book, the new guide covers the Middle East only, from Turkey and Iran in the north to Yemen in the south, including Socotra Island and Cyprus. Naturally, all of Arabia is covered. It deals with all birds in this region, and I mean all of them, even birds that have been recorded only once in the region are included, a staggering 722 species in all. Species are listed in the traditional systematic order. A short and concise introduction describing the scope of the book, is followed by the main body of the book which comprises 112 plates by artists A Birch, J Gale, M Langman and B Small and detailed species accounts. The plates are superb and wherever relevant, illustrations show different races, sexes, age variations, with many birds shown in flight. Curiously almost all birds face right and fly to the right, but this is, of course, done to aid comparison between similar species. It is nice to see, though, that some woodpeckers can sometimes face left! Ample place is given to each species although a few plates such as the ones with wagtails and wheatear look a bit crowded, but they almost had to be with so many races and variations depicted. Facing each plate is a breeding map of the region's breeding birds and quite comprehensives notes on status and habitat are given here as well. The maps are quite large and very clear for a field guide. My only regret at all with this new guide is that wintering ranges and migratory routes are not shown. This information can, however, be found in the status notes, but a quick glance at a map is often more helpful to the birdwatcher. The species accounts section contain detailed information on plumage, with the main identification characters shown in italics, and notes on voice. Size is recorded in this section, but would have been helpful next to the plates. However, as each species is assigned a number, reference between the plates and the text is very quick. With so may species dealt with in what is still a handy book, not every aspect of each species could be covered. This is mainly an identification guide. No information is given on habits, food or breeding behaviour. The field guide concludes with a helpful list of references and suggestions for further reading with a breakdown for each country, a complete species list and comprehensive indices of English and scientific names. One nice advantage of such a comprehensive guide is that even new additions to individual country lists may very well already be covered by the book and the guide will not become outdated so quickly. By comparisons between neighbouring countries, it also suggests which new species one may reasonably expect in the future. In summary this is a superb field guide. The authors, artists, publishers and anyone involved with its publication are to be congratulated. It is a must for any birdwatcher living or visiting this region and anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern birds. In fact, I think I will need two copies, one for the bookshelf and one for the car. Buy it! Jens Eriksen Fauna
of Saudi Arabia Vol 15 (1996) The contents of volume 15 in this comprehensive
and authoritative series of books providing detailed descriptions of the
fauna of Saudi Arabia includes papers on the Arabian arachnids, centipedes,
crustaceans, insects echinoderms, fishes, and birds. Another important
contribution to scientific information on the taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography
and ecology of the region's wildlife, this volume is well- illustrated
with numerous drawings, photographs and colour plates and is, as usual,
superbly edited and produced. A
Marine Wildlife Sanctuary for the Arabian Gulf As the introduction to this book points out, before the Gulf War, and the ensuing environmental crisis, the Arabian Gulf was one of the lesser-known seas. However, all that has changed with more scientific studies published in the intervening years than in the entire period before the war. Regional research institutes and environmental protection agencies initiated extensive research programmes supported by international scientific missions. This publication, for its part, presents the scientific results of five years of continuous research by the international, multidiscplinary team of scientists who were based in Jubail and who were working together to create the first ever Marine Habitat and Wildlife Sanctuary in the GCC region. Topics covered by the book include background information on the Gulf War oil spill and creation of the Jubail Marine Wildlife Sacntuary; hydracarbon chemistry, microbiology and oil spill response; effects of the oil spill on the coastal and marine environment; biological diversity, ecology and conservation of key taxa; fisheries, socio-economics and education. The abstracts of each paper are given in both English and Arabic and the handsome volume is liberally illustrated with colour plates, black and white drawings, as well as a clearly-present pull-out map depicting the geo-ecological units of Al Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary. This volume provides an invaluable reference source
for the international scientific community as a whole as well as providing
much useful background information for decision-makers in the field of
marine conservation. Africa:
A Natural History Prolific authors and wildlife experts Chris and Tilde Stuart document in clear text and striking colour photographs the natural history of the African continent. The seven major African habitats are explored: from savanna, home to much of the continent's game herds, to dryland, including the vast Saharan desert; from forest, both temperate and tropical to highland, encompassing the famous Mountains of the Moon; from Cape heathland which supports over 8580 species of flowering plant; to the contintent's great freshwater lakes and river systems; and finally the coastal zone, including mangrove stands and the unsurpassed coral reefs of the Red Sea. Descriptions of the flora and fauna of these diverse habitats accompany each chapter, however, because of the huge scope of the book, much detail is omitted. Although primarily celebrating the continents wondrous natural beauty, the Stuarts also discuss the fragility of the African habitats and discuss the effectiveness of conservation measures across the continent. This book can provide readers of all ages with
an authoritative overview of the African natural world. As founders of the African Carnivore Research Programme and the African Arabian Wildlife Research Centre, Chris and Tilde Stuart are well-equipped to tackle the subject of African wildlife's fight for survival against the steady encroachment of Man. Recognizing that wildlife consevation in Africa is at a critical stage, they have set out to document the problems faced by the continent's endangered, vulnerable, rare and declining species. The authors examine the plight of each animal group as a whole, as well as discussing individual species within each group. Maps provide a humbling record of past and present distribution whilst the authors' beautiful photographs celebrate African wildlife at its best, underlining their plea to the human component of the animal world to halt the habitat destruction and degradation which is impacting hugely on the wildlife of this 'fascinating, depressing, diverse and damaged continent'. This well-produced book is a must for readers
who wish to look beyond the pretty pictures to reach an understanding of
the problems facing the animal world and the commitment needed to tackle
them. The Phoenix Tribulus Abu
Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey Project Birdlife
of Yemen (Tayur Al Yeman) Sandgrouse This is a really useful addition to publications on Arabia's wildlife.
Shark News |
|
Contents | News
| E-Mail
| Book Reviews | Home
| Back Issues |