The World of Birds - Tapa dura

(starred review) Handsome photographs, paintings, and drawings illustrate a wealth of information about birds: their origins, biology, populations, habitats, human relationships, and bird families. The essays here are both succinct and highly descriptive. Although information and theories about the origin of birds are ever increasing, the author provides a fine overview of the current science. He illustrates with words and images the special characteristics and variations of anatomy and the unique physiology that occur among birds, especially those that enable them to fly and maneuver in air. Behaviors of all sorts are described, and differences in foods and feeding strategies, society and reproduction, habitats and their importance, and the wonders of migration, especially over long distances, are all explained in very accessible language. Special attention is paid to the threats of pollution and habitat loss and disruption. The second half of the book is devoted to the grouping of the more than 10,000 bird species into related families and then into 32 orders. Special characteristics of each of these orders are discussed, with examples from some of the species within the families making up that order. There are summary tables indicating the number of genera and species within the order; the distinctions in size, habitat, and global range; social behavior; common characteristics; and the conservation status of particular members of the order. Special attention is paid to conservation status of species within each group. Each family is also discussed in an essay. The glossary aids in defining concepts and terms necessary for understanding the language used in discussing bird species and characteristics. Another welcome feature is the "Further Information" section, where suggested books, media, and online resources are listed for each chapter and in general. There is a detailed subject index and a longer one for "Bird Families and Names." The value-to-cost ratio makes this a worthy addition to the ornithology collection in most libraries.--Linda Scarth"Booklist" (12/15/2014)

The World of Birds is an up-to-date compendium of ornithological information, attractively presented and not unreasonably priced. Highly recommended.-- (12/01/2014)

The volume is organized into ten chapters, the first nine presenting reasonably in-depth discussions of a broad spectrum of avian biology topics. Everything is here: prehistoric birds, flight, migration, behavior, anatomy and physiology, distribution and biogcography. And interactions between birds and humans. These accounts are very readable, and the fresh perspective is enjoyable. The final chapter, "The Bird Families," comprises over half of the book. Elphick, an ornithologist, a writer, and an educator with 40-plus years of experience, presents a systematic survey of world orders and families, and this chapter could actually be titled "The Birds of the World." The taxonomic treatment, by the author's own admission, is very conservative, which might annoy some ornithologists, but lay readers will probably not notice, and it does not detract from the overall appeal of the book. All chapters are profusely illustrated with beautiful photographs, which complement the text well, and the result is an excellent reference book that will occupy shelves in many libraries. For those needing just one general bird reference, this might be it. Summing up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.-- (03/01/2015)

The World of Birds might just be the single avian reference that you always wanted, or didn't know that you wanted. Almost half of its 600 or so lavishly-illustrated pages cover the most important aspects of bird biology in very accessible language. It is not, however, for the avian faint-of heart. Nineteen pages alone cover bird skeletons. Another 9 discuss feathers. The rest of the book describes each of the 195 existing bird families. Taxonomic interests come to the fore as new findings in DNA and molecular research stand poised to change what we thought about familial relationships. However, the sequence and groupings will be familiar to users of field guides. This is the perfect book for advanced high-school or college/university ornithology students, or those wishing to dive into the world of birds and are seeking more information than is found in field guides. Well-organized, it allows you to pick and choose according to your interests, and the over 1000 full-colour photos, maps and diagrams enhance the text and highlight topics.-- (12/01/2015)

This volume, by the British wildlife writer Jonathan Elphick, is effectively a comprehensive introductory textbook of ornithology, written for a nonspecialist audience and lavishly illustrated with hundreds of stunning color photographs. Nine chapters (with excellent drawings supplementing the photographs) are devoted to bird biology, including the fossil record, anatomy and physiology, flight, feeding, breeding biology, social systems, migration, biogeography and, under the heading Birds and Humans, a comprehensive, heartrending overview of threats and conservation. The rest of the book (55 percent of text pages) describes all of the families of birds, using a traditional classification. Elphick often notes in the text that recent molecular studies support some very different relationships, such as the affinity of passeriforms, parrots, falcons, and seriemas, and acknowledges that some groups, such as Gruiformes and Pelecaniformes, are polyphyletic. For each chapter, a box summarizes the number of genera and species, size range, distribution and habitat, social and reproductive biology, food, voice, migration, and conservation status. The description of each family is often remarkably detailed, citing interesting information about many or most of the genera... As far as I can tell, the information throughout the book is highly accurate... The end-matter includes an excellent glossary, an appendix on Birdlife and IUCN Red-list threat categories for the more than 1200 species at risk of extinction, and a selection of books and other resources for the topic in each chapter... Well written, immensely informative, and truly beautiful, The World of Birds is an outstanding achievement. If you are looking for the ideal gift for the birder or the budding naturalist in your life, this publication will fit the bill.-- (12/01/2015)

This is what typically gets called a 'hefty tome', and it really has to be, given the scope of its ambition, namely, to give a complete guide to all the world's bird families, as well as providing an account of the biology of birds. That it generally succeeds in this very well (it's the sort of book that you'll keep going back to again and again) is down to the calibre of the author, who manages to be as thorough and all-encompassing as you could hope, given the scale of the task, while also being readable and easily understood... I found the chapter on migration particularly inspiring, while the accounts of each family are excellent.... They're also, for any birding obsessive, the sort of thing you can easily dip into for fun, and look up to find a couple of hours have passed. Erudite but accessible, and looking absolutely great, you can imagine this becoming a fixture on most birders' shelves.-- (08/01/2014)

This large and sumptuous volume sets out to showcase nothing less than the whole world of birds. This is of course a monumental task but this lavish book is up to the task. In its 608 pages it addresses all the most important aspects of birds' lives (and) an account of every one of the 32 orders and 195 families of birds. The book is greatly enhanced by the use of more than a thousand photographs, maps and diagrams.... Almost every page contains a photograph, with some featuring as many as four. Their overall standard is remarkably high and there are some very special images indeed.... This book aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the world of birds for the general reader. In this, it succeeds admirably. It is a highly readable and accessible introduction to what makes birds the most popular and most alluring of all the planet's wild creatures.-- (09/25/2014)

This encyclopedic, coffee-table book is a complete resource for anyone interested in birds. It examines birds from multiple angles, including the evolution of birds, their anatomy, physiology, flight, food, feeding, social life, habitat and migration. There's an account of each of the 32 orders and 195 families of birds worldwide and over a thousand stunning, up-close (and) compelling images capture the unique coloring and expressive faces of the bird species discussed.... It's the photographs that will keep readers turning pages; the prose is dense which makes the book more useful as a reference book for researching individual birds than as a bedside reading companion. Elphick devotes one chapter to bird and human interaction, describing the effects on birds of habitat destruction, hunting and trapping and the introduction of non-native animals and plants. The photographs accompanying this chapter are sobering, a reminder of the horrific imprint man often leaves on his natural environment.-- (10/06/2014)

[Review of UK edition: ] The book reminds me how even the most familiar birds are full of surprises.... Half the book's 600-odd pages are taken up with biological accounts of the 200 or so families of living birds--each a masterpiece of focused scientific research, condensed natural-history writing and beautiful photos. ... Perusing the chapters on feathers, physiology, nests and anatomy could be a life-changing experience.... Beautiful, inspiring and concise... While some may feel that a fat, fact-packed book full of dazzling images is a little old-fashioned, others will love leafing through it and letting the sheer splendour of birds...guide their reading. That and the enthusiasm of any small would-be biologist who just happens to be sitting on their knee.-- (08/26/2014)

(review of UK edition) This is the definitive 'everything you ever wanted to know about birds' book.--Jeremy Mynott"British Birds Journal" (11/11/2014)