Field Guide to Birds of Greater Southern Africa: (Helm Field Guides)

This spectacular field guide includes all resident, breeding and migrant species found in Greater Southern Africa. Comprising South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, Greater Southern Africa is a vast region home to a truly extraordinary diversity of avifauna. Birds of Greater Southern Africa describes all 1,170 regularly occurring species that are likely to be encountered in the region, from the Wandering Albatross to the Pennant-winged Nightjar. Featuring 272 colour plates by three of the world’s leading bird illustrators, this practical guide also includes concise species accounts describing key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice; distribution maps for each species are also included. This is an essential reference guide for any birdwatcher visiting or living in this wildlife-rich part of Africa.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Taxonomy and Nomenclature Species Variation Seasonality, Nomadism and Migration Landscapes, Topography and Habitats Sites and Conservation How to Use This Book Maps Conservation, Citizen Science and Local Knowledge Additional Reading Species Accounts Appendix 1: Complete Checklist of Birds Southern Ocean Island Groups Appendix 2: Endemic, Breeding Endemic and Near Endemic Species of Greater Southern Africa Appendix 3: Threatened Species of Greater Southern Africa Index

About the Author :
Keith Barnes is an ornithologist and tour guide. His career began in the 1990s, when he worked in science and bird conservation in Africa, and evolution and played a key role in launching the first Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) program, as well as conducting threatened species assessments for BirdLife South Africa. Keith is an owner of Tropical Birding,, guiding clients to wildlife spectacles around the globe. Terry Stevenson and John Fanshawe are two of the world's leading experts on African birds. They are the authors of Birds of East Africa among many other field guides.

Review :
The layout of a succinct text on the left is easy to read and covers plumage, voice and distribution, and is accompanied by a colour map. The plates on the right combine 4–5 species (all facing left) and are very clear. To my eye, they are more realistic than those in the SASOL guide. Without doubt, Birds of Greater Southern Africa will surely become the go-to field guide for anyone visiting any of the countries it includes. Modern field guides are almost without exception of outstanding quality and Birds of Greater Southern Africa does not buck the trend. It is well laid out, filled with information, and is authored by people with a long and distinguished association with the birds of the region. It is especially appealing that it covers Greater Southern Africa, encompassing the countries housing exceptional avian richness in the region. “Classic” southern Africa has a long history of good field guides and so birders visiting the southern half of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini or Lesotho are spoiled for choice. The under-birded but excitingly species-rich south-east African region encompassing the northern half of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia has been begging for a field guide for decades. And here it is. This is an excellent book. Birds of Greater Southern Africa leaves no stone unturned … If you are considering Greater Southern Africa for a working birding vacation, waste no more time. You now have a wonderful guide to give you direction.