A Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia: Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia

by Craig Robson

Southeast Asia's stunning diversity of avian life is no surprise to jet-setting birders. More than a thousand species--from hornbills to hoopoes--can be found in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. What may surprise some, however, is that a single identification guide covers the entire region, with no less than 104 color plates depicting every species. Illustrations are clear, including variations in sex, age, and subspecies. Textual information describes habitat, behavior, breeding, voice, and distribution (range maps are not included). Like most international guides, the text is separated from the plates, which can make for a lot of thumbing back and forth; on the positive side, such a format allows for more detailed descriptions per species. Also, this is not a pocket guide to be carried about by hand while in the field; most birders will prefer to keep it stowed and ready in a backpack when trekking through the jungle in search of an evasive pitta.

Genres: Birds, Natural History, Reference, Asia

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000