A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia

by Graham Pizzey

This book is the most comprehensive work yet published in one volume on Australian bird life. Full details are given of the field marks, habits, voice characteristics, breeding and nesting habits, and range of each species. To enable quick field identification each description is linked by a serial number to its illustration and also to its relevant distribution map.

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Reference, Australia, Nature, Field Guides, Natural History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got my bike, got my bird book, got my binoculars, all I need now is some nice weather so I can go out and spot these beautiful babies!

[Sheri Fresonke Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge size and weight of this definitive book on bird identification in Australia makes it somewhat difficult to use in the field or carry in your luggage to Australia. However, every bird is richly described, beautifully illustrated. Definitely a work of art and research worth having.

[Callan R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intro section is boring. Pretty pictures are great. I like the distribution maps being all clumped together at the back, actually kinda useful. This is mostly just an interesting window into bird knowledge at the time, so its cool to have something that is actually a little useful. Still outdated though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very useful guide if you like Australian birds or are an avid birdwatcher. I am interested in bird photography, so I have been consulting it regularly since I got it.

[indy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It's essential reading for bird fanciers, watchers and photographers in Australia.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too heavy for a field guide; overwhelmingly comprehensive and beautifully illustrated

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This started/finished date is totally arbitrary.)

This isn't exactly the type of book you read from cover to cover in a sitting, but it's been so useful and fun and knowledge-enhancing that it's an easy five stars. I am but a very very casual birder so I can't say how it compares to other guides, but the pictures are fantastic and the information is even better. I've had it a solid four or five months, but I still use it all the time. Yesterday, I consulted the section on birds of prey to confirm that the bird cooly soaring two metres above my head on a bushwalk yesterday was indeed a wedge-tailed eagle. (It was - and a juvenile, I learned, which was a testament to how big the adults really are because *it was damn huge*.) This morning, the king parrot couple who come to my house for sunflower seeds brought along five kids I'd never met before. There was a male and female who were clearly the older siblings, but also three younger ones with black eyes, and all had mostly green plumage (which, in adults, means that they're females). The book informed me that all young king parrots have the adult female's colouring, and the males turn red in patches as they age. I'm now gleefully looking forward to watching the young males go through parrot puberty and grow the dorky patches of red feathers. Basically, this book is great.

[Paul Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Field Guide for anyone wanting to learn more about Australian Birds.

[Amber Jaded · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, stunning illustrations, detailed descriptions of both juvenile, adult and of both genders of the birds. A must have for an animal lover

[Radiantflux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The slightly bigger size is amply compensated by the beauty and quality of the illustrations and information contained within. Really a work of art as much as a guide.