VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide

Title: VELD Birds of Southern Africa
Subtitle: The complete photographic guide
Authors: Burger Cillié, Niel Cillié, Phil Penlington, Trevor Hardaker, Karin Wiesler
Imprint: Sunbird Publishers
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Johannesburg, South Africa 2022
ISBN 9781928363125 / ISBN 978-1-92836-312-5
Softcover, 17 x 23 cm, 560 pages, 2000 colour photographs, throughout distribution maps

About: VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide

The southern African book market is saturated with field guides and books on birds. We therefore realised that we had to publish a product that is not only unique, but also unparalleled in its scope. Since the guide's inception, our goal has been to create a definitive photographic field guide on all the types of birds found in southern Africa. VELD Birds of Southern Africa - The Complete Photographic Guide is the result of that desire. It is a combination of an authoritative field guide in print form and an app: by blending these formats, we have produced a product that possesses the characteristics and benefits of both modalities, promising readers an unprecedented audio-visual experience. A challenge was to source and process almost 2000 colour photographs for the book, on the one hand, and almost 2000 more photographs for the app, on the other.

Then we had to draw up the latest distribution data of all 991 bird species that have been recorded in southern Africa, the region south of the Kunene and Zambezi rivers. Our next challenge was to transform this information into colour-coded maps. Next, we had to write and edit the information that we had accumulated for each bird species. When we started to design the internals of VELD Birds of Southern Africa, our goal was not only to fit the content into the available space allocated to each entry, but also not to dilute it. This was an exceptionally labour-intensive process as we wanted the text to be of the highest quality while conveying the most important information. In VELD Birds of Southern Africa, the various bird species found in the region are divided into ten easily recognisable bird groups.

These are based on each group's most prominent characteristics: from pelagic birds to birds of prey and seed eaters, to name but a few. Each of the following chapters is dedicated to one of these groups. We have illustrated each species with the best colour photographs available. The photographs included in this book and app indicate differences in the appearance of male and female, adult and juvenile birds, as well as of extreme colour morphs and/or subspecies. An important part of a guide like this one is, of course, the language used to describe each bird. The text is clear and concise but also comprehensive, focusing on all aspects that can simplify identification in the field. There are also at-a-glance facts, a detailed index, a glossary and new distribution maps that show the abundance and migratory status of each species.

Burger Cillie is an avid wildlife photographer with more than thirty years'experience. The author and co-author of more than fifteen books, he regularly lectures on southern African birds.

Niel Cillie is a well-known birder and bird photographer with a special interest in raptors. He is a graphic designer and author at Game Parks Publishing.

Phil Penlington is an experienced birder and the co-founder of birdpics.co.za.

Trevor Hardaker is the chairman of the BLSA National Rarities Committee and manages the Southern African Rare Bird News email alert service.

Karin Wiesler is a keen birder with a degree in Environmental Management and a qualification from the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa.

VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide

Content: VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide

Foreword
Introduction
About the BirdScan app
About the authors
Bird groups key
External anatomy of a bird
Distribution maps key
Group 1: Flying waterbirds
Group 2: Swimming waterbirds
Group 3: Large birds with long legs
Group 4: Small birds with long legs
Group 5: Fowl-like birds
Group 6: Birds of prey
Group 7: Fruit eaters
Group 8: Nectar feeders
Group 9a: Insectivores catching prey in flight
Group 9b: Insectivores hunting mainly from a perch
Group 9c: Insectivores foraging mainly in trees
Group 9d: Insectivores foraging mainly in shrubs
Group 9e: Insectivores foraging mainly on the ground
Group 10a: Seed eaters with a slender bill
Group 10b: Seed eaters with a conical bill
Glossary
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index
Quick index