VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide, by Burger Cillié, Niel Cillié, Phil Penlington, Trevor Hardaker and Karin Wiesler

VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide. Authors: Burger Cillié, Phil Penlington, Trevor Hardaker, Karin Wiesler. Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers. Imprint: Sunbird Publishers. Johannesburg, South Africa 2022. ISBN 9781928363125 / ISBN 978-1-92836-312-5

VELD Birds of Southern Africa - The complete photographic guide, by Burger Cillié, Niel Cillié, Phil Penlington, Trevor Hardaker and Karin Wiesler, discusses all 991 species of birds recorded in Southern Africa, with special emphasis on identification in consise text.

Trevor Hardaker  Burger Cillie  

Foreword by Warwick Tarboton

With close to a thousand species to be found in the region, southern Africa has an exceptionally rich bird fauna. Nearly a tenth of the world's species has been recorded here, and well over a hundred of these species are not found anywhere else on earth. It is not coincidental, I'm sure, that the region also has a remarkably rich and diverse selection of bird books available that provide a bountiful resource for those who, from the most casual to the most passionate, enjoy birds. For most birders there can never be too many bird books: each one has its own approach to the subject, its own insights and its own particular appeal to one or other audience. Some cover particular bird families or the birds of a particular region, and others present current thinking in bird behaviour, biology, ecology or conservation. Invariably, though, the bird books that draw the crowds and bring newcomers into the birding fold are those that help one to identify birds. This is one of those books, a beautifully illustrated photographic field guide to the birds of southern Africa. It covers all the species in the region from the Abdim's Stork to the Zitting Cisticola, put together by an eminent team of experienced birders, outstanding photographers, a talented designer and two very nature-aware publishers - all the elements needed to produce something special. The book's layout is appealing: two species per page, two photographs per species, each species with a detailed map showing the bird's distribution and abundance, based on the latest bird atlas data, and nine lines of text that provide the key features of the bird, its status and its preferred habitat. Added to this is the accompanying app that provides additional photographs of each species and a playback of its calls. But it is primarily the book's photographs that catch one's attention. Most of these have not appeared in print before and they are probably the best set of photographic images of the region's birds to be seen anywhere. These are not action photos but ones that clearly illustrate each species in profile, often showing a male and female alongside each other if they differ. The use of photographs to illustrate bird guides has certainly come of age - there was a time when they didn't come close to matching a well-executed illustration. VELD Birds of Southern Africa - The complete photographic guide, however, demonstrates that this is no longer the case. You'll see what I mean by looking at the pages that include, for example, the Dune Lark or Swynnerton's Robin: the general impression of size and shape (GISS) is captured exactly, as are all the plumage details. From the most casual birder to the most obsessed bird photographer, this book has something for everyone, and I certainly look forward to adding VELD Birds of Southern Africa - The complete photographic guide to my collection.

This is an excerpt from VELD Birds of Southern Africa. The complete photographic guide, by Burger Cillié, Niel Cillié, Phil Penlington, Trevor Hardaker and Karin Wiesler

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
2nd edition. 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