Product Description

This is the first single volume guide ever devoted to the eastern Asian avifauna. The eastern Asian region, centring especially on the major islands off the continental coast (including Japan and Taiwan) and the immediately adjacent areas of the Asian continent from Kamchatka in the north and including the Korean Peninsula are an important centre of endemism. Birds endemic to this region include representatives of many of the major families, from the world's largest eagle - Steller's Sea Eagle - to the tiny Formosan Firecrest. The east Asian continental coast and the offshore islands also form one of the world's major international bird migration routes, especially for waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, while the east Asian continental mainland itself is home to a wide range of species little known to western ornithologists such as Scaly-sided Merganser, Oriental Stork and Mugimaki Flycatcher. The guide features the most up-to-date text available, which, in conjunction with extensive colour plates throughout, facilitates the field identification of all of the species known from the region. Colour distribution maps enhance the text by providing a visual analysis of the summer, winter and migratory ranges of all species.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28843 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
"So, what of the illustrations? I think this is the finest collection of plates I have ever seen for Asian birds." --Bird Guides (17th April 2009)

"Highly recommended!" --Birdwatch (May 2009)

'It is a magnificent achievement, one that should stand the test of time, and well worth buying by every keen birder.'
--birdguides.com (August 2009)

Review
"It is a magnificent achievement, one that should stand the test of time, and well worth buying by every keen birder."


"...an excellent, in some respects ground-breaking guide to this region"

About the Author
Mark Brazil is an experienced field ornithologist who has had several previous books published including A Birdwatcher's Guide to Japan, The Birds of Japan (Helm) and The Whooper Swan (Poyser).

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece
This superb fieldguide has been long in the making but the wait has been worth it. The author's home is in Japan and it is with the birds of that archipelago that he is most closely associated. Indeed, for English-speaking birders who live in or visit Japan this instantly becomes the standard reference work. The same will be true of the Korean peninsula and Taiwan where English-language fieldguides are few, poor and dated.

The book's scope expands to include eastern Russia and eastern China and, again, this excellent book improves on anything previously available. (MacKinnon's book A Field Guide to the Birds of China: Ornithology is the best single guide to all of China but Brazil's book is more up-to-date, more user-friendly and has better illustrations. If you are staying in eastern China and can only take one, make it Brazil's.)

All fieldguides must limit the text that can be included in the interests of space and weight. All credit, then, to the producers of this marvellous book for including thorough descriptions to accompany what are for the most part outstanding illustrations. The model they follow is the ideal one of text, map and illustration all on adjacent pages. Using the book is a delight and it is particularly good on 'difficult' birds such as warblers and snipes.

Not to everyone's taste may be Brazil's ready acceptance of new taxonomical divisions. Thus Milvus lineatus, Anas zonorhyncha and Bubulcus coromandus (to give three examples) are included here as species rather than races. We must also learn to know the Red-rumped Swallow as the Cecropis daurica, the Coal Tit as the Periparus ater and the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker as the Yungipicus kizuki. But Brazil usually has science on his side and these names are likely to become widely accepted in the coming years.

At just under 1Kg, the book isn't the lightest of fieldguides but that is a small price to pay for such fine illustrations and detailed text. The region used to be a poor relative in the birding world. No longer. This is a terrific fieldguide which is the equal of the best to be found in Europe, North America, Africa or Australia. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Birds of S E Asia
Very pleased with the book and was received in first class condition and delivery was very quick and packaging very good.