Product Description

This spectacularly illustrated book is the only complete guide to the wildlife and natural history of the vast and beautiful Antarctic region. Covering the Antarctic continent, the southern ocean, and the subantarctic islands, this guide illustrates all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals with stunning colour photographs. In addition to the colour plates, it features distribution maps and up-to-date species accounts expertly detailing abundance, seasonal status, and conservation prospects. The volume also covers numerous nonbreeding species, migrants, and vagrants. Regional chapters describe all of the subantarctic islands, in addition to most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by maps of each area and photographs of each locale. These chapters present detailed information on geography, climate, geology, general ecology, and flora. They also address conservation efforts - past, present, and planned. The book concludes with practical information about visiting the area, including details on the best-available landing sites and notes on seasonal weather conditions. This is an indispensable companion for a trip far south, as well as an informative volume for anyone interested in the Antarctic region's remarkable, occasionally strange, and frequently beautiful animals.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #478862 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

fat Birder, March 30, 2005
'I made an impulsive decision to visit Antarctica for the first time in December 2007. In deciding which field guides to take with me, Harrison's Seabirds of the World seemed to be a vital tool, since for most of the trip we would be at sea. In addition, The Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica'(de la Pena & Rumboll) would adequately cover those areas where it was planned to make lanfdfall.

When I was offered a copy of Shirihai's second edition of Complete Guide To Antarctic Wildlife to examine, I had already returned from my cruise. However, the memories were still fresh, and I was intrigued to see what I'd missed by not considering this volume prior to the trip.

When this book arrived through my letterbox at home, I heard the thump of it landing on the floor from the other side of the house. That was a surprise! With relatively few bird species to cover, I'd expected the book to be quite small, as field guides go. Rather it was a large format (255 x 180 mm) book and heavy (1.5 kgs), with 540 pages giving a depth of 32 mm. Not a pocket book, therefore.

Shirihai's subject is greater than the simple Antarctic continent; the book covers all of the southern ocean, including all of the sub Antarctic islands, well beyond the limits of the Antarctic convergence. '

Review
' This is a brilliantly and copiously illustrated combination of field guide. handbook and travel guide'

From the Publisher
Each species account in the book majors on identification, but also includes summaries if distribution and biology, conservation and taxonomy, and ocean-going birds and mammals get a range map.

Customer Reviews

Utterly Comprehensive
If you are going to this region primarily for the wildlife then this volume is indispensable. Your ship's library is likely to have a copy, but don't bank on it and if you have your own then you can browse at leisure in your cabin rather than fighting over the reference copy. It covers not only the wildlife of the Peninsula, but also of outlying islands likely to be visited on the way such as the Falklands and South Georgia. If you are visiting for the wildlife then stretching the budget to include these two islands is a must.
Other guides are much less comprehensive and may lead to misidentification of birds in particular as not all species are included - the variety of prions and petrels is not to be underestimated !