For the first time, the complete collection of the Collins Field Guides’ incredibly detailed, accurate and beautiful bird paintings has been brought together in one comprehensive volume. This all-encompassing new guide is an extraordinary addition to the world-renowned series – the ultimate reference book for birdwatchers and bird lovers. It covers every species of the world’s birds – all 10,711 species are featured covering the complete International Ornithological Union Checklist of Birds of the World. With a total of 301 full-colour plates this is a visual feast, as well as an authoritative resource. It illustrates all male breeding plumages, and females if significantly different, for every species, alongside concise text covering defining identification characteristics, distribution and voice. Illustrated by the world’s leading bird artists: Norman Arlott, Ber van Perlo, Gustavo Carrizo, Aldo A. Chiappe, Luis Huber and Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata.

Birds of Southern Africa surpasses other field guides to the region by illustrating and describing all 1,250 bird species of South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. In addition, this is the only guide to illustrate the birds of Angola (including Cabinda), whose river basins and rocky hillsides are home to the striking White-headed Robin Chat and the Angolan Cave Chat. The 84 color plates group similar species and subspecies and also depict vagrants and ocean wanderers that appear in this huge region characterized by widely varying habitats, from woodlands and forests to deserts to swamps. The text directly opposite the plates concisely describes each bird's habitat and key physical, behavioral, and vocal characteristics. All the larks are shown perching as well as in flight, and every swallow is pictured in flight from below. The most distinctive immature and nonbreeding plumages are included, and distribution maps show the range and frequency of each species. This is an essential guide for any birder contemplating a trip to southern Africa. * The only field guide to illustrate every bird species of South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola (including Cabinda) *1,250 species illustrated on 84 color plates * Buzzards to bustards, flufftails to flycatchers, penguins to pipits, and many more * Informative notes directly opposite illustrations succinctly describe each bird's habitat and key physical, behavioral, and vocal characteristics * Female or juvenile shown for many species in addition to adult male * Subspecies and color variants included * Shaded maps showing range and frequency of each species

Eastern Africa is becoming an increasingly popular destination for people who want to see first-hand the abundant widlife of this vast continent. 'Birds of Eastern Africa' is the only field guide to feature over 450 species found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia (including Socotra Island). Including full colour illustrations of each bird, key features on habitat, songs and calls, and distribution maps for each species, this guide contains all the information needed to quickly identify the birds found in this vast region. Comprehensive and easy-to-use, this book is a must for all those visiting the region.

Brazil's bird diversity is one of the richest in the world. And yet there has never been a comprehensive field guide to this splendid and elusive avifauna. Until now.
The carefully vetted text and images are the first to cover the full range of bird life in this vast and varied country. The more than 1800 up-to-date accounts treat the Yellow-nosed Albatross to the Sombre Hummingbird, the Ash-throated Gnat-eater to the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Nighthawks and Jacamars to Motmots, Puffbirds, and Peppershrikes. They are all here--every species and many subspecies found in each region of Brazil--with special attention given to the 218 Brazilian endemics. The book is laid out so that the illustrations sit across from the commentary and the distribution maps, so it is easy to use. Also, the author uses short-hand notation throughout, to make the book compact and easy to carry when in the field. For each bird, the scientific, English, and Portuguese name are given as well as detailed information on measurement; identifying features; habitat; voice, song, and call. Distribution maps show the range for each species, also indicating seasonality and occurrence, essential for finding and identifying specific birds. From the equatorial North to the tropics, the introductory paragraphs set the stage in describing Brazil's varied biogeography, climate, geomorphology, and natural vegetation. A list of protected areas of Brazil, information on relevant national and international organizations, a bibliography and further references, and an English-Portuguese dictionary of frequently used terms enhance the user-friendly qualities.
Anyone wishing to fully explore the fabulously varied birdlife of Brazil will find this light-weight, easy-to-use, attractive guide an invaluable field companion.

This is a guide to rails, a relatively homogenous family of birds spread throughout the world. Most species are solitary and somewhat secretive, and therefore high on the wanted lists of many birders, but the moorhens and coots are generally common and familiar birds of wetlands. A number of species are flightless and confined to small islands, and several are extinct as a result of man and introduced predators.