ANDREW ELLIOTT

Barn Owls to Hummingbirds. Prólogo sobre indicadores de riesgo y evaluación de estado en las aves. Más de 8000 referencias bibliográficas.I wonder how many people were sceptical about how far the Handbook of the Birds of the World project would progress when the first volume was published in 1992. However, with the publication of Volume 5 the bookmakers probably wouldnt take bets on it not being finished in style. With what is arguably the strongest volume to date, a publication that all the critics have described as a "monumental" work is going from strength to strength. Admittedly, part of the reason for the appeal of the latest offering is its scope, covering as it does some of the worlds most exciting birds: owls, nightjars, swifts and hummingbirds certainly take some beating. Included here are some of the planets most enigmatic, beautiful and amazing species. The Handbook of the Birds of the World formula is all-encompassing. It is far more than a field guide, yet its colour plates are of the quality to be expected in the best in-the-field reference, and its photographs are superb. The depth of information on each family is on a comparable plane with that in many family monographs. And if you want to use it as a coffee table book, the brilliant photographs are enough to delight someone with only th...

Sandgrouse to Cucos. Prólogo sobre el concepto de especie y sus límites en ornitología. Más de 7000 referencias bibliográficasWith the current trend for publication dates to be missed and missed again, it is a pleasure to review a book that actually comes out on time. This is especially true of this series, and moreso when one considers the effort that must have gone into its production, eg in the current volume there are no fewer than 54 pages of references. The editors and publishers are to be congratuled. This fourth volume maintains the high standards set by volumes 1-3 and follows the same format, with introductory sections on each family containing a liberal scattering of excellent photographs (frequently of little-known species, although I have seen better published photographs of some of the species featured). Many of the photographs are mouth- watering and bring back great memories of past birding trips and provide incentive for future trips. Among my personal favourites are the Speckled Pigeon on page 94, the Red-fan Parrot on page 288, the Scarlet Macaw on page 293 and the Blue Lorikeet on page 311. The species accounts follow the introductory sections and include plates of every recognised species. As mentioned in reviews of previous volumes, the individual species accounts are necessarily fair...

New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Prólogo sobre la organización de la información en el Handbook. Más de 7000 referencias bibliográficas