Handbook of Australian, New Zealand, and Antarctic Birds: v. 1 Ratites to Ducks

The fascinating world of birdlife in Australasia is the subject of this magnificent new reference work. When completed, this lavishly illustrated five-volume set will cover all of the birds known to occur -- or to have recently become extinct -- within Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. Also, for the first time, the avifauna of the dependent islands of Cocos-Keeling, Christmas, Lord Howe, Norfolk, Macquarie and Heard Islands will be included, as well as New Zealand's dependencies and subantarctic islands. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB) is the result of a skillful collaboration among seventy authors - many of whom are engaged in ornithological research projects, censuses and public education on many aspects of ornithology. It also draws on the observations of hundreds of birdwatchers, who have supplied many valuable notes taken in the field. Produced by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, HANZAB is the first comprehensive study since Gregory Mathew's 1927 treatise Birds of Australia. The scope is truly encyclopedic. Each volume examines in detail all aspects of field identification, social organization, behavior, voice, habitat, distribution, breeding, movement, food, measurements, moult and precise plumage characteristics. Volume 1 covers emus, kiwis, cassowaries, penguins, grebes, albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, shags, cormorants, boobies, gannets, frigatebirds, herons, egrets, ibis, storks, swans, geese and ducks. One hundred superb color plates by Jeff Davis, one of Australia's foremost bird illustrators, provide accurate detail and accent the extraordinary beauty and diversity of Australasian birdlife. Diagrams of animal breeding cycles and David Andrew's detailed drawings of plumage supplement the text. Four more volumes will appear over the next eight years, making HANZAB the most up-to-date, comprehensive guide on Australasian birdlife. It will be an indispensable resource for ornithologists, zoologists, ecologists and hobbyists for years to come. It will also enrich the library of anyone who prizes fine books and beautiful art.