National Geographic Complete Birds of the World

Edited by Tim Harris

Foreword by Jonathan Alderfer

National Geographic, April 2009.

Hardcover - $35.00

Featuring every bird family worldwide, with more than 900 illustrations, photographs, and maps.

Covering every bird family on Earth, this definitive, easy-to-use volume is designed to inspire and inform both novice birders and experts who want an authoritative yet concise reference. It’s a fascinating colorful guide to all the birds on our planet, their identification, structures and plumages, habitats, behaviors, and ranges.

The clear, accessible text provides a systematic presentation of information organized taxonomically by family based on the latest official guidelines, with detailed and accurate descriptions for each, worldwide distribution maps for every family, and carefully selected profiles of 500 representative species. The book’s illustrations include both spectacular and informative color photography by the world’s leading wildlife photographers as well as the superb artwork birders have come to expect from National Geographic. Illustrated sidebars complement the family accounts, exploring everything from the courtship dance of the Birds of Paradise to the Harpy Eagle’s predatory tactics. The text is wrapped up by a useful glossary and a detailed index that puts an astonishing range of information at the reader’s fingertips.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Tim Harris has been a keen birdwatcher for more than 30 years, ever since a friend dragged him along to a local wetland, where he became totally hooked. During the subsequent decades he has had the privilege to bird in North and South America, Europe, africa, and Asia, seeing more than 3,500 species in the process. Assistant Editor of Birdwatch magazine for eight years, and still a regular contributor, Harris has also written children's books about eagles, grouse, hawks, swans, vultures, weavers, and woodpeckers.

Jonathan Alderfer is chief consultant for the National Geographic Birding Program and host of our birding blog. Author, editor, and field guide illustrator, he is one of America’s foremost birding artists and an expert ornithologist.