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The second of a two-volume set, this book covers the passerine avifauna of Singapore,
peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and the tip of Tenasserim (Burma), together with
associated island archipelagos. This region of high biodiversity is home to a rich resident avifauna,
which is joined in season by a host of migrants from northern Asia, creating a fascinating faunal
mix. Most of the region's bird species, and nearly all of its many endemics, reside in tropical forest
habitats. Until surprisingly recently, most of the area was cloaked by these forests, but one of
the tropical world's fastest rates of agricultural conversion has swept all but a fraction of the
lowland forests from their former range.
Nearly a decade after the publication of the first volume, Volume 2 proves itself to be
worth the long wait. The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula provides the most complete summary of
fieldwork and other research on the birds of the region ever written. During his 30-
year residence in the Peninsula, David Wells acquired an unrivalled understanding of
its birds, which he brings in full measure to each of these superb volumes. All species
of the region are treated in detail, with coverage of systematics, distribution,
identification and biometrics, voice, plumage and moult, variation, status and
population, habitats and ecology, feeding, social behavior, breeding biology, and
conservation, complete with accurate distribution maps. The species treatments draw on
a full range of recent field and museum research, together with much previously
unpublished and little-circulated data from local compilers and the personal records
of many enthusiasts.
The expert text is accompanied by 55 color plates by John Gale, Dana Gardner,
Kamol Komolphalin, and Brian Small that illustrate almost all of the species
covered in the text, and provide a unique collection of portraits by a
team of internationally renowned artists. The artwork is very nice, and
the large illustrations allow for beautiful detail.
A huge bibliography/reference section directs the user to useful resources, and
indices of Scientific, English, Romanized Thai, and Malay species names make it easy
to find the species for which you are looking.
Weighing in at just over 6 pounds, 3 ounces, this book is not one to carry
into the field, but serves as an invaluable introductory text which describes
the region and its conservation crisis.
Together volumes 1 and 2 are the most complete modern summary of the birds found in the
Thai-Malay peninsula.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Wells was born in Sussex, England, into a family raised on natural history and with a special interest in Asia. Birds became a main enthusiasm during his school years, and on leaving university he chose to study them in the tropics. In 1961, he moved to Malaya to study munias for his doctorate. There he assisted with various ringing programs, and helped found and edit the Malayan Nature Society's Bird Report - for 25 years the main repository of records from peninsular Malaysia.
His personal research interests in the region have included sustained, fixed-site ringing studies in lowland rainforest; migration and the biology of wintering migrants, especially in areas of tropical forest; and the biology of the region's shorebirds. Over the years, David has made many exploratory trips in the region, including journeys to Mts Benom and Lawit in the peninsula, Mulu in Sarawak, and Ulu Temburong in Brunei.
A long-time trustee of WWF Malaysia and a council member of the Malayan Nature Society, David has a long-standing commitment to wildlife conservation and related environmental issues on the Peninsula. He was co-author of the fifth and final volume of The Birds of the Malaya Peninsula, the last great work on the region's avifauna. More than 30 years later, the two volumes of The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula are a magnificent successor, and will be regarded as the definitive work on this divers avifauna.
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Twenty years after the last summary publication on the region, this volume presents the most complete modern summary of the latest surveys and research on all the birds now found in the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Over 380 species are described using data derived from field and museum research, as well as previously unpublished or poorly distributed data from local compilers, diaries, and personal records. More than 70 spectacular full-page color plates show almost all of the species covered. This volume also includes a fully referenced bibliography of over 800 sources. An extensive introduction covers aspects of history, biogeography, and ecology of the region's birds, plus main conservation issues.
Key Features:
- Over 380 species are described in modern handbook format using data derived from field and museum research
- The only detailed handbook of the birds of the region; supplies a benchmark synopsis (first in 20 years) of the bird fauna and ornithological research in the Peninsula, much of it published for the first time.
- Over 70 color plates
- Many species illustrated for the first time
- Serves as an introductory text which describes the region and its conservation crisis
Reviews:
"In the heavyweight class and it will surely offer very interesting reading." --Alula
"This is a beautifully produced book, with an extremely thorough text, which every enthusiast of southeast Asian birds will want to own." --Nick Dymond, British Birds
"This is a scholarly work and a great advance on anything so far produced for this important area. The book is an invaluable reference and should be an essential addition to any serious ornithological library." --David Clugston, Scottish Bird News
"The text is superbly done, and the book will become the standard reference for years to come." --Choice
"Comprehensive and highly detailed volume bringing together the latest information gathered from recent research on birds in this area." --BBC Wildlife
"An essential addition to the libraries of all ornithologists with a keen interest in the region. . . . It justifiably reflects the colossal amount of work that has obviously gone into this high-class production." --Pete Davidson, Birding World
"The book represents a major contribution to the ornithological literature of Southeast Asia, and David Wells must be congratulated." --David Blakesley, Ibis
"A world-class handbook." --Winging It
How to order
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