Neither a true 'checklist,' nor a field guide, this is an essential reference work for any naturalists' library.

The first ever Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World is really two works in one. It is a complete reference work whose taxonomy incorporates the most up-to-date information and an exhaustive methodology (Tobias et al. 2010) in an entirely systematic and consistent way. At the same time, it contains illustrations and distribution maps for every bird species in the world. This includes the original artwork from the HBW series, as well as hundreds of new illustrations, all in two compact volumes.

This is the first ever fully illustrated checklist, with maps and detailed distributions of all of the species and subspecies levels, and is completely updated at the macrosystematic, species, and subspecies levels. With the publication of Volume 2, this work becomes the first completely illustrated checklist ever published. Its taxonomy incorporates the most up-to-date information and an exhaustive methodology in an entirely systematic and consistent way.