Published in a limited edition of only 150 copies. The first monograph about the birds belonging to the genus Pardalotus. The species are extensively treated on over 160 pages and illustrated with a hundred original paintings and 25 historic illustrations.

Pardalotus is a genus of birds endemic to the Australian continent. This monograph, devoted to the four recognized species, consists of two parts, the Taxonomic history and the Natural history. The first part, whose name might suggest a boring list of names and dates, is actually quite interesting. Following the stories of these four bird species you will read famous names such as Charles Darwin, John Gould and Ernst Mayr. You will discover how their names are linked to the pardalotes, as well as the errors of famous ornithologists, their disappointments and their rivalries. You will discover how tortuous the journey towards modern zoology was.

The second part of the book begins with the presentation of the four species. This section describes and explains the differences in plumage between male and female, if present, and those between adults, juvenile and immature specimens. The differences between subspecies or geographical forms are also represented. Clear illustrations accompany the description of the nesting preferences of each species, those for food, as well as some known behaviors whose meaning has not yet been clarified.

Finally, there is a third part, the iconographic one. A large number of illustrations accompany the book, both old drawings and paintings made specifically for this volume. Luca Milione, an Italian naturalist illustrator, has been able to create artistic works, where the text allowed it, as well as very detailed works for the realization of technical plates.

Passeriformes: Meliphagoidea: Pardalotidae