New Book: The Complete Birds of the World: Every Species Illustrated

The Complete Birds of the World: Every Species Illustrated
by Norman Arlott, Ber van Perlo, Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata, Gustavo Carrizo, Aldo A. Chiappe, and Luis Huber

From Princeton University Press:

This is a book like no other―the only truly comprehensive, one-volume illustrated guide to all of the world’s birds, covering the complete International Ornithological Congress World Bird List. Featuring more than 300 stunning large-format, full-color plates, this accessible and authoritative encyclopedic reference presents incredibly detailed, accurate, and beautiful paintings of more than 10,700 species by some of the world’s best bird artists, led by the legendary Norman Arlott and Ber van Perlo. In addition, The Complete Birds of the World provides detailed but concise identification information about each species on facing pages―including facts about voice, habitat, and geographic distribution. The result is a visual and verbal feast that captures the astonishing variety of bird life around the planet―and that will be cherished by any birder.

Illustrates more than 10,700 species, covering the complete International Ornithological Congress World Bird List, and including all major adult plumages for each

Features more than 300 stunning large-format, full-color plates by some of the world’s leading bird artists

Presents detailed but concise identification information about each species on facing pages―including facts about voice, habitat, and geographic distribution

It’s so much fun just to flip through this book and discover all the birds out there to be seen. However, there are two things that must be mentioned. First, the illustrations vary widely in quality. Most of them are provided by Arlott and van Perlo. The former’s work is excellent, I really enjoy it. The latter’s is not nearly as good and suffers from appearing on the same plates as the others. The second thing that must be mentioned is that, despite the claim in the press copy above, this is not the only “one-volume illustrated guide to all of the world’s birds” – Lynx Edicions’ All the Birds of the World preceded this one by a year. Lynx’s book is arguably better, depending on what you are looking for and how you will be using it. But if you just want a convenient way to browse and compare all the birds of the world (and what birder wouldn’t?) – The Complete Birds of the World works well and is a relative bargain.

The Complete Birds of the World: Every Species Illustrated
by Norman Arlott, Ber van Perlo, Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata, Gustavo Carrizo, Aldo A. Chiappe, and Luis Huber
Hardcover; 640 pages
Princeton University Press; September 7, 2021
ISBN: 9780691193922
$65.00

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