Penguins of the World

Penguins have always been popular, and it’s easy to see why. They live far away in exotic, hard to reach places. How many people, even birders, will ever get to see a live penguin outside of a zoo? They are also undeniably different with their awkward waddling made necessary by loss of flight. And perhaps most importantly, they are incredibly cute. But even with all their popularity, taken to even greater heights by several recent films and documentaries, how much do any of us really know about these birds?

This book, wonderfully written and photographed by Wayne Lynch, will rectify that. It describes the life history of this family, gives an introduction to each of the 17 species, and shows the reader glimpses into their lives and environment.

Penguins are extremely photogenic, being both cute and approachable by photographers (well, once you reach their breeding grounds anyway!). As such, you would expect a book like this to be filled with superb images. And it doesn’t disappoint, at least not at first. There are many great pictures of penguins, their co-inhabitants such as seals and skuas, and habitat. Most of these take up at least half of a large page, and many are full-page. They range from sweeping, grand shots to up-close and personal portraits. One of my favorites is a Rockhopper that has its bill open showing the spines that cover the tongue and the roof of the mouth that keep slippery prey from escaping.

However, I do have some nits to pick. There is no text wrapping around the photographs. There are many pages with just one photo (along with its caption) and lots of empty space. That space could have been used for text, or better yet, to present more images. Also, the same five species are illustrated repeatedly, while the rest of the 17 species of penguins appear perhaps once or twice, or not at all, in the main body of the book (they all are shown in the appendix which is described below). The vast majority of the photos are of King, Gentoo, Magellanic, Adelie, or Rockhopper Penguins. It would be nice to have a little more variety.

This is no mere coffee table picture book. The text is actually the main attraction here. It covers the entire life history of this family including anatomy, habitat, feeding, and breeding. It was informative, yet a pleasure and easy to read. If you get this book don’t let the pictures distract you from actually reading it!

The aforementioned appendix includes a brief account for each of the 17 penguin species. Each of the accounts has a single small photo of the bird, a map showing breeding range, and notes about its distribution, breeding population, and status. This was a necessary inclusion since some of these species are barely touched upon in the main portion of the book. However, it would have been nice to have some more and/or larger photos here.

There are many penguin books available, so which one should you choose? If you’re mainly seeking spectacular photographs, check out Penguins, by Brutus Ostling and Susanne Akesson. It has more, and possibly better, photographs. However, the text is limited and the photos are of mostly the same species that Lynch has. On the other hand, if you’d like to learn about this unique family of birds (and still get some very nice pics), then look no further than this volume.

The version reviewed here is the older, first edition. A second edition has been published recently. The description indicates that it has been revised, but I cannot verify that since I have not seen the newer version. Unless you find the old one for a ridiculously cheap price it would be better to go with the new edition.