This is the eighth volume in the Birds of Africa series, looking at the rich avifauna of the world''s second largest continent. Universally recognised as by far the most authoritative work ever published on the subject, The Birds of Africa is a superb multi-contributor reference work, with encyclopaedic species texts, stunning paintings of all species and numerous subspecies, informative line drawings, detailed range maps, and extensive bibliographies. Each volume contains an Introduction to bring you up to date with the latest developments in African ornithology, including the evolution and biogeography of African birds. Diagnoses of the families and genera, often with superspecies maps, are followed by the comprehensive species accounts themselves. These include descriptions of range and status, field characters, voice, general habits, food, and breeding habits. Full bibliographies, acoustic references, and indexes complete this scholarly work of reference. This eighth and final volume covers the Malagasy region which comprises Madagascar and the various islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles, the Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion. Every resident and migrant species is covered in full detail, comparable to other volumes in the series, and with a colour map for each species. Vagrants are treated in less detail. All species are illustrated on a beautiful series of 64 colour plates, with original artwork from John Gale and Brian Small.

Autorentext
Roger Safford has been watching birds all his life, and now does so mainly around his home on the Scottish coast. For more than 35 years he has been involved in bird conservation world-wide, working for BirdLife International since 2000, with this including ten years as coordinator of its Preventing Extinctions Programme. He is co-author of Birds of Africa VIII: The Malagasy Region and Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands. Frank Hawkins is a conservation biologist and policy advisor with many years of experience working with governments, finance institutions, civil society and local communities in Africa and around the world. He is currently a policy and finance advisor to IUCN, leading the development of the IUCN Nature-Positive approach.John Gale is a world-renowned bird illustrator with many books to his credit.Brian Small is a highly regarded bird illustrator with several books to his credit. His warblers are particularly outstanding.

Klappentext
The eighth and final volume in the authoritative Birds of Africa series.

Inhalt

Plate List
Authorship
Acknowledgements
The Malagasy Region
The region, its islands and its territories
Scope of the book
Physical Geography, Climate and Vegetation
Geological history
General features of the region
Madagascar
Seychelles
Comoros
Mascarenes
Outer Islands
Birds Species Across the Region
Bird biogeography and evolution
Current status of birds of the Malagasy region
Conservation
Organisation of this Book
Colour Plates
Vagrant Colour Plates
References of Original Scientific Descriptions
Bibliography
Indexes