Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds

This authoritative handbook, part of the Helm Identification Guide series, looks in detail at the remarkable and diverse birds of paradise--perhaps the ultimate birders' birds.This Helm Identification Guide covers the taxonomy, biology, and conservation, of birds of paradise and bowerbirds in great detail, including a series of plates packed with beautiful illustrations from Richard Allen, and hundreds of photographs covering the full range of racial and age-related plumage variety. For any naturalist, the name "New Guinea" conjures up one group of animals above all others--the sensational birds of paradise, renowned for their dazzling and diverse plumages. This book, the first comprehensive monograph to the group this century, also includes the bower birds, a group that extends into Australia that is perhaps best known for the males' construction of "bowers," structures of twigs and sticks used to tempt in females.The product of almost two decades of research and scholarship and a must-have book for anyone interested in these stunning birds, this will remain the standard reference on birds of paradise for many years to come.