Handbook of the Birds of the World: Volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds

Wow, what an amazing achievement and, perhaps, most amazing of all has been the frequency of publication of each of the volumes of HBW. From the outset, many believed Lynx Edicions would not be able to keep up the promise of a volume every 18 months, but keep to it they have. The series has been unfaltering in its quality as well and has rightly earned its place as the definitive reference work on the world’s birds. The look and feel of the books has also remained constant, with each family being thoroughly described through all aspects of the life histories and these accounts lavishly illustrated with superb colour photographs. As an example of this thoroughness the first family covered in the latest volume is the Tanagers. The 283 species are introduced in 110 pages and, as a generally colourful group, the photographs accompanying this section are simply stunning! The family accounts are then completed with the species plates and descriptions, in the case of the Tanagers 34 plates and descriptions over 174 pages.

This particular volume tackles the Tanagers and Cardinals through to the New World Blackbirds (Icterids) via the more familiar Buntings and brings to a close a mammoth undertaking. And so it ends…or perhaps not; as always with this kind of undertaking by the time each volume is published it is already out of date, scientific discoveries and improved knowledge of birds means our understanding is changing constantly. The next stage will be HBW online, where all the contents of the books will be accessible alongside video and sound recordings. A combination of published and digital updates will be made available and the online version of HBW will be constantly updated.

Book reviewed by Su Gough