Initially published in paperback in 2017, the second edition has been rereleased in unchanged form in hardback in 2019.
The Roberts Bird Guide (2nd Edition) has gone to great trouble to concentrate on, and illustrate, difficult-to-identify species and family groups such as raptors, warblers, cisticolas and waders. Special attention has been given to make sure there is far greater coverage of male-female differences and there are also many more juvenile illustrations.
Unlike all previously published southern African bird guides, this new edition will be scattered with informative photographs that are incorporated in the text pages and each plate illustration is augmented with an introduction. Apart from the approximately 240 plate spreads, the guide also has 12 photographic and illustrated double spreads that show head enlargements and other details. Plates are annotated far more definitively than other guides – highlighting key identification features, especially for difficult-to-identify species. Plates are richly illustrated with vignettes, which will make any birding experience more informative.
Hugh Chittenden has over 40 years birding experience in the region and his ornithological interests have taken him to many remote places on the African continent and elsewhere in the world. Hugh has a passion for bird photography and is the author of Top Birding Spots in Southern Africa and co-author of the Roberts Kruger National Park Bird Guide. He is currently Chairman of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund.
Greg Davies has been an ornithologist at the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History since January 2010. Davies has an MSc (cum laude) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Zoology and previously worked for six years as a curator in Entomology at the Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg. Interested in all aspects of Ornithology, Davies's research has focused on the natural history of African birds. Davies has undertaken ornithological field work in Mozambique, Lesotho (with Durban Natural Science Museum) and throughout South Africa.
Ingrid Weiersbye grew up in Zimbabwe, a country where the natural beauty shaped her deep interest in and love for all aspects of nature. Ingrid has painted professionally and exhibited extensively for 38 years, working in acrylic and oils from her studio in Hilton, KwaZulu-Nstsl. She travels widely, particularly in the rest of Africa to acquaint herself with her photograph subject matter. Ingrid is a Trustee of the JVBBF, for which she has illustrated for the past 12 years.