United States
£ GBP
Hummingbirds have always held popular appeal, with their visual brilliance, extraordinary flight dexterity, and jewel-like size and colour. But it is almost as if their beauty has blinded us to their importance. Only recently has their serious scientific study started to gain the attention it demands. With the increasing interest in biodiversity, and the hummingbirds' position as the second most diverse bird group after flycatchers, they are a subject growing in significance with each new species discovery. Hummingbirds presents all 337 species, arranged taxonomically, out of which over 300 birds are shown in dazzling, life-size, cut-out photography. Concise descriptions, written by two of the world's leading experts, are digitally enhanced through QR-code links to movie footage of flight, sound, and behaviour. Presented in a compact format adorned with sprayed page edges.
Michael Fogden (Ecuador, South America) and his wife Susan have spent the past 35 years as freelance writers and photographers. They have written 11 books and numerous articles, and in 2008 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Nature Photography Association. Marianne Taylor (Kent, UK) is a freelance writer, editor and illustrator. She has worked as editor for the bird book publisher Christopher Helm and a subeditor on the magazine Birdwatch.
Sheri L. Williamson (Arizona, USA) is an ornithologist, award-winning writer, and author of A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America. Since 1996, she has worked as director of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory.
"[...] While perhaps a bit subject-specific to be carrying around in the field in South America, where there is such an abundance of other birdlife, this is a fantastic reference for the bookshelf. Not only is it a handy go-to guide for troublesome individuals encountered in the field, but the visual spectacle it offers ensures that it's also an absorbing general read for birders and non-birders alike. Its outstanding presentation is largely thanks to the phenomenal quality of modern-day digital photography – such a beautiful guide simply would not have been possible two decades ago."
– Josh Jones, Saturday 15th October 2016, www.birdguides.com
"[...] While this might be a tall order, some may feel that this relegates what is clearly an accomplished publication to somewhere between the coffee table and the reference shelf. Having said that, there is still a lot of information packed into this superbly designed and easy-to-read volume."
- Justin Walker, BTO book reviews
"[...] If you have an appreciation of hummingbirds, you will want a copy of this book. It is nice to see life-sized photos of the birds and to have so many species together in one relatively compact book. Just keep in mind this book is a general summary or overview of the birds; that not all birds are shown; and, the book is more of a beginning resource to help learn what hummingbirds exist and not as a field or identification guide."
- Avian Review blog, 24-04-2014
