United States
£ GBP
A revised and expanded second edition of the definitive guide to sunbirds and their relatives.
Sunbirds are some of the most striking of all bird families; their dazzling iridescent plumage and long curved bills are conspicuous when the birds visit garden flowers on sunny days to feed on nectar. Some species – especially the females – are duller in appearance and harder to spot, feeding mostly on insects high up in forest canopies. Spiderhunters, as their name suggests, feed extensively on spiders, while sunbirds' other close relatives, the flowerpeckers, are especially partial to mistletoe berries.
This new edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect the many developments that have occurred in sunbird taxonomy, as well as the new research that has been published on their biology. It now covers all 218 currently recognised species, providing details of key identification features, voice, habitat, distribution, conservation status, movements, food and behaviour. New colour plates by award-winning artist Richard Allen have been added, and hundreds of high-quality colour photographs beautifully capture both sexes of every species. Maps for each of the subspecies depict geographical distributions for the first time.
This beautiful book remains the definitive guide to the sunbirds, flowerpeckers, spiderhunters and sugarbirds of the world, and is essential reading for researchers, birders and conservationists alike.
Systematic List
Preface to the second edition
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Style and Layout of the Species Accounts
Topography
Morphology
Relationships and Taxonomy
Behaviour
Breeding
Distribution and Habitat
Parasites
Mortality and Predators
Physiology
Migration and other Movements
Economic Importance
Conservation
Colour Plates
Systematic Section
References
Index
Robert Cheke is Professor of Tropical Zoology at the University of Greenwich. His work has taken him to sub-Saharan Africa, where he has followed his passion for sunbirds.
The late Clive Mann carried out extensive fieldwork into bird ecology in the tropics. He wrote numerous scientific papers and books, including Cuckoos of the World.
Richard Allen's work has appeared in various books including Cuckoos of the World. He won the Birdwatch and Swarovski Optik Artist of the Year award in 2023.
"This is a gorgeous book about some of the world's most gorgeous birds: sunbirds and their allies. They are often compared to jewels because of their small size and bright or iridescent colors. As striking as their appearances are their behaviors – flowerpeckers skin mistletoe berries as neatly as waiters in Michelin 3-star restaurants peel fruit. Read this updated volume, enjoy its photos and maps and text, and then go see these jewels for yourself!"
– Jared Diamond
