Birds - The Insight Story

Rael & Helene Loon
Struik publishers, Cape Town ISBN: 1-77007-151-2
Size 170x230mm, paperback, 204 pages, R153-00
Available from good bookstores

In the past year or two, there have been a great many books published on the birds of Africa. In most cases, these have been identification guides although there is the notable exception of the new 'Roberts Birds of Southern Africa', which is a complete handbook of all that is known about the 900 plus species in the subregion.

This exciting new book by Rael and Helene Loon is not an identification guide, but an overview of how and why birds do the things they do. Such a book has been long overdue, in order to complement the many excellent field and site guides.

The book begins with a treatment of bird anatomy and the mechanisms of flight. Clear illustrations and close-up photographs depict the main attributes and features. Topics such as feather colour, grooming, tail design and many others are explored and explained. The business of how birds breed is treated in detail, with individual chapters on nests and nesting, eggs, chicks and foster families. Also receiving good coverage is the diet of birds and the mechanism and meanings of bird calls. The complex subject of bird migration is covered, and there is even a section on the tracks and signs which various birds leave behind them.

Throughout this broad range of topics, the authors have done a terrific job of presenting scientific facts is an easy-to-understand fashion. The language and layout is precise, the photographs always appropriate, and the artwork accurate and meaningful. It is really quite amazing just how much information has been packed into this slender book, in such a fresh and inviting manner. The authors are to be congratulated for such a wonderfully conceived and executed book which - although pitched at the beginner - will appeal to and educate everyone interested in the wonderful diversity of birds in southern Africa. The first print run of this book sold out within a few weeks, so you should waste no time at all in getting hold of a copy!

- Duncan Butchart -

Posted: Birds by CC Africa, Date: 22 November 2006