Field Guide to Birds of the Middle East: Third Edition (Helm Field Guides)

The ultimate field guide to the birds of the Middle East, an indispensable companion for any traveller to the region The Middle East – the region stretching from Cyprus and the Levant to Iran, including Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula, plus Socotra – has a wonderfully broad and diverse avifauna, featuring a host of wintering and passage migrants, enigmatic breeders, and even a few endemics that occur nowhere else. This authoritative book covers more than 895 species recorded in the Middle East, including details of all regular visitors and breeding species, from the Purple Sunbird to the Northern Bald Ibis. Featuring 180 stunning colour plates by three of the world's leading bird illustrators, this practical guide also includes concise species accounts describing key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice with fully updated distribution maps for each species. Written by three of the leading lights in regional ornithology and conservation, this fully revised and expanded guide is an essential reference for any birder living in or visiting the Middle East. Cover Half-title Dedication Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Introduction The region and species covered Vagrants Escapes and introduced birds Endemics and near endemics Conservation status Sequence, taxonomy and nomenclature Illustrations and identification text Bird topography Voice and QR codes Habitat Maps and status Code of conduct Species Accounts Partridges, francolins and quails PHASIANIDAE Guineafowl NUMIDIDAE Buttonquails TURNICIDAE Ducks and geese ANATIDAE Divers GAVIIDAE Auks ALCIDAE Grebes PODICIPEDIDAE Albatrosses DIOMEDEIDAE Petrels and shearwaters PROCELLARIIDAE Storm-petrels HYDROBATIDAE Tropicbirds PHAETHONTIDAE Frigatebirds FREGATIDAE Gannets and boobies SULIDAE Flamingos PHOENICOPTERIDAE Hamerkop SCOPIDAE Storks CICONIIDAE Ibises and spoonbills THRESKIORNITHIDAE Bitterns, herons and egrets ARDEIDAE Pelicans PELECANIDAE Cormorants PHALACROCORACIDAE Darters ANHINGIDAE Hawks, buzzards and eagles ACCIPITRIDAE Falcons FALCONIDAE Bustards OTIDIDAE Cranes GRUIDAE Rails, crakes and gallinules RALLIDAE Thick-knees BURHINIDAE Coursers and pratincoles GLAREOLIDAE Oystercatchers HAEMATOPODIDAE Crab-plover DROMADIDAE Stilts and avocets RECURVIROSTRIDAE Painted-snipe ROSTRATULIDAE Jacanas JACANIDAE Lapwings and plovers CHARADRIIDAE Sandpipers and allies SCOLOPACIDAE Gulls, terns and skimmers LARIDAE Skuas STERCORARIIDAE Sandgrouse PTEROCLIDAE Pigeons and doves COLUMBIDAE Parakeets PSITTACIDAE Hoopoes UPUPIDAE Hornbills BUCEROTIDAE Cuckoos and coucals CUCULIDAE Barn owls TYTONIDAE Typical owls STRIGIDAE Nightjars CAPRIMULGIDAE Swifts APODIDAE Rollers CORACIIDAE Kingfishers ALCEDINIDAE Bee-eaters MEROPIDAE Woodpeckers and wrynecks PICIDAE Drongos DICRURIDAE Tchagras MALACONOTIDAE Shrikes LANIIDAE Orioles ORIOLIDAE Paradise flycatchers MONARCHIDAE Crows and jays CORVIDAE Waxwings BOMBYCILLIDAE Hypocolius HYPOCOLIIDAE Bulbuls PYCNONOTIDAE Treecreepers CERTHIIDAE Tits PARIDAE Long-tailed tits AEGITHALIDAE Penduline-tits REMIZIDAE Bearded Reedling PANURIDAE Wallcreeper TICHODROMIDAE Larks ALAUDIDAE Swallows and martins HIRUNDINIDAE Cisticolas and allies CISTICOLIDAE Bush warblers CETTIIDAE Grasshopper warblers LOCUSTELLIDAE Reed warblers ACROCEPHALIDAE Leaf warblers PHYLLOSCOPIDAE Sylvia warblers SYLVIIDAE White-eyes ZOSTEROPIDAE Goldcrests REGULIDAE Babblers TIMALIIDAE Wrens TROGLODYTIDAE Dippers CINCLIDAE Nuthatches SITTIDAE Oxpeckers BUPHAGIDAE Starlings STURNIDAE Thrushes TURDIDAE Robins, chats and flycatchers MUSCICAPIDAE Sunbirds NECTARINIIDAE Sparrows and petronias PASSERIDAE Weavers PLOCEIDAE Waxbills ESTRILDIDAE Accentors PRUNELLIDAE Wagtails and pipits MOTACILLIDAE Finches FRINGILLIDAE Buntings EMBERIZIDAE References and Further Reading Checklist of the Birds of the Middle East Illustration Credits Index