- Paperback: 216 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press; Pbk. Ed edition (2 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0691088837
- ISBN-13: 978-0691088839
- Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 15.9 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,516,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Crows and Jays
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Product Description
Review
This guide provides an excellent source of reference . . . and consequently deserves acclaim. -- "Cotinga
All serious birders have already made a habit of purchasing the identification guides in this series, and Crows and Jays will not change their minds. All birders who live in or travel to corvid-rich areas and all those who hold a fascination for corvids will want to own this excellent guide. -- "Birding
All serious birders have already made a habit of purchasing the identification guides in this series, and Crows and Jays will not change their minds. All birders who live in or travel to corvid-rich areas and all those who hold a fascination for corvids will want to own this excellent guide. -- "Birding
Product Description
In no other group of perching birds has evolution produced such a degree of variation as in the 120 species of crows and jays that inhabit the world today. They range from the tiny Hume's Ground-jay of the steppe-highlands of Tibet to the huge Thick-billed Raven of the mountains of Ethiopia. Some are exceedingly beautiful in color, grace, and form; others are sinister in appearance. Some appear in tales of mythology and superstition; others are merely regarded as agricultural pests. The great majority, however, remain largely unknown, coming into contact with humans mainly when their specialized habitats are destroyed. Over 20 species are now regarded as internationally endangered and some may disappear before we have a chance to learn much about them. This guide details all species of corvid, combining Steve Madge's authoritative text with 30 superb color plates by Hilary Burn.
The text treats each species in depth, summarizing identification techniques and concisely reviewing all aspects of corvid behavior, distribution, population, and taxonomy. The color plates depict all 120 species, with each plate accompanied by an informative caption page containing color world-distribution maps and summaries of the criteria required to identify the species. Some of these, including the Banggar Crow, Mesopotamian Crow, and Flores Crow have never before been illustrated.
Crows and Jays is both a source of scientifically accurate information and a user-friendly identification guide. It seeks to provide everyone, from birdwatchers to biologists, with a greater understanding of the lives of these fascinating yet very complex birds.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Crows and Jays" by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn is a serious and succinct scientific reference work covering the entire crow family. All 122 species of crows, magpies and jays are included. There are 30 colour plates, showing all species and many subspecies. The colour plates also include range maps. The plate section is followed by text pages with species presentations. For obvious reasons, the presentations are rather short, but they nevertheless give a good overview of the habits, habitat and geographic variation of the various species. Provided, of course, that such information is at all available. Many tropical corvids are still little known, the most extreme being the Banggai Crow from the tiny island of Banggai in Indonesia, which is known only from two stuffed specimens in New York!
And no, this book isn't intended for light bedtime reading, unless you have a strange obsession with corvids. If you do, they are all in there, LOL.
Another scientific reference work about corvids is Derek Goodwin's "Crows of the World". Goodwin's book has very few illustrations, but it contains more information about the habits of the European corvids. Thus, Goodwin's book nicely complements "Crows and Jays". Both books are worth buying, if you have a serious, scientific interest in these birds.
Hopefully, both books will be superseded next year, when Lynx Editions will finally publish a volume of their "Handbook of the Birds of the World" scheduled to include the crow family. I'm sure both Madge, Burn and Goodwin are already involved in that project...
;-)
And no, this book isn't intended for light bedtime reading, unless you have a strange obsession with corvids. If you do, they are all in there, LOL.
Another scientific reference work about corvids is Derek Goodwin's "Crows of the World". Goodwin's book has very few illustrations, but it contains more information about the habits of the European corvids. Thus, Goodwin's book nicely complements "Crows and Jays". Both books are worth buying, if you have a serious, scientific interest in these birds.
Hopefully, both books will be superseded next year, when Lynx Editions will finally publish a volume of their "Handbook of the Birds of the World" scheduled to include the crow family. I'm sure both Madge, Burn and Goodwin are already involved in that project...
;-)
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Worthy of four stars, but I give it five...
24 Feb 2008
Format:Paperback
...just to raise its overall average from a single unfair, poor review. This book was intended not as entertainment, but as a reference source, and as such it serves its purpose very well.
Part of the excellent bird family series from Princeton University Press, this book covers the Corvids, with a complete entry for each of the 122 species of crows, ravens, jays, choughs and magpies that were recognized in 1999 when this edition was released. Unlike most of the other Princeton books, there is little in the way of general corvid biology included, but the individual entries contain complete details of each species, and the book must be considered a thorough source. Hilary Burn's illustrations are excellent, and show the important plumages and variations of each species.
Part of the excellent bird family series from Princeton University Press, this book covers the Corvids, with a complete entry for each of the 122 species of crows, ravens, jays, choughs and magpies that were recognized in 1999 when this edition was released. Unlike most of the other Princeton books, there is little in the way of general corvid biology included, but the individual entries contain complete details of each species, and the book must be considered a thorough source. Hilary Burn's illustrations are excellent, and show the important plumages and variations of each species.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
All and Everything about corvids
28 Sep 2008
Format:Paperback
"Crows and Jays" by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn is a serious and succinct scientific reference work covering the entire crow family. All 122 species of crows, magpies and jays are included. There are 30 colour plates, showing all species and many subspecies. The colour plates also include range maps. The plate section is followed by text pages with species presentations. For obvious reasons, the presentations are rather short, but they nevertheless give a good overview of the habits, habitat and geographic variation of the various species. Provided, of course, that such information is at all available. Many tropical corvids are still little known, the most extreme being the Banggai Crow from the tiny island of Banggai in Indonesia, which is known only from two stuffed specimens in New York! Incidentally, I have an earlier, British edition of this book, published in 1999. I haven't seen this new American edition, but judging by the other customer reviews, it's essentially the same book. And no, it's not intended for light bedtime reading, unless you have a strange obsession with corvids. If you do, they are all in there, LOL.
Another scientific reference work about corvids is Derek Goodwin's "Crows of the World". Goodwin's book has very few illustrations, but it contains more information about the habits of the European corvids. Thus, Goodwin's book nicely complements "Crows and Jays". Both books are worth buying, if you have a serious, scientific interest in these birds.
Hopefully, both books will be superseded next year, when Lynx Editions will finally publish a volume of their "Handbook of the Birds of the World" scheduled to include the crow family. I'm sure both Madge, Burn and Goodwin are already involved in that project...
;-)
Another scientific reference work about corvids is Derek Goodwin's "Crows of the World". Goodwin's book has very few illustrations, but it contains more information about the habits of the European corvids. Thus, Goodwin's book nicely complements "Crows and Jays". Both books are worth buying, if you have a serious, scientific interest in these birds.
Hopefully, both books will be superseded next year, when Lynx Editions will finally publish a volume of their "Handbook of the Birds of the World" scheduled to include the crow family. I'm sure both Madge, Burn and Goodwin are already involved in that project...
;-)
5 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Exhaustive list, little else
29 Aug 2006
Format:Paperback
Though this book does seem to list every conceivable type of crow and jay and give you some basic information about each, it is so very unreadable. The lovely pictures are at the front, separated from the information on each species. The information section is barely written in sentences, and is more of a badly-printed list of fragmentary facts than anything else. Save your money; this book is not worth it.
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