Handbook of the Birds of the World

Last updated

Handbook of the Birds of the World
Author
  • Josep del Hoyo (ed.)
  • Andrew Elliott (ed.)
  • Jordi Sargatal (ed.) (vol. 1–7)
  • David A Christie (ed.) (vol. 8–16)
Country Spain
LanguageEnglish
GenreNature
Publisher Lynx Edicions
Published1992–2013
Media typePrint

The Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. The series was edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal and David A. Christie.

Contents

All 16 volumes have been published. For the first time an animal class will have all the species illustrated and treated in detail in a single work. This has not been done before for any other group in the animal kingdom.

Material in each volume is grouped first by family, with an introductory article on each family; this is followed by individual species accounts (taxonomy, subspecies and distribution, descriptive notes, habitat, food and feeding, breeding, movements, status and conservation, bibliography). In addition, all volumes except the first and second contain an essay on a particular ornithological theme. More than 200 renowned specialists and 35 illustrators (including Toni Llobet, Hilary Burn, Chris Rose and H. Douglas Pratt) from more than 40 countries have contributed to the project up to now, as well as 834 photographers from all over the world.

Since the first volume appeared in 1992, the series has received various international awards. The first volume was selected as Bird Book of the Year by the magazines Birdwatch and British Birds , and the fifth volume was recognised as Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine , the American Library Association magazine. The seventh volume, as well as being named Bird Book of the Year by Birdwatch and British Birds, also received the distinction of Best Bird Reference Book in the 2002 WorldTwitch Book Awards [1] This same distinction was also awarded to Volume 8 a year later in 2003. [2]

Individual volumes are large, measuring 32 by 25 centimetres (12.6 by 9.8 in), and weighing between 4 and 4.6 kilograms (8.8 and 10.1 lb); it has been commented in a review that "fork-lift truck book" would be a more appropriate title.

As a complement to the Handbook of the Birds of the World and with the ultimate goal of disseminating knowledge about the world's avifauna, in 2002 Lynx Edicions started the Internet Bird Collection (IBC). It is a free-access, but not free-licensed, on-line audiovisual library [3] of the world's birds with the aim of posting videos, photos and sound recordings showing a variety of biological aspects (e.g. subspecies, plumages, feeding, breeding, etc.) for every species. It is a non-profit endeavour fuelled by material from more than one hundred contributors from around the world.

In early 2013, Lynx Edicions launched the online database HBW Alive, which includes the volume and family introductions and updated species accounts from all 17 published HBW volumes. Since its launch, the taxonomy has been thoroughly revised and updated twice (once for non-passerines and once for passerines), following the publication of the two volumes of the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World.

The Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive site also provides a free access 'Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology'. [4]

Published volumes

A list of volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the World produced to date is as follows:

Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks

This volume was published in 1992. Unlike subsequent volumes, it does not have an introductory essay; instead, it has a 38-page overview by Eduardo de Juana of the biology of birds and a foreword welcoming the HBW project, by Christoph Imboden. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl

This volume was published in 1994. It has a foreword by Walter J. Bock on the organization of information in HBW. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks

This volume was published in 1996. It has a foreword by Robert Bateman on "art and nature". Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos

This volume was published in 1997. It has an introductory essay "Species Concepts and Species Limits in Ornithology" by Jürgen Haffer. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds

This volume was published in 1999. It has an introductory essay "Risk Indicators and Status Assessment in Birds" by Nigel J. Collar. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills

This volume was published in 2001. It has an introductory essay "Avian Bioacoustics" by Luis Baptista and Don Kroodsma. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers

This volume was published in 2002. It has an introductory essay "Extinct Birds" by Errol Fuller. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos

This volume was published in 2003. It has an introductory essay "A Brief History of Classifying Birds" by Murray Bruce. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails

This volume was published in 2004. It has an introductory essay "Ornithological Nomenclature" by Richard Banks. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes

This volume was published in 2005. It has an introductory essay "The Ecology and Impact of Non-Indigenous Birds" by Daniel Sol, Tim Blackburn, Phillip Cassey, Richard Duncan and Jordi Clavell. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers

This volume was published in September 2006. It has an introductory essay "Ecological Significance of Bird Populations" by Cagan Sekercioglu with a preface by Paul R. Ehrlich. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees

This volume was published in October 2007. It includes an introduction to the fossil birds by Kevin J. Kayleigh. This volume covers the following groups:

Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes

This volume was published in October 2008. It includes an introductory essay on bird migration by Ian Newton. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows

This volume was published in October 2009. It includes the foreword "Birding Past, Present and Future – a Global View" by Stephen Moss. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 15: Weavers to New World Warblers

This volume was published in October 2010. It includes a foreword on bird conservation by Stuart Butchart, Nigel Collar, Alison Stattersfield, and Leon Bennun. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Volume 16: Cardinals to New World Blackbirds

This volume was published in December 2011. It includes a foreword on climate change and birds by Anders Pape Møller. Groups covered in this volume are as follows:

Special Volume: New Species and Global Index

This volume was published in July 2013. It includes a comprehensive introduction by Jon Fjeldså on changes in bird macrosystematics and a foreword on the history of BirdLife International. It covers 84 new species published more recently than their corresponding HBW volumes, including 15 scientific descriptions of newly discovered Amazonian birds.

HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-passerines

This volume was published in July 2014. It depicts all non-passerines with drawings and maps, including all extinct species since the year 1500.

HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 2: Passerines

This volume was published in December 2016. It depicts all passerines with drawings and maps, including all extinct species since the year 1500.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Cyanocorax</i> Genus of birds

Cyanocorax is a genus of New World jays, passerine birds in the family Corvidae. It contains several closely related species that primarily are found in wooded habitats, chiefly in lowland tropical rainforest but in some cases also in seasonally dry forest, grassland and montane forest. They occur from Mexico through Central into southern South America, with the green jay and brown jay just entering the United States in southernmost Texas, ad the Azure and Plush-crested jays occurring southwards to the lower Paraná River basin. This genus is considered especially close to Cyanolyca, an upland radiation occurring throughout the American Cordillera from Mexico to Peru and Bolivia, who look very similar to the blue-and-black species of Cyanocorax except for being a bit smaller. The North American blue jay genera Aphelocoma, Cyanocitta and Gymnorhinus seem to be slightly less closely related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cisticolidae</span> Family of birds

The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guianan trogon</span> Species of bird

The Guianan trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon and quetzal family Trogonidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela.

<i>Climacteris</i> Genus of birds

Climacteris is a genus of bird in the family Climacteridae. These birds and the other members of the family, genus Cormobates, are similar to Northern Hemisphere creepers, Certhiidae, in climbing helically up tree trunks looking for insect food. Differences from Cormobates are

<i>Eulampis</i> Genus of birds

The caribs are a genus, Eulampis, of hummingbirds in the family Trochilidae. The genus contains two species, both of which are endemic to the islands of the Caribbean. The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek word eulampēs meaning 'bright shining'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-legged ground roller</span> Species of bird

The short-legged ground roller is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae. It is the only living species in the genus Brachypteracias and is endemic to Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty-vented canastero</span> Species of bird

The rusty-vented canastero, or creamy-breasted canastero, is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-margined antwren</span> Species of bird

The rufous-margined antwren is an insectivorous bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds." It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<i>Melanodryas</i> Genus of birds

Melanodryas is a genus of passerine birds in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streaked scrub warbler</span> Species of bird

The streaked scrub warbler, also known simply as the scrub warbler, is a small passerine bird. It is the only species placed in the genus Scotocerca. It is found in northern Africa and south-western Asia. It is a bird of desert fringes, frequenting scrubby areas, ravines and gorges, and is mainly resident, although local movements can occur outside the breeding season.

<i>Tolmomyias</i> Genus of birds

Tolmomyias is a genus of Neotropical birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is one of the two genera containing the "flatbills"; the other is Rhynchocyclus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western wattlebird</span> Species of bird

The western wattlebird is a passerine bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. It is restricted to south-western Australia.

<i>Mohoua</i> Genus of birds

Mohoua is a small genus of three bird species endemic to New Zealand. The scientific name is taken from mohua – the Māori name for the yellowhead. Their taxonomic placement has presented problems: They have typically been placed in the whistler family, Pachycephalidae, but in 2013 it was established that they are best placed in their own family, Mohouidae. A large molecular genetic study published in 2019 found that the family is sister to the family Neosittidae containing the three sittellas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafresnaye's woodcreeper</span> Subspecies of bird

Lafresnaye's woodcreeper is a resident passerine bird found in tropical South America in the western and southern Amazon and adjacent sections of the Cerrado. It is often considered a subspecies of the buff-throated woodcreeper, but this combined "species" would be polyphyletic. It includes the dusky-billed woodcreeper, which sometimes is considered a separate species.

Lynx Nature Books is a Spanish publishing company specializing in ornithology and natural history. It was formerly named Lynx Edicions.

<i>Esacus</i> Genus of birds

Esacus is a genus of bird in the stone-curlew family Burhinidae. The genus is distributed from Pakistan and India to Australia. It contains two species, the great stone-curlew and the beach stone-curlew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan bluetail</span> Species of bird

The Himalayan bluetail, also called the Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin or orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oreoicidae</span> Family of birds

Oreoicidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds from New Guinea and Australia, commonly known as the Australo-Papuan bellbirds. The family contains three genera, each containing a single species: Aleadryas, which contains the rufous-naped bellbird; Ornorectes, which contains the piping bellbird; and Oreoica, which contains the crested bellbird.

The HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World is a checklist of the birds of the world published by Lynx Edicions in association with BirdLife International in two volumes in 2014 and 2016. This list follows the 16-volume Handbook of the Birds of the World and is used as a base for the birds in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and many other organizations.

Birds of the World (BoW) is an online database of ornithological data adapted from the Handbook of the Birds of the World and contemporary reference works, including Birds of North America, Neotropical Birds Online, and Bird Families of the World. The database is published and maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and collects data on bird observations through integration with eBird. The database requires a subscription to access the majority of its entries, but offers institutional access to many libraries and birding-related organizations, participating in the National Information Standards Organization's Shared E-Resource Understanding practice as a publisher.

References

  1. ↑ "2002 Book Awards - Birds and Birding". Worldtwitch. 2003-06-05. Archived from the original on 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  2. ↑ "2003 Book Awards - Birds and Birding". Worldtwitch. Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  3. ↑ "the Internet Bird Collection". Ibc.lynxeds.com. 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  4. ↑ cockerell Jobling, J. A. (2018). Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2018). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from www.hbw.com on 17 July 2018).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.