The first volume in this incredible series on western palearctic birds.
This unique and spectacular handbook is the most complete and comprehensive photographic guide to the passerines of the Western Palearctic. Written by two of the world's most respected ornithologists, Hadoram Shirihai and Lars Svensson, it contains the most up-to-date information available on bird identification covering all aspects of plumage, moult, ageing and sexing, with sections on voice and other identification criteria, and detailed taxonomic notes.
This first volume covers larks, hirundines, pipits and wagtails, bulbuls, accentors, robins, chats, wheatears, thrushes, prinias and cisticolas, and warblers. The exceptional text is backed up by a remarkable collection of almost 2,500 photographs, featuring a comprehensive range of plumages that illustrate every race and morph of each species in the region.
This stunning handbook will be the definitive reference for the region for years to come - no birder's shelf will be complete without it.

Hadoram Shirihai is Israel's foremost ornithologist, co-author of Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds, and the author of books including the acclaimed Sylvia Warblers and A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. While his work, especially on tubenoses, has taken him to virtually every corner of the globe, his love of deserts and bird migration means that he is still to be found at Eilat, the watchpoint at the head of the Red Sea that he brought to the world's attention, virtually every spring. The scientific name of the Desert Tawny Owl (Strix hadorami), a species that attracted his attention and research from when he was a schoolboy, honours his devotion to Middle Eastern ornithology.

Acknowledgements

Introduction
An approach to moult and ageing birds in the field
General references
List of passerine families: traditional and new order
A brief presentation of passerine families

Species accounts
Vagrants to the region
Checklist of the birds of the Western Palearctic - passerines
Photographic credits
Indexes