From the macaws of South America to the cockatoos of Australia, parrots are among the most beautiful and exotic birds in the world—and among the most endangered. This stunningly illustrated, easy-to-use field guide covers all 356 species and well-differentiated subspecies of parrots, and is the only guide organized by geographical distribution—Australasian, Afro-Asian, and neotropical. It features 146 superb color plates depicting every kind of parrot, as well as detailed, facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status. Color distribution maps show ranges of all subspecies, and field identification is further aided by relevant upperside and underside flight images. This premier field guide also shows where to observe each species in the wild, helping make this the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the parrots of the world.
- The only parrot guide to focus on geographical distribution
- Covers all 356 species
- Features 146 color plates depicting all species and well-differentiated subspecies
- Provides detailed facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and status
- Includes color distribution maps
- Shows where to observe each species in the wild
Joseph M. Forshaw is one of Australia's foremost ornithologists and a world-renowned expert on parrots. His books include Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide (Princeton). Frank Knight has been an illustrator for three decades, producing artwork for scientific papers, books, and lectures. His books include The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.
"Provides an interesting look into the diversity of one of the most well-known families of birds and also some of the most rare and beautiful species on the planet."—Birdfreak.com
"This guide is a must-have for any parrot lover or bird enthusiast."—Eva Matthews, Flying Mullet
"One major highlight of this book for me is the treatment of subspecies. Ranges of all subspecies are depicted on the maps and all are briefly described in the text, and many subspecies receive their own illustrations. . . . This is an excellent reference for anyone interested in general parrot diversity."—Nicholas Sly, Biological Ramblings
"Noted Australian ornithologist Forshaw has designed this new work to be more useful in the field. It features paintings and text allowing identification of 356 species. Subspecies are also illustrated and discussed, adding immensely to the value of the book. . . . It is the best book on the market for those who want to view and identify parrots in the wild."—Choice
"Although there are other books on the parrots of the world, this guide is, in my opinion, the easiest to use. It would make a fine addition to anyone's library."—Fritz Brock, Wildlife Activist
"Those working in markets, museums, border inspection, aviculture, etc., will find the guide sufficiently small and portable that they will be comfortable taking it along to compare directly with individual birds to be identified. As a result, Forshaw's 2010 Parrots of the World accomplishes its stated goal of providing the best available option for those needing to reliably identify parrots either in the wild, the museum or captivity."—Donald J. Brightsmith, Ornitological Neotropical
"Colorful, well-organized and amazingly detailed, Parrots of the World is a grand book for any birder to browse, whether they are interested in their local parrots, exotic species or just birds they hope to add to their life list one day."—Melissa Mayntz, About.com
