These are the 3 main books that I use:
"Every Australan Bird Illustrated" is an excellent reference, mainly visual, to every Australian bird, including some that are extinct. I have had it for more than 30 years :-)
"Field Guide to Australian Birds" is a much more scientific, thorough record of Australian birds. I use it mainly when I want to know how males, females or juvenile birds vary from each other.
"A photographic Guide to Birds of Australia" is not comprehensive, but contains pictures and descriptions of the
most common birds. In most cases, a bird that the amateur bird-watcher needs to identify will be in this book.
- soakes
Hi soakes,
It's interesting to know what field guides other people use. The top one of yours looks very well used. The two that I use are Pizzey and Knight 'The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia' and Michael Morcombes 'Field Guide to Australian Birds'. The Morcombe one is in pocket size format. It probably has the same content as yours only smaller. I find both of these to be very good and highly recommend both.
Pamela
Central Coast NSW
Hi Soakes and Pamela,
Michael Morcombes 'Field Guide to Australian Birds'.The full version at home and the pocket size in the bag when out and about are my current/mostly used guides. I also have 6 or 7 others (Pizzey, Simpson and Day, Slater to name a few). I sometime have them all open trying to ID an LBJ (little brown job)as it can help looking at different illustrations. The advent of many great web-sites with bird photos is also a great help, take a look at the Canberra Birds Photo Gallary.http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/Index.htm it is one that Denis often suggests and is a real help in IDing.There are many others http://www.birdway.com.au/index.htm is another.
Ed Townsville NQ
I have Simpson & Day.
I think i need another one, probably the pizzey et al.
I use the canberra birds website a lot, it is good .
and this one by graeme chapman:
.
http://www.graemechapman.com.au/cgi-bin/library.php
,
cheers,
steve
Hi Steve
Thanks for the link to Graeme Chapman's image gallery.
I knew him in Canberra years ago. Great photographer.
I had not found his image gallery before.
Saved for future reference
Thanks
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
My first guide book was Neville Cawley's. Now I use the Birds of Aust Field Guide. I got it about 12 years ago as a present. It had an accompanying video that went with it. But with so much information online, the internet tends to be the best resource for id'ing birds.
G'day soakes,
.
I have three that I use and, like ed, often all three are open when I'm trying to ID a bird. Simpson and Day (one large A4-ish and one small 6th edn.), Michael Morcombe and a photographic guide by Jim Flegg. I find these all very helpful.
.
Cheers,
.
George
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
Hi Guy's I have the Simpson & Day Field Guide to the birds of Australia also have Reader's Digest photographic field guide I inhereted from my Mum I use both quite extensively.
Still trying to post pics !
Helen (Coffs Harbour)
I use this one as it has actual photo's as opposed to the drawings which I find hard to use for id'ing
I just found this bird image database:
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http://www.aviceda.org/abid/index.php
,
and the IBC has video, photos, and i think some bird calls.
,
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/
,
cheers,
steve
i'm most intrested in Parrots, i have alot of bird books but they don't have much parrots in them
I use that second field guide and its the best one on the market by far.
Michael Morcombe has a website that has additional information and updates on his book
http://www.michaelmorcombe.com.au/