BOOK REVIEWS
RF Porter, S Christensen and P Schiermacker-Hansen
T&AD Poyser, London 1996. ISBN 0 -85661-176-3, hardback, 460pp
+ xv, £29.95
I knew this new field guide was coming, but having already used
the – in my opinion- slightly disappointing Birds of the Middle
East and North Africa by two of the same authors ( Porter and
Christensen) in addition to P A D Hollon and artist Ian Willis
(Poyser, London 1988, ISBN 0-85661-047-X) I wasn’t holding my
breath. Hence, I was not prepared for this new field guide. It
is simply one of the best bird guides to a specific region that
I have ever seen.
In contrast with the 1988 book, the new guide covers the Middle
East only, from Turkey and Iran in the north to Yemen in the south,
including Socotra Island and Cyprus. Naturally, all of Arabia
is covered. It deals with all birds in this region, and I mean
all of them, even birds that have been recorded only once in the
region are included, a staggering 722 species in all. Species
are listed in the traditional systematic order.
A short and concise introduction describing the scope of the book,
is followed by the main body of the book which comprises 112 plates
by artists A Birch, J Gale, M Langman and B Small and detailed
species accounts. The plates are superb and wherever relevant,
illustrations show different races, sexes, age variations, with
many birds shown in flight. Curiously almost all birds face right
and fly to the right, but this is, of course, done to aid comparison
between similar species. It is nice to see, though, that some
woodpeckers can sometimes face left! Ample place is given to each
species although a few plates such as the ones with wagtails and
wheatear look a bit crowded, but they almost had to be with so
many races and variations depicted. Facing each plate is a breeding
map of the region’s breeding birds and quite comprehensives notes
on status and habitat are given here as well. The maps are quite
large and very clear for a field guide. My only regret at all
with this new guide is that wintering ranges and migratory routes
are not shown. This information can, however, be found in the
status notes, but a quick glance at a map is often more helpful
to the birdwatcher.
The species accounts section contain detailed information on plumage,
with the main identification characters shown in italics, and
notes on voice. Size is recorded in this section, but would have
been helpful next to the plates. However, as each species is assigned
a number, reference between the plates and the text is very quick.
With so may species dealt with in what is still a handy book,
not every aspect of each species could be covered. This is mainly
an identification guide. No information is given on habits, food
or breeding behaviour.
The field guide concludes with a helpful list of references and
suggestions for further reading with a breakdown for each country,
a complete species list and comprehensive indices of English and
scientific names.
One nice advantage of such a comprehensive guide is that even
new additions to individual country lists may very well already
be covered by the book and the guide will not become outdated
so quickly. By comparisons between neighbouring countries, it
also suggests which new species one may reasonably expect in the
future.
In summary this is a superb field guide. The authors, artists,
publishers and anyone involved with its publication are to be
congratulated. It is a must for any birdwatcher living or visiting
this region and anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern birds.
In fact, I think I will need two copies, one for the bookshelf
and one for the car. Buy it!
Jens Eriksen
Fauna of Saudi Arabia Vol 15 (1996)
Editors: Friedhelm Krupp & Volker Mahnert
Published by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation
and Development (NCWCD), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Pro Entomologica,
c/0 Natural History Museum, Basle, Switzerland.
Hardback, 418pp + vii, SFr. 159.
The contents of volume 15 in this comprehensive and authoritative
series of books providing detailed descriptions of the fauna of
Saudi Arabia includes papers on the Arabian arachnids, centipedes,
crustaceans, insects echinoderms, fishes, and birds. Another important
contribution to scientific information on the taxonomy, faunistics,
zoogeography and ecology of the region’s wildlife, this volume
is well- illustrated with numerous drawings, photographs and colour
plates and is, as usual, superbly edited and produced.
A Marine Wildlife Sanctuary for the Arabian Gulf
Environmental Research and Conservation Following the 1991 Gulf
War Oil Spill
Editors: Friedhelm Krupp, Abdulaziz Abuzinada and Iyad A. Nader
Published by the European Commission, Brussels, National Commission
for Wildlife Conservation and Development and Senckenbergische
Naturforschende Gesellschaft
ISBN 9960-614-03-4 (NCWCD, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
ISBN 3-929907-37-2 (SNG, Germany)
Hardback, 505pp.
As the introduction to this book points out, before the Gulf War,
and the ensuing environmental crisis, the Arabian Gulf was one
of the lesser-known seas. However, all that has changed with more
scientific studies published in the intervening years than in
the entire period before the war. Regional research institutes
and environmental protection agencies initiated extensive research
programmes supported by international scientific missions. This
publication, for its part, presents the scientific results of
five years of continuous research by the international, multidiscplinary
team of scientists who were based in Jubail and who were working
together to create the first ever Marine Habitat and Wildlife
Sanctuary in the GCC region. Topics covered by the book include
background information on the Gulf War oil spill and creation
of the Jubail Marine Wildlife Sacntuary; hydracarbon chemistry,
microbiology and oil spill response; effects of the oil spill
on the coastal and marine environment; biological diversity, ecology
and conservation of key taxa; fisheries, socio-economics and education.
The abstracts of each paper are given in both English and Arabic
and the handsome volume is liberally illustrated with colour plates,
black and white drawings, as well as a clearly-present pull-out
map depicting the geo-ecological units of Al Jubail Marine Wildlife
Sanctuary.
This volume provides an invaluable reference source for the international
scientific community as a whole as well as providing much useful
background information for decision-makers in the field of marine
conservation.
Africa: A Natural History
Chris and Tilde Stuart
Swan Hill Press, 101 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3
9 EB.
ISBN 1 85310 737 9, hardback 170pp, £24.95
Prolific authors and wildlife experts Chris and Tilde Stuart document
in clear text and striking colour photographs the natural history
of the African continent. The seven major African habitats are
explored: from savanna, home to much of the continent’s game herds,
to dryland, including the vast Saharan desert; from forest, both
temperate and tropical to highland, encompassing the famous Mountains
of the Moon; from Cape heathland which supports over 8580 species
of flowering plant; to the contintent’s great freshwater lakes
and river systems; and finally the coastal zone, including mangrove
stands and the unsurpassed coral reefs of the Red Sea. Descriptions
of the flora and fauna of these diverse habitats accompany each
chapter, however, because of the huge scope of the book, much
detail is omitted. Although primarily celebrating the continents
wondrous natural beauty, the Stuarts also discuss the fragility
of the African habitats and discuss the effectiveness of conservation
measures across the continent.
This book can provide readers of all ages with an authoritative
overview of the African natural world.
Africa’s Vanishing Wildlife
Chris and Tilde Stuart
Swan Hill Press, 101 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3
9 EB.
ISBN 1853108170., hardback, 198pp, £29.95.
As founders of the African Carnivore Research Programme and the
African Arabian Wildlife Research Centre, Chris and Tilde Stuart
are well-equipped to tackle the subject of African wildlife’s
fight for survival against the steady encroachment of Man. Recognizing
that wildlife consevation in Africa is at a critical stage, they
have set out to document the problems faced by the continent’s
endangered, vulnerable, rare and declining species. The authors
examine the plight of each animal group as a whole, as well as
discussing individual species within each group. Maps provide
a humbling record of past and present distribution whilst the
authors’ beautiful photographs celebrate African wildlife at its
best, underlining their plea to the human component of the animal
world to halt the habitat destruction and degradation which is
impacting hugely on the wildlife of this ‘fascinating, depressing,
diverse and damaged continent’.
This well-produced book is a must for readers who wish to look
beyond the pretty pictures to reach an understanding of the problems
facing the animal world and the commitment needed to tackle them.
The Phoenix
Sponsored and published by the National Commission for Wildlife
Conservation and Development, Michael Jennings in number 13 (December
1996) of the Phoenix provides up to date information on Arabia’s
breeding birds, as well as summary reports of ABBA (Atlas of Breeding
Birds of Arabia) and other surveys in Saudi Arabia.
Tribulus
Contents of vol 6.2 of the bi-lingual Emirates Natural History
Group Bulletin range from reports of excavation on Balghelam Island
and Sharjah to information on the red data list for birds of the
UAE and the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Project, as well as proving
a useful index to volumes 1-5 of Tribulus.
Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey Project
This occasional newsletter from the ADIAS , P.O. Box 45553, Abu
Dhabi, UAE (No. 1, 17 November 1996) gives a run-down of the projects
proposed for the winter season, information on the fifth Late
Antiquity and Early Islam Workshop in which the pre-Islamic Nestorian
church and monastery found by the Project on Sir Bani Yas Island
was recognized by the conference as ‘a very major new discovery
that has brought Byzantine and early Islamic studies into a very
new and unfamiliar area’.
Birdlife of Yemen (Tayur Al Yeman)
Published by the Environmental Protection Council in Yemen, together
with cooperation of OSME and BirdLife International, this little
book has been written by R.F.Porter and R.P.Martins based upon
considerable fieldwork carried out in Yemen. Colour illustrations
by M.Langman, and line drawings by R.A.Hume, provide clear descriptions
for the common birds seen in Yemen, in addition to all the endemics.
The booklet, published in Arabic and aimed at schools in Yemen,
will be an extremely useful tool in environmental education in
Yemen.
Sandgrouse
Volume 18(2) is an elegantly designed and produced edition of
OSME’s journal. Features include a review of Middle East Birding
and Conservation Organisations; an article about Ruppell’s weaver
in Yemen and one about the birds of Barr al-Hikman in Oman. The
more scientific section contains a number of papers on birds in
Jordan: one on raptors, one on the avifauna of Azraq, one on the
Alpine accentor, a discussion on whether lappet-faced vultures
once bred there, and first records of the Alpine accentor and
pine bunting. There is also a news section and one for book reviews.
This is a really useful addition to publications on Arabia’s wildlife.
Shark News
Issue number 8 of Shark News, the Newsletter of the IUCN Shark
Specialist Group, published in December 1996, contains articles
on CITES, news of the activities of the Shark Specialist Group,
a discussion on the Red List assessments for sharks and rays,
and an article regarding shark fishery management. A review article
on what has been happening to sawfish is a reminder of the extreme
pressures that many elasmobranchs suffer. Research worker Ed McManus
(email contact: [email protected]) is undertaking research
on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden sharks and rays and would be grateful
for any data on size, sex and species distribution. The editors
of Shark News are also seeking contacts in Arabia, both with individuals
and with research organisations. The address for contact is: Sarah
Fowler, The Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd., 36 Kingfisher Court,
Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ, UK. Fax (44) (0)
1635550230. Email is : [email protected].