Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing/Natural History Museum, 2014. Quarto, colour photographs, fine copy in dustwrapper.

A beautifully illustrated guide to every aspect of bird life and a complete survey of the world’s orders and families of birds. Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert, Jonathan Elphick, begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he then explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life: bird biology including anatomy, walking and swimming, plumage, calls and songs; flight techniques and styles; food and feeding; bird lifestyles and social relationships; breeding, growth and development; bird geography and habitats; and the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages.