This book is the first definitive ornithological field guide to New Guinea, the world's second largest island and one of the richest tropical environments in the Old World. Because of its isolation, New Guinea's biota includes spectacular radiations of unusual plants and animals (of which the birds of paradise are perhaps best known). The region has long attracted naturalists, ecologists, and anthropologists. This book treats all of the more than 700 species of birds recorded from the region, illustrating more than 600 of them in forty-seven fine color plates and eight black-and-white halftone plates. The text contains species accounts treating identification, distribution, ecology, vocalizations, and behavior. This is preceded by a detailed introduction to the region, with sections on climate, biogeography, rainforest ecology, and conservation.
A chief contribution of the book is the wealth of information on the habits of many of the region's little-known species. Included is an ornithological gazetteer, along with four maps showing natural features and important ornithological localities.