A photographic guide to the birds of Japan and North-East Asia /

In many ways this book represents a remarkable achievement. It presents adequate-to-superb photographs of each of 554 species of birds on 458 pages, including nearly all species recorded to date in Japan and most of those a visitor might encounter in adjacent Korea, northeast China, and far eastern Russia. For each species, photographer and birder Shimba provides one to five photographs, a regional distribution map, and text that briefly but adequately details the general range, status in Japan, and diagnostic features. Where appropriate, it compares this bird with similar look-alike species. The writing is clear and succinct. This work is superior to previous similar field guides based wholly on photographs, but it still falls short when compared to good-quality traditional guides that contain greater detail in text and well-executed art work. The book will be adequate to "picture key" most large birds, but it falls short in identifying many of the "little brown jobs." Some photographs could have been cropped more to allow the publication of a larger image, and some photos are on the darkish side. Travelers to the region will want to carry a copy of this book with them. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers/libraries. S. W. Harris emeritus, Humboldt State University