Review by Choice Review
This work by Walters, a UK-based writer/naturalist, is primarily a survey of the world's endangered birds, although there are extensive chapters on ecosystems such as tropical forests, temperate and northern forests, deserts, mountains, grasslands, Mediterranean scrub and heathland, wetlands and coastal areas, and islands, all with excellent photographs and general commentary. The species accounts of 168 birds are well done, although the accompanying color paintings are uninspiring and often very poor. Those accounts are part of general chapters on each bird family group that have tables listing all of their endangered species (1,227). These tables have too much blank space and would have been more valuable if they indicated where the birds occur along with estimates of their populations. A final chapter focuses on conservation issues. The book lacks a bibliography and list of relevant Web sites. Contact information is missing for the important consulting organization BirdLife International. Further, the glossary is incomplete, as is the list of international bird-watching hot spots. Interest in endangered wildlife has never been keener, but Bird Watch disappoints. A more useful work is D. Lebbin, M. Parr, and G. Fenwick's The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation (CH, Apr'11, 48-4487). Summing Up: Recommended. Only comprehensive ornithology collections serving graduate students and above. H. T. Armistead formerly, Free Library of Philadelphia
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
