This great new field guide has finally reached North Queensland, I am impressed
overall but three things struck me as odd:
1. The decision to use wing length rather than overall length. Now this may be
scientifically rigorous and all that, but it means old dinosaurs like me have
to recalibrate relative size, and that is very hard and will take some getting
used to.
I like the weight being included, it’s great that this data is actually
available as I sure couldn’t do it for many New Guinea species, but wish I had
the length to compare it with!
2. The index is based on the first name, so when i went to look up Shrike-tit i
couldn’t find it, it’s there under Crested Shrike-tit. This way of doing it
also seems idiosyncratic.
3, No Hornbill Friarbird, that’s an IOC species and has been for ages, they
have just about everything else but not this one. Anyone know why that got
omitted? I think they base the list on IOC 5.4 but I’m pretty sure it was on
that as it predates Naretha Bluebonnet for example by some time. It’s a
nuisance for us as we are always on about it here when it comes to feed, and
it’s not been in any of the books.
Phil Gregory
<>
ornithological writer/tour leader/tour facilitator
Field Guides / Sicklebill Safaris / Cassowary House / Cassowary Tours
PO Box 387
Kuranda
QLD 4881
Australia
Ph: +61 7 40 937 318
Email: <>
Website1: http://www.sicklebillsafaris.com <http://www.sicklebillsafaris.com/>
OR www.birder.travel <http://www.birder.travel/>
Website 2: http://www.cassowary-house.com.au
<http://www.cassowary-house.com.au/>
Website 3: http://www.cassowarytours.com.au <http://www.cassowarytours.com.au/>
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