Helm Identification Guides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Helm Identification Guides are a series of books that identify groups of birds. The series include two types of guides, those that are:

  • Taxonomic, dealing with a particular family of birds on a worldwide scale—most early Helm Guides were this type, as well as many more-recent ones, although some later books deal with identification of such groups on a regional scale only (e.g., The Gulls Guide, which covers only species in Europe, Asia, and North America)
  • Geographic, including all bird species in an area (e.g., The Birds of the West Indies)

Early volumes were sometimes published under the Croom Helm or Christopher Helm imprints. In addition, a parallel set of guides, very similar in design, was published by Pica Press in the 1990s (marked Pica in the list below); Pica was later absorbed into A & C Black (now part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc), and all guides are now marketed as a single series.

Several of the books have won the British Birds Bird Book of the Year award. A list of titles in the series, in chronological order of publication, is as follows:

Works with a taxonomic scope[]

Note: 'nW' indicates those that do not have worldwide coverage.

1980s[]

  • Seabirds - an identification guide by (1983) ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
  • Shorebirds - an identification guide to the waders of the world by , and Peter Hayman (1986) ISBN 0-7470-1403-5
  • Wildfowl - an identification guide to the ducks, geese and swans of the world by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn (1988) ISBN 0-7470-2201-1
  • A Handbook to the Swallows and Martins of the World by , illustrated by Chris Rose (1989) ISBN 0-7136-4206-8

1990–1994[]

  • Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers - A Handbook by and , illustrated by Alan Harris (1992) ISBN 0-7136-8028-8
  • Finches and Sparrows by Peter Clement, illustrated by Alan Harris and (1993) ISBN 0-7136-8017-2
  • Crows and Jays - A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World by Steve Madge, illustrated by Hilary Burn (1994) ISBN 0-7136-3999-7
  • New World Warblers by , illustrated by David Quinn and David Beadle (1994) ISBN 0-7136-3932-6

1995–1999[]

  • Woodpeckers by , translated by , illustrated by David Nurney (1995) ISBN 1-873403-25-9 'Pica'
  • Buntings and Sparrows - A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows by and , illustrated by Clive Byers (1995) ISBN 1-873403-19-4 'Pica'
  • Terns of Europe and North America by , illustrated by Hans Larsson (1995) ISBN 0-7136-4056-1 'nW'
  • Swifts - A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the World by , illustrated by (1995) ISBN 1-873403-31-3 'Pica'
  • Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers by , illustrated by David Quinn (1996) ISBN 0-7136-3964-4
  • Munias and Mannikins by (1996) ISBN 1-873403-51-8
  • Pittas, Broadbills and Asities by , illustrated by (1996) ISBN 978-1-873403-24-2 'Pica'
  • Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa by (1997) ISBN 978-0-7136-3971-1 'nW'
  • Skuas and Jaegers - a guide to the skuas and jaegers of the world by , illustrated by Hans Larsson (1997) ISBN 1-873403-46-1 'Pica'
  • Shrikes - A Guide to the Shrikes of the World, by , illustrated by (1997) ISBN 1-873403-47-X 'Pica'
  • Nightjars - A Guide to Nightjars and related Nightbirds by Nigel Cleere, illustrated by Dave Nurney (1998) ISBN 1-873403-48-8 'Pica'
  • Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the World by Tony Juniper and Mike Parr, illustrated by , , , and (1998) ISBN 1-873403-40-2 'Pica'
  • Rails - a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world by Barry Taylor, illustrated by (1998) ISBN 0-300-07758-0 'Pica'
  • Starlings and Mynas by and , illustrated by , Chris Shields and (1998) ISBN 0-7136-3961-X
  • Owls - a Guide to the Owls of the World by & and (1999) ISBN 1-873403-74-7 'Pica'
  • New World Blackbirds - the Icterids by and (1999) ISBN 0-7136-4333-1
  • Tanagers by and (1999) ISBN 978-0-7136-5116-4 softcover (a revision of The Tanagers : Natural History, Distribution, and Identification (1987) ISBN 978-0-87474-552-8)

2000–2009[]

  • Thrushes by Peter Clement, illustrated by (2000) ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
  • Shrikes and Bush-shrikes by , illustrated by (2000) ISBN 0-7136-3861-3
  • Raptors of the World by James Ferguson-Lees and , illustrated by , and Philip Burton (2001) ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
  • Pigeons and Doves by David Gibbs, illustrated by and (2001) ISBN 1-873403-60-7
  • Sylvia Warblers - identification, taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Sylvia, by Hadoram Shirihai, and , illustrated by Alan Harris, photographic editor (2001) ISBN 0-7136-3984-9
  • Sunbirds - A Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World by and , illustrated by (2001) ISBN 1-873403-80-1
  • Wrens, Dippers and Thrashers by , illustrated by (2001) ISBN 1-873403-95-X
  • Stonechats - A Guide to the Genus Saxicola by , illustrated by (2002) ISBN 0-7136-6024-4
  • Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse - a guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the World by Steve Madge and (2002) ISBN 0-7136-3966-0
  • Pipits and Wagtails of Europe, Asia and North America, by Per Alstrom & , illustrated by (2003) ISBN 0-7136-5834-7 'nW'
  • Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America by , illustrated by Hans Larsson (2003) ISBN 0-7136-7087-8 'nW'

2010–2019[]

2020–current[]

  • Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds by Phil Gregory and (2020) ISBN 9780713660272

External links[]

Retrieved from ""