Review of Birds of the Middle East: 2nd Edition

Birds of the Middle East: Second Edition [Princeton Field Guides] by Richard Porter and Simon Aspinall is the update from the 1996 edition. The guide covers the following areas: Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Palestinian territories (West Bank & Gaza), the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (including Socotra archipelago).

Over 130 additional species and sub-species have been added to the new edition bringing the total to over 850 species and sub-species. These are depicted in full color illustrations on 176 plates.

The guide uses the split-page approach (a change from the first edition) where text and range maps are on the left pages and species plates are on the right pages. The full-color plates highlight prominent field marks and show significant sub-species, winter plumages, and female plumages where applicable.

The text on the left covers common and scientific names, size, description, voice, and habitat. Key field identifiers are highlighted in bold italics for easy scanning. Color range maps round out the text.

Overall, Birds of the Middle East: Second Edition is a durable, well-sized field guide for an under-birded yet highly interesting region of the world.

Disclaimer: We received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review on Birdfreak.com.