You may find second hand copies of Van Perlo's illustrated checklist to the region. Easily slipped in to a pocket this is a good guide but Borrow & Demey will be needed to sort out the trickier species.
Many birdwatchers are not only interested in birds, so we have added the most useful books for other taxa where possible. Clicking on a link will take you to our partner, Wildsounds, one of the largest specialist UK mail-order companies. The prices here are a guide price and Wildsounds may be able to offer a better deal.
*** Wildsounds donates 5% of each order generated via these links to the ABC Conservation Fund. Please order here, get a good price and support ABC! ***
Field Guides | Avifaunas and Monographs | Bird Sounds |
Field Guides
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Birds of Western Africa |
If you're visiting West Africa then this is the book for you! The softback is much more portable than the hardback version and is ideal to take with you in the field. If you're just visiting Senegal or The Gambia, consider the Barlow et al. guide as it is as good for those countries. This edition has updated colour distribution maps and some new images. Covers all 1285 species found in the region. 512 pages. |
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Birds of Western Africa |
142 plates depicting over 1280 species in 2800 individual figures. Covers Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Rio Muni (Equatorial Guinea), Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, part of Mauritania and the islands of Sao Tome, Principe and Bioko (Fernando Po). All the species described are illustrated in colour apart from a few vagrants, which are depicted in black and white in the text. Distribution maps are provided for the majority of species (except vagrants). 832 pages. What more can one say? The biggest choice you will have to make is to go for this very detailed, but large and heavy, hardback version or the more portable softback version. ABC's advice is to go for both but to leave the hardback one in the car or back at the hotel and take the paperback in the field! |
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A complete illustrated field guide to the Birds of Africa south of the Sahara |
This is the first book to describe and illustrate all of the birds found in Africa south of the Sahara, including Socotra. It excludes Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles. The guide covers nearly 2100 species, and has 3000 images on 340 plates. The paintings portray most distinctive plumages, as well as diagnostic flight patterns and other details. It is compact enough to use in the field, and follows the standard field guide format, with texts and maps appearing opposite the colour plates. Many new species are described and illustrated for the first time. The text is formatted to give precise identification features, habitat, status and calls. The distribution maps are the first to show accurately the species distribution in sub-Saharan Africa and have combined all the latest atlas surveys. Also available with a durable PVC cover, this guide will be an indispensible part of any African birder's field equipment. 712 pages. |
Avifaunas and Monographs
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Birds of Sao Tome & Principe with Annobon |
* NEW* An annotated checklist to this group of islands in the Gulf of Guinea. These islands, each with its endemic species and sub-species, are of global importance for their biodiversity. Part of the diversity may be attributed to the range of habitats and niches that are found on the islands. The plates illustrate some of the extraordinary scenes and bizarre rock formations. 16pp colour photographs, plus black and white maps and figures. 192 pages. |
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Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands |
This book is great. Need to know something about important sites in Africa? This book should be your first port of call and is ideal for background reading or planning a trip. This is the first regional analysis of its kind for the African continent including Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands, giving a clear understanding of the conservation status of the most significant sites for birds in Africa. 1144 pages. |
Bird Sounds
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African Bird Sounds |
Out of a total of 1550 regular species in the area, 1466 are presented (95% of the total) on 15 CDs. Of these 1550 species, 150 are only found north of the Sahara, 275 (migrating and overwintering species) north and south of the Sahara and 1125 in the south only. Expensive but extremely good coverage. |
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