Handbook of the Birds of the WorldSpecial Volume: New Species and Global Index

Description

Special Volume: A Monumental Finale to a Landmark Series

The Handbook of the Birds of the World Special Volume: New Species and Global Index is the long-awaited final volume in the most comprehensive ornithological series ever published. This Special Volume concludes the groundbreaking 16-volume project by introducing and illustrating 84 bird species newly described to science, all discovered after the respective families were already covered in previous Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) volumes.

In addition to these important additions, this volume provides a complete global index to the HBW series, allowing readers to quickly locate any species or taxon across more than 12,500 pages. This makes it not just a powerful navigation tool but an essential reference for researchers, birders, and conservationists who rely on the HBW series as the authoritative source for avian knowledge.

This volume is a unique hybrid of cutting-edge science and curated beauty. It consolidates recent discoveries, documents rare Amazonian species for the first time in print, and showcases some of the finest bird photography in the world.

This Special Volume opens with a foreword by BirdLife International, commemorating 90 years of global bird conservation and the 20th anniversary of the BirdLife Partnership. It provides a historical overview of BirdLife’s transformation into a globally recognized leader in ornithological collaboration and biodiversity protection.

Renowned ornithologist Jon Fjeldså contributes two key essays. The first, Avian Classification in Flux, explores recent shifts in avian taxonomy and systematics, many driven by advances in molecular research. These insights help clarify relationships among bird families and genera at higher taxonomic levels. The second essay, The Discovery of New Bird Species, examines the context and trends behind recent discoveries, analyzing where and how these species were found and what their emergence means for the future of ornithological exploration.

A major section of the volume is dedicated to Species Accounts of New Species—69 in total. Each species is documented with a descriptive account, high-quality illustration, and distribution map, following the same format as previous HBW volumes. This is followed by the Original Scientific Descriptions of 15 Amazonian species, published here for the first time with accompanying illustrations, maps, and data-rich figures. These descriptions further highlight the Amazon’s irreplaceable role in global biodiversity and the vast extent of what remains undiscovered.

Adding visual richness is the HBW Photo Gallery, a curated selection of 200 breathtaking bird photographs. These images, chosen from the HBW World Bird Photo Contest 2012, pay tribute to the incredible diversity of the avian world and the dedication of nature photographers and HBW subscribers worldwide.

The final component of the book is the Global Index, a vital reference tool that enables users to search for species by scientific or common name in English, Spanish, French, or German. This index dramatically enhances the usability of the entire HBW collection, allowing fast access to specific content across all 16 volumes.

Key Features:

• 84 newly described species
• 214 original bird illustrations
• 94 distribution maps
• 50 scientific figures
• 319 colour photographs
• Foreword: 90 Years and Growing: The Evolution of BirdLife International by BirdLife International
• Essays: Avian Classification in Flux and The Discovery of New Bird Species by Jon Fjeldså

The Handbook of the Birds of the World Special Volume is more than just the final entry in an acclaimed series—it is a celebration of scientific discovery, a powerful index of knowledge, and a tribute to the beauty and complexity of the bird world. A must-have for ornithologists, field researchers, serious birders, and libraries with a focus on natural history, this Special Volume ensures that the HBW series remains up-to-date, relevant, and complete.

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