History

1989

Lynx Edicions was established in Barcelona, initiating an ambitious mission to create the groundbreaking series, the Handbook of the Birds of the World. This initiative marked a significant milestone in ornithological literature, setting a new standard for comprehensive natural history publications.

1992

The release of the first volume of the Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) marked Lynx Edicions’ bold entry into the publishing world. Debuting under the auspices of an untested publishing house, the project initially faced skepticism within the birdwatching and ornithological communities. However, upon publication, this first volume received widespread acclaim for its authoritative content, academic rigour, stunning photographs, and superb illustrations. Its success was attributed not only to the quality of content but also to its role in filling a much-needed gap in avian literature.

The acclaim was soon formalized through awards, with HBW Volume 1 earning the title of Bird Book of the Year by Birdwatch magazine in 1992 and by British Birds magazine in 1993, confirming its status as a seminal work in the field of ornithology. This strong foundation laid by the first volume set the stage for the subsequent volumes, securing Lynx Edicions’ reputation as a leading publisher in natural history.

2000

Lynx Edicions released the first edition of the Field Guide to the identification of the birds of Spain, Guía de las Aves de España, with more than 50,000 copies sold to date. Published in collaboration with SEO/BirdLife, it was one of the first guides written by Spanish authors to offer comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the birds of Spain, pioneering Lynx Edicions’ line of identification guides for flora and fauna.

2002

Lynx Edicions launched the Internet Bird Collection (IBC), a pioneering online audiovisual library showcasing videos, photos, and sound recordings of the world’s birds freely accessible to the public. This innovative resource was designed to support global bird conservation and education.

2009

The huge impact of the Handbook of the Birds of the World clearly demonstrated that works of such scope, excellence, consummate expertise and beauty provide a vital foundation for the appreciation and conservation of the species they describe. Its success set the stage for a companion series, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW).

The first volume was published in 2009, further cementing Lynx Edicions’ reputation for creating definitive wildlife references. This new series aimed to provide the same depth of coverage for mammalian species as the HBW had provided for birds, heralding a significant expansion in Lynx Edicions’ publishing scope.

2012

The HBW series achieved a significant milestone with the publication of Volume 16, the last one to cover the passerines. This marked the completion of the first work to describe and illustrate each bird species of an entire class of the Animal Kingdom

“The Handbook of the Birds of the World, regarded by ornithologists as the definitive work in the field.”
The Economist, 7 November 2015

2013

The Handbook of the Birds of the World went online. HBW Alive, the online version of the series, incorporatd many additional resources, including constant updating.

With the publication of the Special Volume: New Species and Global Index, the 17-volume series of the Handbook of the Birds of the World was completed.

2014 / 2016

The taxonomy of the global project of the HBW was completely updated. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, pooling the experience and expertise of both organisations, published this new taxonomy in the first ever checklist to illustrate every species of bird in the world.

Released in two volumes between 2014 and 2016, HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World provided illustrations for every bird species, setting a new benchmark in ornithological taxonomy and becoming an indispensable resource for both researchers and birdwatchers worldwide. Volume 1: Non-passerines waspublished in 2014. Volume 2: Passerines completed the series two years later.

2018

The launch of the Lynx and BirdLife International Field Guides collection introduced a modern, standardized series of field guides for countries lacking up-to-date resources, enhancing bird conservation and education globally.

Lynx Edicions, in collaboration with Bernat Garrigós, established Alive Fundació, a non-profit organisation with a mission to disseminate knowledge about the Earth’s biodiversity. Its initial project was the Sealife Collection: drawing from the success of the Internet Bird Collection (IBC), this collaborative website compiled, categorized, and showcased photographs and videos of all underwater species worldwide. The Sealife Collection site was freely accessible, providing a valuable resource for underwater photographers, the scientific community, and marine enthusiasts everywhere.

2019

The publication of Volume 9, the final volume of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World, marked the completion of another monumental series, paralleling the achievement of its avian counterpart.

The Sealife Collection, aiming to catalog all underwater species, transitioned to iNaturalist to enhance its impact on global conservation efforts by reaching a broader audience.

2020

The new Lynx Illustrated Checklists Collection was introduced, with each title covering all the mammals of a given region to equip residents and visitors to the region with an easy-to-use resource to learn about all the local mammal species and to support their conservation.

The Internet Bird Collection migrated to a new home at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s wildlife media archive, the Macaulay Library, to be permanently preserved for future generations. Thanks to the efforts of 4,300+ contributors, the IBC amassed over 460,000 pieces of media, representing more than 96% of all the world’s birds. This impressive collection included over 300,000 photos of 10,000+ species, close to 128,000 videos of almost 9,000 species, and more than 20,000 audio recordings of nearly 7,000 species.

The content of HBW Alive was incorporated into The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online project Birds of the World, where it continues to grow and serve the ornithological and birdwatching communities.

The Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World was released in a two-volume boxed set, providing a comprehensive summary of the current taxonomy and distribution of every recognized mammal species, updating the taxonomy from the HMW series.

All the Birds of the World was released, marking the first time a single volume covered all the birds of the world in an easy-to-use, fully illustrated format. This publication was designed to appeal to a broad audience, from novice birders to expert ornithologists, celebrating the incredible diversity of avian life.

2021

The Lynx Edicions publishing brand and its activity in the world of natural history publishing continued under the management of a new company, Alada Books. This new company, formed by members of the original Lynx team, continued to focus on natural history, maintaining the mission and vision that had defined Lynx, ensuring the legacy of high-quality natural history publications continued without interruption.

2023

Alada Books continues to innovate and expand its publishing under the Lynx Nature Books brand, and publishes All the Mammals of the World, an extensive and richly illustrated volume that detailed every recognized mammal species on the planet. Serving as a comprehensive companion to All the Birds of the World, this publication was designed to enhance the understanding and conservation of mammal diversity globally.

2024

Upholding the principles and vision of Lynx Edicions, Alada Books is is committed to the distribution of existing Lynx publications and the launch of new works under the Lynx Nature Books brand. These publications, encompassing a range of comprehensive and accessible natural history resources, aim to advance conservation education and promote awareness of biodiversity worldwide.