HELM IDENTIFICATION GUIDES

CROWS AND JAYS

map120 species of crows, jays and their allies exist in the world today, many are exceedingly beautiful in colour, grace and form whereas others are black and sinister in appearance. In no other group of perching birds has evolu- tion produced such a degree of variation, from the tiny Hume's Ground-Jay of the steppe-highlands of Tibet to the huge Thick- billed Raven of the mountains of Ethiopia. Some have had a long association with man and appear in tales of mythology and supersti- tion, others have been regarded as agricul- tural pests. The great majority however remain largely unknown, their only contact with man being the destruction of their specialised habitats. As a consequence over 20 species are now regarded as internation- ally endangered, some before we know very much about them. The 30 superb colour plates by Hilary Burn depict them all; each plate is accompanied by an informative caption page summarising the criteria required to identify the species alongside colour world distribution maps. Some of these with such evocative names as the Banggai Crow, Mesopotamian Crow and Flores Crow have never been illustrated before. The authoritative text by Steve Madge treats each species in depth, summarising identifi- cation techniques and concisely reviewing all aspects of corvid behaviour, distribution, population and taxonomy. The author has had first-hand experience of most of the species during his travels throughout the world, travels in which he gradually became fascinated by this very special, but somewhat ignored, group of birds. Crows and Jays is a combination of scientifically accurate information and an identifica- tion guide, planned to give anyone, whether a birdwatcher or biologist, a greater under- standing of the lives of these beautiful, yet very complex, group of birds. it will surely be a standard work of reference for many years to come.

Sample Plate and Text ;-

AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE Cyanopica
This magpie is unique. It is the only corvid in which the juvenile replaces its flight feathers at the first moult.It shares with Crested Jay and nutcrackers, a juvenile plumage which shows buff tips to wing-coverts and tertials, more typical of other passerine bird families. In other respects it seems closer to the American jays than to the Old World corvids. Like the Blue and Steller's jays of North America it uses mud during nest construction. Co-operative breeding has recently been proven in Japan, also a character of some American jays and in the Old World only proven in the Taiwan Magpie, although it possibly occurs in the less studied blue magpies.This bird is probably a very ancient forrn of magpie and possibly even close to the ancestral 'American Jay

Hardback;1994 1st reprint.192pp. colour plates,maps etc.Condition fine in d/w.Covers 120 species.Another excellent HELM guide.£24.50 Post free UK

*See also ' the Crows ' here

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