The Herons Handbook

Authors: James Hancock and James Kushlan

Paintings: Robert Gillmor and Peter Hayman

Number of pages: 288

Year published: 1984

Edition: 1st

Published by: Croom Helm Ltd

Hardcover

ISBN: 0 7099 3716 4

See also: Heron Conservation

For more titles visit: Routledge

The Wildebeest's Review of The Herons Handbook

I have always enjoyed books on a particular family of birds or mammals as I find it interesting to compare similar species from around the world. “The Heron Handbook” is one of these books and it has found its way to my overcrowded bookshelf.

At the time of the book being written there were 60 species of heron and egret recognised and they make up the contents of the book. Each species is described in detail with information on all aspects of its ecology.

Each of the species of heron and egret are illustrated with a plate by either Robert Gillmor or Peter Hayman. Gillmor is a prolific bird illustrator and has contributed to dozens of books but I am not sure if I am a fan of his paintings in this publication. As an identification guide, I think that they are spot on but, for this reviewer, some are a bit two dimensional.

Overall, this is an informative and well produced book which will be of interest to birders and ornithologists from all around the world.

Some of the subjects in this publication

Grey Heron - Page: 43
Black-headed Heron - Page: 63
Goliath Heron - Page: 77
Purple Heron - Page: 81
Great Egret - Page: 85
Slaty Egret - Page: 98
Black Heron - Page: 101
Yellow-billed Egret - Page: 109
Little Blue Heron - Page: 117
Little Egret - Page: 126
Cattle Egret - Page: 142
Squacco Heron - Page: 148
Malagasy Pond-Heron - Page: 164
Rufous-bellied Heron - Page: 168
Green-backed Heron - Page: 172
Black-crowned Night-Heron - Page: 188
White-backed Night-Heron - Page: 197
Little Bittern - Page: 240
Dwarf Bittern - Page: 256
Eurasian Bittern - Page: 272

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