3 August 2011

Twenty-first Century birders living in Australia resort to a number of field guides to help them identify birds. Way back in 1931, The Gould League of Bird Lovers of New South Wales, proudly sponsored the publication of the First Edition of Australia”s first field guide which was published by Angus & Robertson. That field guide went under the unassuming title of What Bird is That? It was written and illustrated by Neville William Cayley, son of another famous Victorian ornithologist, Neville Henry Cayley.

What Bird is That? Signature Edition by Australia's Heritage Publishing.

One of the great things about Neville Cayley’s classic book, What Bird is That? is the derivation of the name of the species following each species scientific or Latin name. It is, sadly these days, hardly ever referred to and indeed this outstandingly useful piece of etymology is missed in most books on birds world-wide. Why Cayley was the only one to do it and why no other author of field guides has copied this most informative and useful section is beyond me. Probably, space and cost these days or maybe a lack of Latin in schools! Viz. (ORIGIN abbreviation of videlicet, z being a medieval Latin symbol for -et.) .

Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Gym-no-rhin’ a—Gk, gymnos, bare; Gk, rhis (rhinos) nose:
ti-bi-cen—L., a flute player.

See what I mean? Magpie = bare-nosed flute-player – how good is this?

Neville W Cayley— (1886–1950) a respected ornithologist and artist, (he was pretty smart too), began his career in 1918 with the publication of a small booklet called Our Birds. Over the next 20 years, his illustrations appeared in many publications, while he worked tirelessly on his real passion – illustrating all the birds of Australia for ‘his big bird book’. A keen artist too, his style was ‘of the time’ and in its own day, considered ground-breaking. So much was the value of Cayley’s work that no real competition emerged until the 1960s and today we have at least four actual “field guides”, a number of photographic guides and many more handiworks, CDs and DVDs about birds and birding.

Australia’s Heritage Publishing has created an update of this classic book, which also features the updates of a later ornithologist and artist, Terence Lindsey, in a very special SIGNATURE EDITION which is to be released September 1, 2011.

Releasing the book for a twenty-first century audience has resulted in the re-mastering and digitisation of all the Cayley and the newer Lindsey illustrations. Unlike the first edition in 1931, the SIGNATURE EDITION comes with a Free e-link that features 101 bird calls from Australia’s premier wildlife sound recordist, David Stewart of Nature Sound.

Fairy Wren plate from the original 'What Bird is That?". These plates have been remastered for the new edition.

The Signature Edition of What Bird is That? is a substantial reference / coffee table book of 832 pages, describing more than 700 of Australia’s 800 + birds and includes 460 full-colour illustrations. The birds are arranged, as in the original layout of Cayley’s book, by habitat, not the norm these days but quaint. There are distribution maps and species notes for each bird, including information on the bird’s nest, eggs, feeding habits and distinctive behaviour. The book comes with a ribbon marker, bookplate certificate so you can write in your own moniker, six chapter divider bookmarks and a voucher for the downloadable e-link with the 101 bird calls: all of which are located in the pocket on the inside of the back book cover.

In line with its philosophy of bringing Australian classics to life and making them accessible to all Australians, Australia’s Heritage Publishing is presenting this special edition of an extraordinary work. With the original Cayley paintings, believed lost, this book is a rare, important and beautiful addition to the home library and one I am very happy to review.

To be released in September 2011 by Australia’s Heritage Publishing, the book will retail for $69.95 including postage and handling and can be purchased online by going to the http://www.whatbirdisthat.com.au website or by telephoning the AHP Hotline for the book on 136 646 (this assumes you are in Australia of course).

David Stewart’s Nature Sound site is at http://www.naturesound.com.au/ (note, this is not the link for the calls which accompany the book, you will find that in the back pocket of the book after you have bought it).