Birds of Kruger National Park - by Keith Barnes & Ken Behrens (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

South Africa's Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most iconic conservation areas in Africa. Habitats range from wide-open savannah and rugged thornveld to broadleaved mopani woodland. This microhabitat variation gives Kruger a phenomenal diversity of some 520 bird species, half of which are resident. From Africa's most extraordinary eagles, like the scarlet-faced Bateleur, to electric-colored glossy-starlings and jewel-like finches, Kruger offers an avian celebration of form and color. It is also a crucial conservation area, supporting South Africa's largest viable populations of vultures, eagles, and large terrestrial birds.

This field guide offers a unique window into the world of Kruger's birds. More than 500 stunning color photographs illustrate the 259 most frequently encountered species, and a habitat-based approach assists in identification. The authoritative text provides key information about identification, habitat, behavior, biology, and conservation. The guide contains information likely to be new to even the most experienced birders, but is written in a nontechnical style that makes it accessible to anyone.

• An essential guide to Kruger's birds
• Perfect for new and experienced birders alike
• Small, portable format ideal for field use
• Unique attractive layout with more than 500 stunning color photographs
• Covers the 259 most frequently seen species
• Uses a habitat-based approach to aid identification
• Authoritative and accessible text provides key information about identification, behavior, biology, and conservation

Distributed by Princeton University Press

Review Quotes

"[Barnes and Behrens] have here created a bird guide that is an excellent companion to Animals of Kruger National Park; together the visitor to Kruger National Park has all the information she (or he) needs to enjoy one of the great reserves in the world. . . . This is a handy guide to have in the field."---Donna Lynn Schulman, 10,000 Birds

"Beautifully designed and easy to browse, Birds of Kruger National Park fills an important gap and will be useful not just in the park, but in many other areas with similar habitats, to everyone wanting to explore Africa's avian wildlife. . . . With over 250 described species, Birds of Kruger National Park will prove useful for newcomers and experienced birders alike. You get beautiful photos, physical characteristics, and a description of varying size for all of them. . . . . I'd recommend it to everyone visiting Kruger Park as well as other, similar, habitats across the continent."-- "ZME Science"

About the Author

Keith Barnes, a native of South Africa, is a founder and director of Tropical Birding, a birdwatching, wildlife, and photography tour operator. He holds a PhD from the Percy FitzPatrick Institute in African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. His books include a companion volume, Animals of Kruger National Park (forthcoming from WILDGuides). Ken Behrens, a native of the United States, has been living and working in Africa for close to a decade, guiding tours for Tropical Birding. He has been a birder since the age of 11 and, in his teens, he was an ABA/Leica Young Birder of the Year. He is a coauthor of the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight. Barnes and Behrens are also the authors of Birding Ethiopia and Wild Rwanda.