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Series Editors: Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

HBW is the first work ever to attempt to illustrate and describe all the species of birds in the world. The first volume was published in 1992 and the final volume in 2011. A special volume was published in 2013.

Each volume includes introductory general chapters. Subsequent chapters deal with different families, and are subdivided into sections: systematics; morphological aspects; habitat; general habits; voice; food and feeding; breeding; movements; relationship with man; status and conservation; a general bibliography and detailed species accounts. Each species features taxonomic notes; subspecies and distribution; habitat; food and feeding; breeding; movements; status and conservation and a selected bibliography. The text of each volume is supported by a wealth of colour plates, photographs, line drawings and distribution maps.

After completing the HBW Lynx, in association with Birdlife International, produced a two volume Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World.

Other Lynx pages

Checklist of the Birds of the World

Annotated checklists

Country/region guides

Other bird related books

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Special Volume

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal and David Christie

2013

812 pages, 214 colour illustrations, 319 colour photos, 94 distribution maps.

This volume covers new species that have been described since the publication of the volumes in the Handbook. Also includes a global index to the whole 17 volume series.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2011

893 pages, 81 colour plates, 499 colour photos, 766 distribution maps.

This volume covers cardinals and allies, tanagers, buntings and allies and new world blackbirds.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15: Weavers to New World Warblers

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2010

879 pages, 60 colour plates, 400+ colour photos, 612 distribution maps.

This volume covers weavers, waxbills, indigobirds, vireos, finches, hawaiian honeycreepers and new world warblers.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 14: Bush-Shrikes to Old World Sparrows

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2009

893 pages, 50 colour plates, 500 colour photos, 484 distribution maps.

This volume covers bushshrikes, helmetshrikes, vangas, drongos, wattlebirds, mud-builders, white-winged chough and apostlebird, woodswallows, bornean bristlehead, butcherbirds, birds-of-paradise, bowerbirds, crows, starlings, old world sparrows.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 13: Penduline Tits to Shrikes

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2008

879 pages, 60 colour plates, 536 colour photos, 611 distribution maps.

This volume covers nuthatches, wallcreeper, treecreepers, philippine creepers, penduline tits, painted berrypeckers, berrypeckers and longbills, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, pardalotes, white-eyes, sugarbirds, honeyeaters, old world orioles, true shrikes.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2007

815 pages, 56 colour plates, 436 colour photos, 638 distribution maps.

This volume Australasian robins, whistlers, rockfowl, babblers, pseudo-babblers, parrotbills, logrunner and chowcilla, whipbirds and quail-thrushes, long-tailed tits, fairywrens, thornbills, australian chats, sitellas, australasian treecreepers, tits and chickadees.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers

Editors: Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliot and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2006

800 pages, 55 colour plates, over 300 photographs, 723 distribution maps.

This volume covers old world flycatchers, wattle-eyes, fantails, monarch-flycatchers, kinglets, gnatcatchers, cisticolas and allies and old world warblers.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 10: Cuckoo-Shrikes to Thrushes

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2005

895 pages, 80 colour plates, 400 colour photos, 737 distribution maps.

This volume covers cuckoo-shrikes, bulbuls, leafbirds, fairy-bluebirds, ioras, silky-flycatchers, waxwings, hypocolius, palmchat, dippers, wrens, mockingbirds and thrashers, accentors and thrushes.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2004

850 pages, 78 colour plates, colour photos, distribution maps.

This volume covers cotingas, manakins, tyrant-flycatchers, New Zealand wrens, scrub-birds, lyrebirds, larks, swallows, pipits and wagtails.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie

Lynx Edicions

2003

845 pages, 81 colour plates, 470 colour photos, 672 distribution maps.

This volume covers broadbills, asities, pitas, ovenbirds, woodcreepers, typical antbirds, ground-antbirds, gnateaters and tapaculos.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

2002

613 pages, 69 colour plates, over 300 colour photos, 402 distribution maps.

Families covered in this volume include jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, honeyguides, and woodpeckers.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

2001

589 pages, 46 colour plates, 330 colour photos, 258 distribution maps.

This volume covers mousebirds, trogons, kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee-eaters, rollers, ground-rollers, cuckoo-rollers, hoopoes, wood-hoopoes and hornbills.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

1998

759 pages, 76 colour plates, 406 colour photos, 758 distribution maps.

This volume covers covered are barn owls, typical owls, oilbirds, frogmouths, owlet-nightjars, potoos, nightjars, swifts, tree-swifts and hummingbirds.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

1997

680 pages, 70 colour plates, 250 colour photos, 850 distribution maps.

This volume covers sandgrouse, pigeons and doves, cockatoos, parrots, turacos and cuckoos.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

1996

821 pages, 60 colour plates, colour photos, distribution maps.

This volume covers 30 families including cranes, bustards, rails, gulls, terns, waders and auks.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

1994

638 pages, 60 colour plates, 302 colour photos, 590 distribution maps.

This volume covers: New World vultures, osprey, hawks & eagles, secretarybird, caracaras & falcons, megapodes, chachalacas, guans & curassows, turkeys, grouse, New World quails, partridges & pheasants, and guineafowl.

Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Lynx Edicions

1992

640 pages, 67 colour plates, 200 colour photos, 550 distribution maps.

This volume covers: ostrich, rheas, cassowaries, emu, kiwis, tinamous, penguins, divers, grebes, albatrosses, petrels & shearwaters, storm- and diving-petrels, tropicbirds, pelicans, gannets & boobies, cormorants, darters, frigatebirds, herons, hamerkop, storks, shoebill, ibises and spoonbills, flamingos, screamers, ducks, geese and swans.