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The books are listed by publication date with the most recent at the top.

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Britain/Europe field guides

Birds of the Middle East

Richard Porter and Simon Aspinall

Helm Field Guides

Christopher Helm

2010

"This is a completely revised second edition of the bestselling field guide to the birds of the Middle East. For the first time, the text and maps appear opposite the plates, and as a consequence there are fewer species per plate than before. The text and maps have been fully revised and many new artworks have been painted. There are more than 100 new species in this new edition, which features more than 810 species in total. It will be the essential field guide for anyone visiting the Middle East."

Birds of the Middle East

Richard Porter and Simon Aspinall

Princeton Field Guides

Princeton University Press

2nd edition

2010

"Birds of the Middle East is now the most field-ready and comprehensive guide to the fantastic birds of this region. This fully revised and updated second edition covers all species - including vagrants - found in the Arabian Peninsula (including Socotra), Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus. It features 176 superb color plates depicting more than 800 species, as well as 820 color distribution maps that show the breeding range for almost every species. In this upgraded edition, maps and detailed species accounts are now located opposite the plates, making this stunningly illustrated field guide easier to use than ever."

A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Middle East

David Cottridge

2nd edition

2006

"This is a compact, easy-to-use bird identification guide for any birdwatcher visiting the Middle East and the UAE in particular. The Middle East offers some of the most exciting birdwatching anywhere in the world, and the UAE in particular is an increasingly popular destination for birdwatchers. 252 species are described here in detail, covering all the bird families found in the region from the majestic Lammergeier to the jewel-like Palestine Sunbird. With easy-to-use thumbnail silhouettes, a regional distribution map showing the best birding localities, up-to-date tips on local birdwatching and information on bird biology and behaviour, this guide is an invaluable aid for any visiting birdwatcher."

Birds of the Middle East

Richard Porter, S Christensen and P Schiermacker-Hansen

Christopher Helm

2004

"This guide covers all the species, including vagrants, found in the Arabian peninsula (including Socotra), Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Cyprus. Over 700 species are described in concise text with full details of pulmage and voice. Distribution maps appear opposite the plates and are annotated with each species' status and preferred habitat. This authoritative book will not only be an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this region, which is of such importance to both the indigenous species and those which pass through on migration."

A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Middle East

David Cottridge

1st edition

2001

A Photographic Guide to Birds of Israel and the Middle East

Richard Porter and David Cottridge

1st edition

2000

"This text is a compact, easy-to-use bird identification guide suitable for any birdwatcher visiting Israel of travelling around the Middle East. The book features descriptions of 252 species, thumbnail silhouettes for ease of use, up-to-date tips and information on bird biology and behaviour."

Wild Yemen: A Guide to Ecotourism Sites Around Sana'a

Editor: W.A. Al-Saqqaf

2001

A 20 page booklet describing a number of wildlife sites.

Raptor Migration in Israel and the Middle East: A Summary of 30 Years of Field Research

Hadoram Shirihai, Reuven Yosef, Dan Alon, Guy Kirwan and R. Spaar

2000

"Published for the Raptors 2000 Congress (held under the auspices of the Raptor Research Foundation and the World Working Group on Birds of Prey), this is an immensely useful compilation of information on the history of raptor research in Israel. Well organised and readable, with fine illustrations, this book is a worthy addition to raptor literature."

Birds of Yemen

R.F. Porter, R.P. Martins and M. Langman

1996

Important Bird Areas in the Middle East

Editors: M.I. Evans

BirdLife International

1994

"The Middle East contains some of the largest wetland, steppe desert and marine ecosystems in the world, providing habitats for more than 800 species of bird, of which more than 60 are endemic. This book identifies and describes the 391 sites most important for the conservation of these birds and other biodiversity. Maps, tables and line drawings show site locations, species and population data. The whole Middle East is covered, from the Levant and Arabia to the West Himalayas. The only book of its kind, "Important Bird Areas in the Middle East" is currently being used by conservationists developing systems of site protection in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Birds of the Middle East and North Africa

P.A.D. Hollom, R.F. Porter, S. Christensen, I. Willis

Poyser

1988

"A field guide to the birds of the Middle East and North Africa from Morocco to Iran. It covers 700 breeding, wintering, migratory and vagrant species, with over 350 illustrated in colour and the distribution of 510 shown in distribution maps."

Birds of the Arabian Gulf

Michael C. Jennings

1981

170 pages with 12 colour plates.

The Birds of British Somaliland and the Gulf of Aden

Their Life Histories, Breeding Habits and Eggs

Volumes III and IV

Sir Geoffrey Archer and Eva M. Godman

Oliver & Boyd

1961

Published in four volumes. Volumes I and II in 1937 and volumes III and IV in 1961.

"These volumes complete the series of which the first two volumes appeared in 1937, The aim of the work is to give details of the life histories, breeding habits and eggs of the birds of the whole of the Red Sea area and the Horn of Africa - an area of great ornithological interest because of its situation at the crossroads of north-south and east-west migration routes. The coasts of the Red Sea are followed by many hundreds of thousands of Palaearctic birds ranging in size from tiny warblers to great Steppe-Eagles in their migration from Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The east-west route across the area is followed by migratory birds from Southern Asia to Northern Somaliland."

The Birds of British Somaliland and the Gulf of Aden

Their Life Histories, Breeding Habits and Eggs

Volumes I and II

Sir Geoffrey Archer and Eva M. Godman

Gurney & Jackson

1937

Published in four volumes. Volumes I and II in 1937 and volumes III and IV in 1961.

The Natural History Of Sokotra And Abdel-Kuri

Editor: Dr. H.O. Forbes

Special Bulletin Of The Liverpool Museums

Henry Young & Sons

1903

Approximately 580 pages with 28 plates and numerous line drawing in text. Contributions from 22 authors including a 54 page section on birds by W.R. Ogilvie-Grant and Dr. H.O. Forbes. The section on birds includes five colour plates by Henrik Gronvold.

From the preface:

This volume contains the results of a conjoint Expedition undertaken in the winter of 1898-9 by representatives of the British and Liverpool Museums, for (chiefly) the Zoological exploration of Sokotra. By incorporating the results of previous or (where available) contemporaneous explorations, the work forms practically a Monograph of the islands visited.

The results of the ornithological work done by us in Sokotra and Abd-el-Kuri may he summed up as follows: - The number of birds collected by the Expedition was 437. Of these 41 specimens were obtained in the latter island during our two short visits, and 396 in the former. The species represented in the collection number in all 50, 10 from Abd-el-Kuri and 40 from Sokotra. Previous investigators of the larger island have recorded 20 species which were not secured by us, and none of which, save three, did we see; but, on the other hand, we discovered eight species new to science.