Birds and Animals of Australia's Top End: Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine and Kununurra

The title of this book saying the guide covers birds AND animals of the Top End immediately raises an eyebrow given that birds ARE animals, though this is a minor quibble. In addition to birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are included using stunning photographs throughout, though most birders also keep lists of mammals, reptiles, butterflies and moths and so will find the addition of other taxa very useful.  It is acknowledged that this is a guide targeted specifically at beginners who are new to Australian wildlife, and if you are a serious birder visiting this area there are better field guides available.

The layout of the images is excellent and, for a few tricky confusion pairs, it provides some neat comparisons. The main drawback with using photographs as in all guides is the limitation of plumage variations of male, female and young birds, often a lack of flight shots and also the comparative scale of different birds on the same page.  Birds fill the first three quarters of the book, with other taxa treated at the back. As with the birds, the photographs are of a similar high quality, and again although there are more specialised books covering these taxa individually, as an all-round guide and an introduction in to this spectacular area of Australia, this book is excellent.

Book reviewed by Neil Calbrade