Woodpeckers of the World

The archetypal woodpecker with its strong bill, hammer head and habit of smashing up wood make it forever popular with cartoonists and marketing companies alike but bird watchers appreciate that woodpecker identification is far more subtle than this. There are over 200 species of woodpeckers in the world although this figure is growing as taxonomists get to grips with the group. This book does exactly what it says on the cover - it is a photographic guide to all the species of woodpecker of the world.

There are brief introductory chapters covering taxonomy, anatomy, various aspects of behaviour and the ecological importance of woodpeckers but the bulk of the book is devoted to the individual species accounts - one of two pages per species. These include a distribution map and short paragraphs on identification, vocalisations, status, habitat, food and foraging but, most spectacularly, a series of superb photographs of each species. It is these photographs that make the book - they really are good and illustrate some of the key identification features very well.

Pragmatically, Gorman recognises 239 species, considerably more than the 214 recognised by Winkler et al. (1995) and the 216 by Winkler & Short in their account in Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW 2002). This simply reflects how understanding is still developing and this is probably not the last word on the matter.

How does this book compare with previous accounts of the species group (Winkler et al. 1995, HBW

2002)? There is no doubt that the photographs and clear presentation are the strong points but inevitably this means there is less space for supporting text. A reader wishing to delve into more detail will find this book a little frustrating. This is a small criticism but, although there is a bibliography of references, this is limited and individual references are not cited specifically in the text making it difficult to follow up on anything.

Would I buy the book? Yes for its superb photographs and clear presentation but I will still reach for

HBW if I seriously want to check out some facts or find my way into the literature.

Book reviewed by Ken Smith

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