British Birds » Book reviews: Wildfowl of Europe, Asia and North America

By Sébastien Reeber Christopher Helm/Bloomsbury, 2015; hbk, 656pp; 72 colour plates, 650 colour photos, distribution maps, black-and-white illustrations ISBN 978-1-4729-1234-3, £34.99 This impressive volume covers the identification and ageing of 83 species of ducks, geese and swans that breed in North America, Europe and Asia. In essence it deals with all the species that occur regularly in the entire Holarctic region, including the probably extinct Crested Shelduck Tadorna cristata. Not included are a few breeding species from southern Asia such as Wandering Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arcuata, Sunda Anas gibberifrons and Andaman Teals A. albogularis and the possibly extinct Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea. These species, a small number of vagrants to the region and others that have occurred only as escapes from captivity were covered in Madge and Burn's Wildfowl: an identification guide to the ducks, geese and swans of the world (Helm, 1988). Compared with the earlier volume, the reduced geographical scope of the present guide allows for a much more detailed treatment of each species. This incorporates numerous new insights into identification and taxonomy and several recently elevated species are fully covered for the first time. The vexing subject of hybridisation is examined in far greater detail than previously... An introduction covers general topics such as taxonomy and systematics, topography, ageing and sexing, but all with a particular emphasis on wildfowl. There are extended sections on hybridisation and on the rationale behind the terminology used to describe plumages and moult. About one-third of the book is devoted to the presentation of 72 identification plates, with captions and distribution maps on the facing page. The illustrations are of a high standard and constitute a comprehensive catalogue of the appearance of each species in all plumages and include numerous variations. Furthermore, a large number of known hybrid combinations are also depicted, with a particular emphasis on those that represent significant identification pitfalls. For example, in total there are paintings of four males and one female Eurasian A. penelope x American Wigeon A. americana hybrids plus two male backcrosses (one to each species), as well as depictions of both male and female Eurasian x Chiloe Wigeon A. sibilatrix crosses and a further eight hybrid combinations involving Wigeons. The remainder of the book examines each species in even greater detail, covering taxonomy (including contrasting views), general identification and ageing characters, detailed descriptions of each age category and plumage (including illustrations of feather patterns and shapes useful in ageing for some species or groups), moult strategy, geographical variation, biometrics, voice, hybridisation (especially in the wild), habitat preferences and lifestyle characteristics, range and population (including threat status) and status in captivity (covering prevalence, ease of maintenance and breeding, and even price – a key consideration in relation to knotty problems of provenance). At the end of each species account the most important references are listed, while a comprehensive list of all references runs to almost 1,400 entries. All in all this adds up to a very comprehensive examination of each species, which is further complemented by the inclusion of numerous high-quality colour photographs (all of birds in the wild) with captions that further clarify key identification and ageing characteristics. Forms recently elevated to species status by at least some major taxonomic bodies are treated as such, including, for example, Eurasian A. crecca and Green-winged Teal A. carolinensis, Common Melanitta nigra and Black Scoter M. americana – in each case with details of the latest thinking on the separation of birds in less distinctive plumages. In this sense it is a major advance on some previous guides. The English names used and taxonomy followed are relatively familiar and traditional, no novel taxonomic treatments are adopted and alternative English names are indicated as appropriate. Less familiar, at least to many readers outside North America, will be the plumage and moult terminology used. This follows a recently modified version of the Humphrey and Parkes (H-P) system, a bold move by the author. The H-P system aims at a universal language for moult and plumages; it irons out terminological ambiguities, for example by distinguishing between a particular plumage and the age of the bird wearing it (they do not always coincide) and anachronisms such as the fact that many ducks wear so-called breeding plumage only during the non-breeding season. The chief benefit of the H-P system, though, is that it better identifies fundamental patterns that other terminologies either ignore or even conceal. This is an identification guide rather than a treatise on moult, of course, but given the complexities of plumage development and seasonal changes in many wildfowl, some of which remain unresolved, the H-P system seems, on balance, the most fitting terminology to use. Wisely, though, the author often also incorporates some more familiar terms as signposts (though these are not actually equivalents of the H-P terms), so hopefully it will not be necessary to return constantly to the introduction for guidance until the new terminology starts to sink in. Even so, I imagine that the routine use of terms such as formative and definitive, basic and alternate, will prove unpopular with more casual readers. Conversely, those with a deeper interest in the intricacies of moult and identification may find its use here an excellent introduction to the practical application and advantages of the H-P system. All in all, this book represents by far the most thorough guide to the identification and ageing of Holarctic wildfowl. It should become the essential first reference for anyone with an interest in these birds. Chris Kehoe The post Wildfowl of Europe, Asia and North America appeared first on British Birds.