Southern African LBJs Made Simple is a useful guide to the cryptic little birds that are universally known as 'little brown jobs'. With the help of colour coding and careful design, the reader is systematically guided through successive sorting stages: from family group, to 'visual group' within the family, and finally to the species. Each step takes one closer to identifying the bird in question. Carefully labeled illustrations, distribution maps, concise text describing key ID criteria (such as size, habitat, habits, call and similar-looking and -sounding birds), and characteristic features summarized in an 'At a glance' box all help pinpoint identity. Calls play a critical role in identification of this challenging group of birds, and a major innovation is the use of barcodes alongside each species to scan and play individual calls and comparative tracks by means of a free downloadable call app. This enhanced and updated new edition will be an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to be able to tell one LBJ from another.
Doug Newman is an electrical engineer with a keen interest in birds, particularly bird calls. He is co-founder of the Simply Birding website www.simplybirding.com, and author of the highly successful Bird Calls for Beginners and More Bird Calls for Beginners. Gordon King's IT training, specifically in data methodology, has helped with the design of various birding projects. Co-founder of the Simply Birding website, he has been published in magazines, including Babble & Chat, and has a passion for photography.