Raptors are popular and iconic birds, and are important ecologically, with some species listed as threatened. Yet they are among the most difficult birds to identify. This fully updated third edition of the popular and award-winning field guide Birds of Prey of Australia contains two sections: a field guide with distribution maps, detailed illustrations and information on identification; and a handbook which includes an overview of the current knowledge about raptors, including their biology, ecology and behaviour. An illustrated section on difficult-to-distinguish species pairs is also included, along with new photographs.
Birds of Prey of Australia will appeal to a wide range of readers, including ornithologists, raptor biologists, birdwatchers, wildlife rescuers/carers, raptor rehabilitators, zookeepers, naturalists, bushwalkers, ecological consultants, fauna authorities, park rangers, state forestry personnel and students.
BirdLife Australia
Preface to the first edition
Preface to the second edition
Preface to the third edition
About the author
About the illustrator
Introduction: Birds of prey
PART I: FIELD GUIDE
Species descriptions
Vagrants
Difficult species-pairs
PART II: HANDBOOK
Osprey
Small kites
Pernine kites
Large kites and sea-eagles
Goshawks and sparrowhawks
Australasian endemic hawks
Harriers
Booted eagles
Falcons
Threats, conservation and the future
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Stephen Debus has studied or observed all 24 of Australia's resident raptor species during the past 40 years, almost half of them intensively and some over many years. Awarded BirdLife Australia's D.L. Serventy Medal for ornithological publication, his many works include the books Australian Birds of Prey in Flight (2019), Australasian Eagles and Eagle-Like Birds (2017) and Queensland's Threatened Animals (2012).