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This is the first comprehensive guide to the world’s 434 species of seabirds, to be published since the 1983 publication of Harrison’s Seabirds: An Identification Guide. It covers all known seabirds, beginning with seaducks and grebes and ending with cormorants and pelicans. Lavishly illustrated and detailed throughout the 600 pages, this guide gives full treatment to all known seabird species including recently rediscovered and rarely seen species.
- The essential new field guide to the seabirds of the world.
- 239 superb, full-colour plates with extensive captions and detailed facing-plate identification texts and maps, to enable identification at a glance.
- More than 3,800 full-colour figures with illustrations of distinct subspecies, sexes, ages and morphs, are further supported by in-text identification keys and figures.
- Comprehensive and definitive, the text covers status and conservation, geographic range, movements and migration, breeding biology and feeding habits, plus identification and latest taxonomic treatments.
- The only seabird guide to cover all known seabird groups and species. Seabirders worldwide will find this to be an authoritative, one-of-a-kind publication for use around the globe.
Preface 7
Acknowledgements 9
Introduction 11
What is a seabird? 11
The basics of seabird ID 16
How to use this book 18
Group introduction & identification 18
Species accounts 18
Distribution maps 19
Abbreviations explained 20
Ageing terminology 20
Glossary of terms 21
Seabird topography 23
Where in the world? 24
Species inventory 28
Systematic accounts 31
Seaducks 32
Grebes 58
Sheathbills 78
Phalaropes 78
Skimmers 79
Gulls 84
Terns & Noddies 192
Skuas & Jaegers 238
Auks 252
Tropicbirds 278
Loons (Divers) 284
Penguins 292
Albatrosses 312
Southern & Northern Storm-petrels 344
Petrels, Shearwaters & Diving-petrels 376
Fulmarine Petrels 377
Blue Petrel & Prions 386
Gadfly Petrels 396
Procellaria Petrels 436
Shearwaters 442
Bulweria-type Petrels 480
Diving-petrels 488
Frigatebirds 494
Gannets & Boobies 504
Cormorants & Shags 518
Pelicans 562
References 573
Index 595
Peter Harrison, MBE, artist, author, screenwriter and ardent conservationist. His first book, Seabirds: An Identification Guide, was hailed as a classic and awarded Best Bird book of 1983 by the prestigious journal British Birds. Seabirds of the World: A Photographic Guide followed in 1987. Peter devotes much of his time to conservation efforts. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the world of natural history, Peter was invited to Buckingham Palace in 1995 and awarded the title Member of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. In March 2017 he was the proud recipient of the New York Linnaean Society’s Eisenmann Award for Excellence in Ornithology. A Fellow of the Explorers’ Club, Peter continues to travel the globe, lecturing and guiding, as a founder and partner of Seattle-based Apex Expeditions.
Martin Perrow has been a professional ecologist for 30 years as head of one of the foremost ecological consultancies in the UK. Martin has authored more than 130 scientific papers, articles and book chapters, and has published reports and presented at a host of international conferences and workshops. He is probably best known, however, as editor of several seminal books including the two-volume Handbook of Ecological Restoration and the four-volume Wildlife and Wind Farms: Conflicts and Solutions. An avid birder with an innate love of water, Martin has travelled the oceans in both hemispheres, often as tour guide with several leading wildlife travel companies. In 2015 he received the Carl Zeiss Award from the British Birds Rarities Committee.
Hans Larsson was born in the Gambia but lives in Sweden and is one of the country’s leading bird artists. He was voted Bird Artist of the Year (1994) by Vår Fågelvärld, the leading Swedish ornithological journal. Subsequently, the Swedish Ornithological Union honoured him as their Birder of the Year (1996). Hans has previously illustrated the acclaimed Terns of Europe and North America (1995) and Skuas and Jaegers (1997), both by Klaus Malling Olsen. More recently (2004) he completed the 96 plates for Klaus Malling Olsen’s seminal work, Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America.
"Much anticipated [...] this new seabird identification guide had a great mountain to climb. Not only would it be expected to have the same impact as his original work, but much of the original identification insights of the 1983 version were now well understood and second nature to moderately experienced seabirders. [...] So was this a setup for failure, an impossible summit to scale? The author clearly believed not and in my view has, together with his co-authors Martin Perrow and Hans Larsson, produced an exceptional work – a collaboration that adds significantly to what has gone before [...] So does this 2021 renewal of Peter Harrison's seabird identification guide match expectations? Yes, I think undoubtedly so. This is an excellent publication, a fitting replacement for the original work and one that should definitely grace the bookshelves and travel bags of anyone with a passion for seabirds."
– John Graham, Bulletin of the African Bird Club 29(1), March 2022
"[...] It is common for reviews to sing the praises of their subject matter, but I would happily label this one of the most exciting and informative bird books that I have picked up in some time. No doubt it will be revered as a modern classic within birding circles worldwide."
– Josh Jones, birdguides.com
"[...] Despite first impressions that some illustrations are not so pleasing, Seabirds: The New Identification Guide is another excellent bird guide from Lynx. It is the sort of book that would be indispensable to have on any major pelagic trip, and a useful reference guide at home. I doubt it will always be the first book that seabird aficionados will turn to. But for the many birders that prefer paintings to photos this guide is especially recommended since there is presently nothing to compare it with that illustrates so many forms of so many species with paintings. [...]"
– Frank Lambert (03-10-2021), read the full review at The Birder's Library
