Guide to the Birds of Madagascar

Yale University Press (1990).

Hardcover Book with Dust Jacket

Text from the Front and Back Flaps

Madagascar, isolated for at least 120 million years and the fourth largest island in the world, is home to a remarkable variety of endemic animals and plants. This book is the first up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the unusual bird life of Madagascar. Forty watercolor illustrations provide clear and easy identification of all the Malagasy birds.

Beginning with an overview of the natural habitats of Madagascar, the book then provides a general introduction to the avifauna. The endemic and endangered species are highlighted for each geographical region of the country. Seventeen prime bird observation sites are described in a section especially helpful to visitors to Madagascar. This section includes information on site accessibility, permit requirements, accommodation, observation facilities, and the species of birds found there.

The detailed guide to individual species is the heart of this book. Full information on each bird species is clearly presented: descriptions of adults and immatures; song; habitat and dietary requirements; nesting habits; and distribution and status. The final section includes descriptions of birds not yet reported from Madagascar but likely to occur there, as well as distribution maps of the bird species. This book is a vital resource for bird enthusiasts and serious naturalists everywhere.

About the Author and Illustrator from the Back Flap

Olivier Langrand, an ornithologist, is Technical Advisor to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Protected Areas Management Project in Madagascar. Vincent Bretagnolle is at the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques des Animaux Sauvages, a division of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France.

Foreword from Page vii

All islands hold a special fascination for naturalists and particularly for ornithologists. The absence of any physical boundaries on the continents means that birds can move about freely, migration is easier and species tend to merge with one another. Islands are isolated, and the principles of evolution dictate that, whatever their origin, island species develop along their own lines.

It was this feature that attracted Darwin's attention when he visited the Galapagos Islands, but had fate taken him to Madagascar, he would have noticed exactly the same thing. Madagascar has been cut off from the rest of the world for so long that it now contains an exceptionally high proportion of endemic species in its rich endowment of flora and fauna. A cursory glance at the taxonomic list at the end of this book is enough to reveal the proportion of names that start with "Madagascar ...."

I am quite sure that this thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated book will be greatly welcomed by people interested in birds all over the world, from the academic ornithologist to the enthusiastic bird-watcher. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the author, Olivier Langrand, to his translator, Willem Daniels, and to Vincent Bretagnolle for his excellent illustrations.

H.R.H. Prince Philip

Contents
Foreword by H.R.H. Prince Philip
Acknowledgments
Notes by the Illustrator
Introduction
Map of Madagascar: Geographic Location
Overview of the Natural Habitats of Madagascar
- Forest Habitats
- Other Habitats
- Map of Floristic Domains
The Avifauna of Madagascar
- Taxonomic Composition
- Extinct Species
- Introduced Species
- Migratory Movements
- Diagram of the Composition of Resident Species
Analysis of the Bird Community
- The Bird Community Specific to the Eastern Region
- The Bird Community Specific to the Western Region
Diagram of the Distribution of Species by Domain
Protected Areas System
- List of Protected Areas
- Map of Protected Area Locations
- Diagram of Species Distribution in Protected Areas
Recommended Sites for Observing the Avifauna of Madagascar
List of Birds at Recommended Observation Sites
Map of the Western Indian Ocean around Madagascar
Potential Species in the Vicinity of the Coast of Madagascar
- List of Potential Species
- Identification of Potential Species
- Brief Guide to the Identification of Potential Species
Organization of the Field Identification Guide
Topography of a Bird
Taxonomic List of Scientific, English, and French Names
Locator Map
Alphabetical List of Places
Guide to the Birds of Madagascar
Distribution Maps
Alphabetical and Etymological Key to Malagasy Names
Index of English Names
Index of Scientific Names