Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 15.

Volume 15 of the Handbook of the Birds of the World covers 606 species across eight families, including weavers, waxbills, vireos, finches, and New World warblers. The volume features a Foreword on bird conservation by BirdLife International experts and contains 60 color plates, 495 photographs, 614 distribution maps, and over 6,000 bibliographical references.

Volume 15 of the Handbook of the Birds of the World covers eight families and a total of 606 species. This volume begins with the fascinating weavers of Africa and South Asia, known for constructing the most elaborate nests of all birds, including colonies of Red-billed Quelea, which can contain over 30 million nests. Following the weavers are the parasitic whydahs and indigobirds, endemic to tropical Africa, and the colorful waxbills, known for their presence as caged birds across a wide range from tropical Africa to Pacific islands.

The New World is also well represented in this volume, with vireos, the critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers, the Olive Warbler, and New World warblers. The largest family in this volume is the finches, with 144 species, including some of the best-known and widely distributed birds such as the European Goldfinch and the Island Canary.

The foreword, written by conservation experts Stuart Butchart, Nigel Collar, Alison Stattersfield, and Leon Bennun from BirdLife International, provides a comprehensive and well-documented overview of the many threats to bird diversity and populations caused by human development and offers recommendations to mitigate these dangers.

Key Highlights:

• Foreword: Conservation of the World’s Birds: The View from 2010 by Stuart Butchart, Nigel Collar, Alison Stattersfield, and Leon Bennun.
• 60 color plates.
• 495 color photographs showing a wide range of species in their natural habitats.
• 614 distribution maps.
• More than 6,000 bibliographical references.