Volume 16 of the Handbook of the Birds of the World completes the series, covering 606 species across four families: tanagers, cardinals, buntings and New World sparrows, and New World blackbirds. The volume includes a foreword on climate change and birds by Anders Pape Møller, 77 color plates, over 500 photographs, 766 distribution maps, and a practical reference card for passerine families.
Volume 16 marks the completion of the Handbook of the Birds of the World series, concluding the monumental task of documenting every bird species in the world. This final volume covers four families, with a primary focus on Nearctic and Neotropical species, accounting for 94% of the species included.
The volume starts with the tanagers, a family known for their spectacularly colorful plumage, especially in the genus Tangara. The cardinals, with their striking red plumage, include iconic species such as the Northern Cardinal, while the buntings and New World sparrows, with 326 species, are among the most diverse bird families, covering a range of habitats. Finally, the volume concludes with the New World blackbirds, a family known for their highly social behavior and vocal abilities, including species such as orioles and oropendolas.
The foreword by Anders Pape Møller focuses on the impact of climate change on birds, including how a warming planet affects breeding, migration, and population dynamics, and increases the risk of extinction for many species.
| Order PASSERIFORMES | |
| Family Thraupidae (Tanagers) | Steven Hilty |
| Family Cardinalidae (Cardinals) | Ronald Orenstein & David Brewer |
| Family Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows) | James Rising, Alvaro Jaramillo, José Luis Copete, Steve Madge & Peter Ryan |
| Family Icteridae (New World Blackbirds) | Rosendo Fraga |
Key Highlights:
- Foreword: Climate Change and Birds by Anders Pape Møller.
- 77 color plates featuring stunning images of the species covered.
- Over 500 color photographs showing birds in their natural habitats.
- 766 distribution maps.
The volume provides a comprehensive look at some of the most colorful and iconic bird families in the world and brings the entire Handbook of the Birds of the World series to a satisfying conclusion. It also includes a practical, plastic-coated reference card that helps locate any passerine families covered in this and previous volumes (Volumes 8–16).
