Woodpeckers of the World: the complete guide

By Gerard Gorman Bloomsbury, 2014; hbk, 528pp; c. 750 colour photographs, distribution maps ISBN 978-1-4081-4715-3 - Subbuteo codeM24079 - £35.00 This is the first definitive photographic guide to the woodpeckers of the world. Until now, apart from Handbook of the Birds of the World, the two standard works on the family have been Short's Woodpeckers of the World (Delaware Museum, 1982) and Winkler et al.'s Woodpeckers: an identification guide to the woodpeckers of the world (Pica Press, 1995). Back in 1995 just 214 species were recognised, and by 2002 only two more were included in HBW. This new book, however, includes 239 species - almost completely in line with the IOC taxonomy, but at odds with other taxonomic treatments. In recent years there has been a surge in splitting of some groups. For example, within the Oriental region six additional species have been proposed within the genus Chrysocolaptes, while in the Neotropics a further five are being suggested within the genus Piculus. For the latter group, the author has liaised with Brazilian ornithologists to agree English names - although it remains to be seen whether these will be more widely accepted. Closer to home, the decision to treat the Iberian race of Green Woodpecker Picus viridis as a full species, Iberian Green Woodpecker P. sharpei, will surprise a few - although not if you follow IOC. Two potentially extinct species are included: Imperial Campephilus imperialis and Ivory-billed Woodpecker C. principalis (last seen reliably in 1956 and 1987 respectively). No illustration of either species is included, which is unfortunate as there are well-prepared museum specimens that could have been shown. The format and presentation is similar to Owls of the World - a sister volume in the expanding Helm Photographic Guides series. A 20-page introduction provides a brief overview to the woodpecker family, which is liberally illustrated. The species texts are divided into the 29 genera, which are treated separately. This really works well to emphasise how the various groupings differ from each other while being superficially similar. Individual species accounts review identification, vocalisations (and drumming), status, habitat, range, taxonomy and racial variation and food. A colour distribution map is provided for each species. For most readers the big draw will be the high-quality photographs that illustrate each species. Over 200 photographers supplied images for the book and it is hard to find a page that does not include a photograph. The quality is outstanding and there is not a single photograph I would have rejected. A big effort has been made to find images of both sexes for dimorphic species, and in some cases juveniles are also shown. References are mostly restricted to those published since 2002, but this still results in details of about 350 papers. This is a really attractive book, which is well designed and provides concise information without compromising on quality. Keith Betton

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