Where to Watch Birds in Ethiopia By Claire Spottiswoode, Merid Gabremichael and Julian Francis | 192 pages | 150 colour photos | maps | Christopher Helm | Softcover | 2010 | ISBN-13: 9781408130759 | NHBS Price: £19.99
What The Publisher’s Say
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s top birding destinations, harbouring dramatic scenery, a wonderful diversity of habitats, over 30 endemic species, and a number of other regional specialities that cannot be easily seen anywhere else in the world. No self-respecting world lister can afford not to go there! [Personally I have the self-respect but not the suppleness necessary to survive the roads –Fatbirder]
This new book is a comprehensive site guide to the 50 best birding sites in the country. Each site describes how to get there, what you can see there, and when to visit. A number of full colour maps complement the site texts, and GPS co-ordinates allow sites to be located with great accuracy. A section covering the top 50 species gives details of how to see each of these special birds. The book is completed with an annotated checklist of all the country’s birds and more than 150 photographs of birds, habitats and even some of Ethiopia’s other fauna and flora.The Authors
Claire Spottiswoode is an acknowledged authority on Ethiopia’s birds and has undertaken much research on its endemics. (If you meet this soft spoken young lady you will be amazed that she has travelled so widely and written so much to help the rest of us enjoy Africa’s birdlife)
Merid Gabremichael is Ethiopia’s top bird tour guide.
Julian Francis has visited the region several times and is co-author of an earlier guide to a selection of the best birding sites.Fatbirder’s View
This is an impressive and very well produced guide that combines the best elements of a ‘where to watch’ book with its maps, directions and mouth-watering target species, a travel guide with its useful information and background and a trip report with engaging accounts coupled with excellent photographs. Top this with the last section of Ethiopia’s top 50 birds and you have a book that stands up even if you are not off to Ethiopia yourself. Most of us will think it intrepid enough to visit the country on a fully guided trip rather than going it alone, but the book would still be a great companion and would serve a further purpose. When planning a trip it does help if you know what is where and therefore, which areas you most want to visit. Ethiopia is a large country with a generally poor infrastructure and few tourist facilities off the most well beaten tracks and even on some of those! Its certainly a country any birder would love to see but is also one where good advanced planning is a must, so this book is indispensible!
Fatbirder