Raffael Ayé is an ornithologist based at the University of Berne. He is an expert on the birds of Central Asia, with considerable experience in the field. Among his many achievements alongside colleagues Manuel Schweizer and Tobias Roth was the discovery of the breeding grounds of the Large-billed Reed Warbler in Tajikistan.Manuel Schweizer is an ornithologist based at the University of Berne. He is an expert on the birds of Central Asia, with considerable experience in the field. Among his many achievements alongside colleagues Raffael Ayé and Tobias Roth was the discovery of the breeding grounds of the Large-billed Reed Warbler in Tajikistan.Tobias Roth is an ornithologist based at the University of Berne. He is an expert on the birds of Central Asia, with considerable experience in the field. Among his many achievements alongside colleagues Raffael Ayé and Manuel Schweizer was the discovery of the breeding grounds of the Large-billed Reed Warbler in Tajikistan.

The definitive field guide to the birds of Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.The definitive field guide to the birds of Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Text and maps opposite plates for easy reference

Map of the RegionAcknowledgementsIntroductionHow to Use This BookThe platesSpecies accountsMapsBird topographyGlossaryTaxonomy and nomenclatureGeography and BiogeographyTopographyClimateBiomes and habitats in Central AsiaOrganisations and WebsitesSpecies Accounts (34-318)Appendix 1: Old vagrants, undocumented records and doubtfully recorded speciesAppendix 2: Moult and ageing of large raptorsAppendix 3: Identifying gullsReferencesIndex

Birds of Central Asia is thefirst field guide to include the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan,Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, along withneighbouring Afghanistan. This vast area includes a diverse variety of habitats, andthe avifauna is similarly broad, from sandgrouse, ground jays andlarks on the vast steppe and semi-desert to a broad range ofraptors, and from woodland species such as warblers and nuthatches to asuite of montane species, such as snowcocks, accentors and snowfinches. This book includes 141 high-quality plates covering every species (and all distinctive races) that occur in theregion, along with concise text focusing on identification and accurate colour maps. Important introductory sections introduce the land and its birds. Birds of Central Asia is a must-read for any birder or traveller visting this remote region.