Ian Willis (1) (1944–)

Basics: 1988, hardcover, 280 pages, 40 color plates of 350 species, 720+ species discussed, 510 range maps

This is a near-complete field guide to the region. The book was created to act as an extension to the European field guides available at the time (1988). Since many northern birds migrate through the Middle East and are covered in the European books, these species are addressed only briefly in this book. Of the 720+ species that can be found in the region only about 450 are illustrated.

The color plates display 350 species with multiple illustrations. These typically show the plumage differences between the genders, sometimes with subspecies, and often in fight for the raptors, gulls, and a few other species. These plates are of good quality and will help to identify most of the birds – other than the more difficult groups like warblers, larks, and wagtails. Insufficient detail is provided for these groups and, many of these birds are shown with only one illustration. A good portion of the birds are drawn a little too small. Another 100 species are shown only as a single black-and-white drawing and are interspersed throughout the text. Although these illustrations are of good quality, they are not suitable for solid identification.

Text is supplied for all 720+ birds found in the region, which is composed of a single paragraph ranging from 6-25 lines. A greater amount of attention is given to the resident birds. Notably less is given for the birds already covered adequately in other European guides. About half of the text is dedicated to identification. These notes are fairly detailed and highlight the key points to identify the bird as well as comparing it to a similar species. Several descriptive lines also nicely describe the bird’s vocalizations.

Range maps depict all the North African countries from Morocco to Egypt and the Middle East countries from Turkey and Iran south through Saudi Arabia and Yemen. These maps are provided for only the birds that breed in these regions, which is 510 species. The ranges in the maps show exclusively the breeding ranges. Winter and migration ranges are not included.

There are a few minor quirks to mention. One, the swifts and nightjars are oddly positioned later in the plates with the passerines. Two, the plates list the bird’s name but fail to refer you to the page number containing the accompanying text and map. You are forced to look up the bird in the index to find its associated information. Third, the text does tell you on which color plate the bird is illustrated but fails to mention that a black-and-white drawing is provided elsewhere for the 100 birds not found in the plates.

This book will be helpful to you in the Middle East and North Africa, despite some of its limitations. There are three other available books that are superior and recommended. One, for just the Middle East region, is an excellent book by Porter et al. The two other books, for Europe and North Africa, are by Johnsson and another by Mullarney et al.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East by Porter et al.
2) Birds of North Africa by Etchecopar/Hue
3) Les Oiseaux du Proche et du Moyen Orient by Hue
4) The Birds of Israel by Shirihai
5) The Birds of Oman by Gallagher
6) Common Birds in Oman by Eriksen
7) The Birds of Iran by Scott (in Arabic)
8) Inland Birds of Saudi Arabia by Silsby
9) A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Egypt and the Middle East by Porter
10) Birds of Bahrain by Nightingale
11) Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East by Jonsson
12) Birds of Europe by Mullarney… (mais)