The definitive guide to the birds of Bhutan, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh The nation of Bhutan and the Indian states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh together form the eastern arm of the Himalayas. This book is the definitive field guide to the birds of this magical corner of Asia. This field guide covers all 809 species that regularly occur in the region, including most vagrants. There are 152 superb colour illustrations, with concise text on facing pages for quick and easy reference covering essential identification information such as voice, habits, habitats, distribution and status. The introduction further includes information on popular birding sites and conservation.

A field guide to all the bird species found in India, Pakistian, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. This comprehensive and definitive guide is the successor to the bestselling Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by the same authors. 1375 species are illustrated and described, including all residents, migrants and vagrants. The plates, text and maps have been extensively revised. The 226 colour plates face concise descriptions and maps for quick at-a-glance reference. Many of the plates, depicting every species and many distinct plumages and races, have been repainted for this edition and a number of new species added. This guide also provides tables, summarising identification features of particularly difficult groups such as nightjars, warblers and rosefinches. This is the ideal companion for anyone birding in the region.

This fully updated edition of Birds of Nepal is the most comprehensive guide to the birds of this beautiful Himalayan country. Every species of bird recorded in Nepal is covered in this fantastic guide, including vagrants, with accurate distribution maps for most species. More than 790 species are featured with illustrations and concise text covering essential information for quick and easy reference. The comprehensive text covers voice, habits, habitats, altitudinal range, distribution and status to aid accurate identification. The texts have been completely re-written for this edition and many of the illustrations have been replaced. In addition, maps have been included for the first time.

"Published in the United Kingdom and European Union in 2009 by Christopher Helm ... London"--T.p. verso.

This is the only comprehensive photographic field guide to the birds of the entire Indian subcontinent. Every distinct species and subspecies—some 1,375 in all—is covered with photographs, text, and maps. The guide features more than 4,000 stunning photographs, many never before published, which have been carefully selected to illustrate key identification features of each species. The up-to-date facing-page text includes concise descriptions of plumage, voice, range, habitat, and recent taxonomic changes. Each species has a detailed map reflecting the latest distribution information and containing notes on status and population density. The guide also features an introduction that provides an overview of birdlife and a brief history of ornithology in India and its neighbors. The result is an encyclopedic photographic guide that is essential for everyone birding anywhere in the subcontinent. Covers all 1,375 subcontinental bird species Features more than 4,000 stunning photographs to aid quick field identification Includes up-to-date facing-page text and range maps Contains concise descriptions of plumage, voice, habitat, and much more

From the wet evergreen forests and alpine peaks of the Himalayas, to the Thar Desert and the vast wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural habitats that stretch to New Delhi and beyond, northern India is a diverse and welcoming paradise for birders and ecotourists. This field guide provides a concise, fully illustrated introduction to the region's known species. Species that occur regularly are illustrated on 120 color plates by eminent bird illustrators from Europe and India. Just a few of the most spectacular or very big birds include the Himalayan Snowcock, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Crested Kingfisher, Blue-Bearded Bee-eater, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo. The illustrations show distinctive sexual and racial variations whenever possible, as well as immature plumages. Succinct entries on the facing pages highlight plumage, body length and other visible identification traits, voice, altitudinal range and habitats, distribution, and status. Thirty-five of the region's species are threatened with global extinction, in particular the White-rumped Vulture, Siberian Crane, Forest Owlet, Pink-headed Duck, and Himalayan Quail. Introductory sections cover the region's geography and ecology, ten choice birdwatching areas among the many in northern India, plus conservation and general birding advice. Unusually detailed distribution maps are also included, and an appendix describes vagrants and rare species. Anyone contemplating a visit to this accessible, bird-rich region of the subcontinent will want this compact and user-friendly guide. Covers all species known in the region 120 color plates with concise text on facing pages for quick reference and easy identification Concise entries describe appearance, voice, altitudinal range and habitat, distribution, and status Introductory sections cover the region's geography and ecology, plus conversation and general birding advice

In 2008, Bhutan triumphantly took the stage as the world’s youngest democracy. But despite its growing prominence—and rising scholarly interest in the country—Bhutan remains one of the least studied, and least well-known places on the planet. Karma Phuntsho’s The History of Bhutan is the first book to offer a comprehensive history of Bhutan in English. Along with a detailed social and political analysis, it offers substantive discussions of Bhutan’s geography and culture; the result is the clearest, richest account of this nation and its history ever published for general readers. A 2015 Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title Award Winner

In the tradition of Iron and Silk and Touch the Dragon, Jamie Zeppa’s memoir of her years in Bhutan is the story of a young woman’s self-discovery in a foreign land. It is also the exciting début of a new voice in travel writing. When she left for the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan in 1988, Zeppa was committing herself to two years of teaching and a daunting new experience. A week on a Caribbean beach had been her only previous trip outside Canada; Bhutan was on the other side of the world, one of the most isolated countries in the world known as the last Shangri-La, where little had changed in centuries and visits by foreigners were restricted. Clinging to her bags full of chocolate, hair conditioner and Immodium, she began the biggest challenge of her life, with no idea she would fall in love with the country and with a Bhutanese man, end up spending nine years in Bhutan, and begin a literary career with her account of this transformative journey. At her first posting in a remote village of eastern Bhutan, she is plunged into an overwhelmingly different culture with squalid Third World conditions and an impossible language. Her house has rats and fleas and she refuses to eat the local food, fearing the rampant deadly infections her overly protective grandfather warned her about. Gradually, however, her fear vanishes. She adjusts, begins to laugh, and is captivated by the pristine mountain scenery and the kind students in her grade 2 class. She also begins to discover for herself the spiritual serenity of Buddhism. A transfer to the government college of Sherubtse, where the housing conditions are comparatively luxurious and the students closer to her own age, gives her a deeper awareness of Bhutan’s challenges: the lack of personal privacy, the pressure to conform, and the political tensions. However, her connection to Bhutan intensifies when she falls in love with a student, Tshewang, and finds herself pregnant. After a brief sojourn in Canada to give birth to her son, Pema Dorji, she marries Tshewang and makes Bhutan her home for another four years. Zeppa’s personal essay about her culture shock on arriving in Bhutan won the 1996 CBC/Saturday Night literary competition and appeared in the magazine. She flew home to accept the prize, where people encouraged her to pursue her writing. Her letters from Bhutan also featured on CBC’s Morningside. The book that grew out of this has been published in Canada and the United States to ecstatic reviews, followed by British, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish editions. Although cultural differences finally separated Jamie and Tshewang in 1997 while she was writing the book and she returned to Canada, she will always feel at home in Bhutan. Zeppa shares her compelling insights into this land and culture, but Beyond the Sky and the Earth is more than a travel book. With rich, spellbinding prose and bright humour, it describes a personal journey in which Zeppa acquires a deeper understanding of what it means to leave one’s home behind, and undergoes a spiritual transformation.

A spectacular and lavish photographic guide to the birds of Japan, Korea, north-east China and the Russian Far East. Eastern Asia is blessed with a rich and spectacular avifauna, and all 520 regularly occurring species are featured in this spectacular and lavish new photographic guide to the region, covering Japan, northern China, North and South Korea and the Russian Far East. The concise text focuses on key identification criteria, and is accompanied by a distribution map for every species. The accompanying photographs, contributed by Japan's top bird photographers, form a stunning series that will allow both field identification and rich enjoyment at home afterwards. This beautiful book is a must-have for anyone interested in the birds of Asia.