Madge & Burn. Crows and Jays.

Title Crows and Jays: A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World Author Madge, Steve & Hilary Burn Publisher Houghton Mifflin Year 1994 ISBN 039567171X (Hardcover) Illustrations Burn, Hilary (color paintings) Table of Contents Contents; Systematic list of genera, subgenera and species of the Corvini Bibliography Bibliography Index Index of English and Scientific Names Pages 191 Categories crows, jays, magpies, jackdaws, ravens, guide, world, identification, birds, corvids, biology, natural history Language English (en), Latin (la)

From the Dust Jacket

One hundred and twenty species of crows, jays, and their allies live in the world today. Many are exceptionally beautiful in color and elegant in grace and form; others are rather unrefined birds, shaggy and harsh-voiced. In no other group of perching birds has evolution produced such a degree of variation, from the tiny Hume's Ground-Jay of the highlands of Tibet to the huge Thick-billed Raven of the Ethiopian mountains. Some have had a long association with humans and appear in countless myths and superstitions, while others are regarded as mere agricultural pests. The great majority, however, remain largely unknown, coming in contact with humans only as their specialized habitats are destroyed. At least 20 crows and jays are now endangered species.
All the crows and jays are shown in Hilary Burn's 30 color plates. Each plate is accompanied by a caption page summarizing the most notable field marks of each species, along with the color range maps. Some of these birds, such as the Banggai Crow, Mesopotamian Crow, and Flores Crow have never been illustrated before.
Each species is described in depth in the authoritative accounts by Steve Madge. He also includes identification techniques and a review of all aspects of corvid behavior, distribution, population, and taxonomy. The author has had first-hand experience of most of the species during his travels, and his fascination with this special but somewhat ignored group of birds is evident.
Crows and Jays is both an identification guide and a scientifically accurate natural history, designed to give anyone, whether a birder or biologist, a greater understanding of the lives of this complex group of birds. It will be a standard work of reference for many years to come.
Front cover: Green Magpies Cissa chinensis margaritae endemic to Mount Lang Bian in Vietnam.

Summary from Amazon.com

The definitive guide to the Corvid tribe—crows, jays, and their relatives—this book shows plumage of each of the 120 species via magnificent color paintings. Madge's authoritative, readable text describes each species in detail: identifying features, voice, habits, habitats, breeding behavior, and more. 32 color plates. 118 maps.

See and/or order this title at Amazon.com:

• Hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Co, 1993

No longer available (but if you send me an e-mail message, I'll try to find you a used copy):

• Hardcover, 216 pages, Christopher Helm, 1994, ISBN 0713639997

Related Links

• Family Corvidae (Jays, Magpies and Crows)