Ton Eggenhuizen
 ·  26 juli 2016  15:54, gewijzigd 27 juli 2016  15:30

I hope by using the guide intensively, a lot of the disadvantages Yoav pointed out will solve. Indeed the information packed on pages makes it in the beginning hard to use. But on the other hand, where can one find so much up to date info on (ie.) waderID in the hand? 

Indeed I also missed some species-accounts. I've had more rough-legged buzzards and ruddy shellducks (to name a few) in the hand than great snipes.  The first one is only mentioned in the account on the common buzzard to point out the differences. But really, does one deserve a ringing-permit if he doesn't know a rough-legged buzzard has rough legs and a common buzzard hasn't?

And for the Ruddy shellduck, it outnumbers the great snipe easily on the Dutch ringing totals (329 Ruddy's and 5 great's, Op het Vinkentouw 2016). But this Ruddy shellduck isn't in the book. 

Perhaps it deserves some thoughts to make a web-place for additional species accounts and where errors can be placed?

Anyway, Laurent and the translators deserve a big thank-you for this work. I will use and enjoy it a lot, I'm sure!

Joost Mertens
 ·  27 juli 2016  09:57

I do not agree for quiet a bit what Yoav point out as disadvantages. First of all: the book handels over Western European birds, you can find  that on the front cover(!). So it looks to me that it is normal you find less or no East- or south European species.

Secondly, all publications have their own way of building up a structure, so if using it for the first time immediately in the field, as Yoav did, seems in my opinion not to be a good option. So start reading the text of at least some species at home already and the structure comes out realy well, it wil help you to speed up in the field. I'm convinced that if you would do this (have done) with the Svensson, you would encounter the same problems.

To me this is the best thing on the market and any West European ringer should have it on it's book shelf, or better out in the field! To be honest?! I do not us Svensson anymore... Maybe until it's long awaited update comes out?!

Steven Wytema
 ·  27 juli 2016  10:28

Well done to Laurent and the translators for this fantastic work, and of course also thanks to Yoav for a thorough review. As i already had the book (knowing basic French), It was already useful for several infrequently caught species  especially the cut-out photographs of details of Treecreeper, Black-headed Gull, Moorhen, Green Sandpiper etc. I agree its not easy to find species in the book, but since we use so many literature on the ringing station, and taxonomy is changing so much over time, I dont mind using the index (except for the Collins). It would however be one of the best improvements on a new print.

I love the book as its one of the first that covers all common species (non-passerines and passerines combined), and includes both old proven id features, as well as new knowledge. I also think it might become more and more interesting for non-ringers due to the improvement on photographs, where details are often very well visible (as I recently experienced with a picture of a 1cy Savi's Warbler by Rene van Rossum).

Garry Bakker
 ·  27 juli 2016  11:33, gewijzigd 27 juli 2016  11:34

A short review of the French predecessor of this book by Arnoud van den Berg has been published on this site before (Hence, one might wonder what his opion is on this strongly improved new version of the book ... :))

Ton Eggenhuizen
 ·  27 juli 2016  21:30, gewijzigd 28 juli 2016  09:32

got some time to look in detail at the account on common buzzard. For age, eye colour is said to be a key feature (put in italic). Adult  birds would show a dark iris. This is not always correct. Light coloured adults commonly show medium brown coloured iris. Also de broad dark tail band and trailing edge of the wing for adult is not that clear in light coloured birds. The dark bar has often quite a big light mirror and this mirror can be an almost complete light band. In the text light coloured birds are mentioned but it is stated that "iris, tail bars and wing trailing edge usually remain reliable for aging". 

Best feature (in winter in the Netherlands anyway,  over 1500 trapped birds) for age is moult of primaries and accompanying coverts. All primaries in one generation = first winter. Inner primaries (5-8) fresh, outer primaries (2-5) old = second winter. Two (sometimes three) moult generations without the neat "inner new-outer old" lineage = >second winter. Feather patterns must be used as "secondary features". Using moult for age is not clearly mentioned in the text, but it should be the first thing to look at. A bird ringer confronted with the odd buzzard can easily misidentify the age of a light coloured bird, using only the info that is put onder de age caption.

Laurent Demongin
 ·  27 juli 2016  23:29

To answer Ton's comment about ageing of Buzzard, I agree that in the Adult age section I don't refer to moult. But isn't it the main part of Imm age section (13 lines out of 18) with a reference to moult figure? Anyway, you have a great experience with this species and I can certainly improve the description of light birds by using your remarks.

Laurent Demongin
 ·  28 juli 2016  01:37

Ton Eggenhuizen
 ·  28 juli 2016  09:27, gewijzigd 28 juli 2016  09:30

My comment on the aging of buzzards is indeed a demonstation that one should read the complete account and not just the "Age" bit. But I think this will not happen in the field. Having ringed and measured the bird, the ringer wants to put an age-class on the captured bird. He will skip directly to the age paragraph. I think it is the best policy to put the best usable feature first. I always use the primary moult pattern first and use the plumage pattern  with care in (mainly light patterned) buzzards.

And yes, I consider the book for what it was designed for – [in my view more than] a general ringer’s reference field guide for Western Europe. And I will use it as such. Great work!