Helm Identification Guides

TheHelm Identification Guidesare a series of books that identify groups ofbirds.The series include two types of guides, those that are:

Taxonomic, dealing with a particular family of birds on a worldwide scale—most early Helm Guides were this type, as well as many more-recent ones, although some later books deal with identification of such groups on a regional scale only (e.g.,The Gulls Guide,which covers only species in Europe, Asia, and North America)
Geographic, including all bird species in an area (e.g.,The Birds of the West Indies)

Early volumes were sometimes published under theCroom HelmorChristopher Helmimprints. In addition, a parallel set of guides, very similar in design, was published byPica Pressin the 1990s (markedPicain the list below); Pica was later absorbed intoA & C Black(now part ofBloomsbury Publishing Plc), and these guides are now marketed as a single series. A completely revised version of the initialSeabirdshas been published byLynx Edicions.

Several of the books have won theBritish BirdsBird Book of the Yearaward. A list of titles in the series, in chronological order of publication, is as follows:

Works with a taxonomic scope

Note: 'nW'indicates those that do not have worldwide coverage.

1980s

Seabirds - an identification guidebyPeter Harrison(1983)ISBN 0-7470-1410-8'obs.'
Shorebirds - an identification guide to the waders of the worldbyJohn Marchant,A. J. PraterandPeter Hayman(1986)ISBN 0-7470-1403-5
The Tanagers: Natural History, Distribution, and IdentificationbyMorton L. IslerandPhyllis R. Isler(1987)ISBN 978-0-87474-552-8'Smithsonian'
Wildfowl - an identification guide to the ducks, geese and swans of the worldbySteve MadgeandHilary Burn(1988)ISBN 0-7470-2201-1
A Handbook to the Swallows and Martins of the WorldbyAngela Turner,illustrated byChris Rose(1989)ISBN 0-7136-4206-8

1990–1994

Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers - A HandbookbyC. Hilary FryandKathie Fry,illustrated byAlan Harris(1992)ISBN 0-7136-8028-8
Finches and SparrowsbyPeter Clement,illustrated byAlan HarrisandJohn Davis(1993)ISBN 0-7136-8017-2
Crows and Jays - A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the WorldbySteve Madge,illustrated byHilary Burn(1994)ISBN 0-7136-3999-7
New World WarblersbyJon Curson,illustrated byDavid QuinnandDavid Beadle(1994)ISBN 0-7136-3932-6

1995–1999

WoodpeckersbyHans Winkler,translated byDavid Christie,illustrated byDavid Nurney(1995)ISBN 1-873403-25-9'Pica'
Buntings and Sparrows - A Guide to the Buntings and North American SparrowsbyUrban OlssonandJon Curson,illustrated byClive Byers(1995)ISBN 1-873403-19-4'Pica'
Terns of Europe and North AmericabyKlaus Malling Olsen,illustrated byHans Larsson(1995)ISBN 0-7136-4056-1'A & C Black''nW'
Swifts - A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the WorldbyPhil Chantler,illustrated byGerald Driessens(1995)ISBN 1-873403-31-3'Pica'
Tits, Nuthatches & TreecreepersbySimon Harrap,illustrated byDavid Quinn(1996)ISBN 0-7136-3964-4
Munias and MannikinsbyRobin L. Restall(1996)ISBN 1-873403-51-8
Pittas, Broadbills and AsitiesbyFrank Lambert,illustrated byMartin Woodcock(1996)ISBN 978-1-873403-24-2'Pica'
Warblers of Europe, Asia and North AfricabyKevin Baker(1997)ISBN 978-0-7136-3971-1'nW'
Skuas and Jaegers - a guide to the skuas and jaegers of the worldbyKlaus Malling Olsen,illustrated byHans Larsson(1997)ISBN 1-873403-46-1'Pica'
Shrikes - A Guide to the Shrikes of the World,byNorbert Lefranc,illustrated byTim Worfolk(1997)ISBN 1-873403-47-X'Pica''obs.'
Nightjars - A Guide to Nightjars and related NightbirdsbyNigel Cleere,illustrated byDave Nurney(1998)ISBN 1-873403-48-8'Pica'
Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the WorldbyTony JuniperandMike Parr,illustrated byKim Franklin,Robin Restall,Dan Powell,David JohnstonandCarl D'Silva(1998)ISBN 1-873403-40-2'Pica'
Rails - a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the worldby Barry Taylor, illustrated byBer van Perlo(1998)ISBN 0-300-07758-0'Pica'
Starlings and MynasbyChris FeareandAdrian Craig,illustrated byBarry Croucher,Chris Shields andKamol Komolphalin(1998)ISBN 0-7136-3961-X
Owls - a Guide to the Owls of the WorldbyClaus König&Friedhelm WeickandJan-Hendrik Becking(1999)ISBN 1-873403-74-7'Pica''obs.'
New World Blackbirds - the IcteridsbyAlvaro JaramilloandPeter Burke(1999)ISBN 0-7136-4333-1
TanagersbyMorton L. IslerandPhyllis R. Isler(1999)ISBN 978-0-7136-5116-4softcover(a revision of earlier issue)

2000–2009

ThrushesbyPeter Clement,illustrated byRen Hathway(2000)ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
Shrikes and Bush-shrikesbyTony Harris,illustrated byKim Franklin(2000)ISBN 0-7136-3861-3
Raptors of the WorldbyJames Ferguson-LeesandDavid Christie,illustrated byKim Franklin,David Meadand Philip Burton (2001)ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
Pigeons and DovesbyDavid Gibbs,illustrated byEustace BarnesandJohn Cox(2001)ISBN 1-873403-60-7
Sylvia Warblers - identification, taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Sylvia,byHadoram Shirihai,Gabriel GargalloandAndreas J. Helbig,illustrated byAlan Harris,photographic editorDavid Cottridge(2001)ISBN 0-7136-3984-9
Sunbirds - A Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the WorldbyRobert A. ChekeandClive F. Mann,illustrated byRichard Allen(2001)ISBN 1-873403-80-1
Wrens, Dippers and ThrashersbyDavid Brewer,illustrated byBarry Kent MacKay(2001)ISBN 1-873403-95-X
Stonechats - A Guide to the Genus SaxicolabyEwan Urquhart,illustrated byAdam Bowley(2002)ISBN 0-7136-6024-4
Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse - a guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the WorldbySteve MadgeandPhil MacGowan(2002)ISBN 0-7136-3966-0
Pipits and Wagtails of Europe, Asia and North America,byPer Alstrom&Krister Mild,illustrated byBill Zetterstrom(2003)ISBN 0-7136-5834-7'nW'
Gulls of Europe, Asia and North AmericabyKlaus Malling Olsen,illustrated byHans Larsson(2003)ISBN 0-7136-7087-8'nW'
Owls of the WorldbyClaus König&Friedhelm Weick(2008)ISBN 978-0-300-14227-3

2010–2019

Reed and Bush WarblersbyPeter KennerleyandDavid Pearson,illustrated byBrian Small(2010)ISBN 9780713660227
Cotingas and ManakinsbyGraeme GreenandGuy Kirwan(2011)ISBN 9780713660258
Cuckoos of the WorldbyJohannes Erritzøe,Clive F. Mann,Frederik P. BrammerandRichard A. Fuller,illustrated byRichard Allen,Jan Wilczur,Martin WoodcockandTim Worfolk(2012)ISBN 9780713660340
Robins and ChatsbyPeter Clement,andChris Rose(2015)ISBN 9780713639636
Wildfowl of Europe, Asia and North AmericabySébastien Reeber(2015)ISBN 9781472912343'nW'
Flight Identification of Raptors of Europe, North Africa and the Middle EastbyDick Forsman(2016)ISBN 9781472913616'nW'
Antpittas and GnateatersbyHarold F. GreeneyandDavid Beadle(2018)ISBN 9781472919649
African RaptorsbyWilliam S. ClarkandRob Davies(2018)ISBN 9780713665383'nW'

2020–current

Birds of Paradise and BowerbirdsbyPhil GregoryandRichard Allen(2020)ISBN 9780713660272
Seabirds: The New Identification GuidebyPeter Harrison,Martin Perrow,andHans Larsson(2021)ISBN 978-8416728411'Lynx'
Shrikes of the WorldbyNorbert Lefranc(2022)ISBN 9781472933775

External links

Publisher website Archived2010-06-09 at theWayback Machine