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This book offers only a brief overview of the Australian raptors. Other books that provide more detail are listed in the bibliography, along with major references and papers published since the first edition of this guide. This introduction makes a few generalisations about raptors; a little more detail is offered in the species accounts. The book is organised in two parts: a concise field guide, intended to enable rapid visual identification of raptors, with separate sections on difficult species-pairs and vagrants or doubtful species; and a handbook that provides further detail on the biology of individual species. In the handbook, each genus or group of related genera is dealt with in a separate section, with a general introduction to each genus or group. An account of each species in that genus or group then follows, with sections on Characteristics (supplementing the field guide where necessary), Distribution, Food and Hunting, Behaviour, Breeding, and Threats and Conservation. Movements are mentioned briefly, for some species, where appropriate. The common names used here are those recommended by Bird Life Australia; only the most commonly used alternatives are given. I have refrained from listing 'folk' names, in the belief that the official names should become standard. |
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