Helm Identification Guides

The Helm Identification Guides are a series of books that identify groups of birds. 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 the Croom Helm or Christopher Helm imprints. In addition, a parallel set of guides, very similar in design, was published by Pica Press in the 1990s (marked Pica in the list below); Pica was later absorbed into A & C Black (now part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc), and all guides are now marketed as a single series.

Several of the books have won the British Birds Bird Book of the Year award. 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 guide by Peter Harrison (1983) ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
• Shorebirds - an identification guide to the waders of the world by John Marchant, A. J. Prater and Peter Hayman (1986) ISBN 0-7470-1403-5
• Wildfowl - an identification guide to the ducks, geese and swans of the world by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn (1988) ISBN 0-7470-2201-1
• A Handbook to the Swallows and Martins of the World by Angela Turner, illustrated by Chris Rose (1989) ISBN 0-7136-4206-8

1990-1994

• Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers - A Handbook by C. Hilary Fry and Kathie Fry, illustrated by Alan Harris (1992) ISBN 0-7136-8028-8
• Finches and Sparrows by Peter Clement, illustrated by Alan Harris and John Davis (1993) ISBN 0-7136-8017-2
• Crows and Jays - A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World by Steve Madge, illustrated by Hilary Burn (1994) ISBN 0-7136-3999-7
• New World Warblers by Jon Curson, illustrated by David Quinn and David Beadle (1994) ISBN 0-7136-3932-6

1995-1999

• Woodpeckers by Hans Winkler, translated by David Christie, illustrated by David Nurney (1995) ISBN 1-873403-25-9 'Pica'
• Buntings and Sparrows - A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows by Urban Olsson and Jon Curson, illustrated by Clive Byers (1995) ISBN 1-873403-19-4 'Pica'
• Terns of Europe and North America by Klaus Malling Olsen, illustrated by Hans Larsson (1995) ISBN 0-7136-4056-1 'nW'
• Swifts - A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the World by Phil Chantler, illustrated by Gerald Driessens (1995) ISBN 1-873403-31-3 'Pica'
• Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers by Simon Harrap, illustrated by David Quinn (1996) ISBN 0-7136-3964-4
• Munias and Mannikins by Robin Restall (1996) ISBN 1-873403-51-8
• Pittas, Broadbills and Asities by Frank Lambert, illustrated by Martin Woodcock (1996) ISBN 978-1-873403-24-2 'Pica'
• Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa by Kevin Baker (1997) ISBN 978-0-7136-3971-1 'nW'
• Skuas and Jaegers - a guide to the skuas and jaegers of the world by Klaus Malling Olsen, illustrated by Hans Larsson (1997) ISBN 1-873403-46-1 'Pica'
• Shrikes - A Guide to the Shrikes of the World, by Norbert Lefranc, illustrated by Tim Worfolk (1997) ISBN 1-873403-47-X 'Pica'
• Nightjars - A Guide to Nightjars and related Nightbirds by Nigel Cleere, illustrated by Dave Nurney (1998) ISBN 1-873403-48-8 'Pica'
• Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the World by Tony Juniper and Mike Parr, illustrated by Kim Franklin, Robin Restall, Dan Powell, David Johnston and Carl D'Silva (1998) ISBN 1-873403-40-2 'Pica'
• Rails - a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world by Barry Taylor, illustrated by Ber van Perlo (1998) ISBN 0-300-07758-0 'Pica'
• Starlings and Mynas by Chris Feare and Adrian Craig, illustrated by Barry Croucher, Chris Shields and Kamol Komolphalin (1998) ISBN 0-7136-3961-X
• Owls - a Guide to the Owls of the World by Claus Konig & Friedhelm Weick and Jan-Hendrik Becking (1999) ISBN 1-873403-74-7 'Pica'
• New World Blackbirds - the Icterids by Alvaro Jaramillo and Peter Burke (1999) ISBN 0-7136-4333-1
• Tanagers by Morton L. Isler and Phyllis R. Isler (1999) ISBN 978-0-7136-5116-4 softcover (a revision of The Tanagers : Natural History, Distribution, and Identification (1987) ISBN 978-0-87474-552-8)

2000-2009

• Thrushes by Peter Clement, illustrated by Ren Hathway (2000) ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
• Shrikes and Bush-shrikes by Tony Harris, illustrated by Kim Franklin (2000) ISBN 0-7136-3861-3
• Raptors of the World by James Ferguson-Lees and David Christie, illustrated by Kim Franklin, David Mead and Philip Burton (2001) ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
• Pigeons and Doves by David Gibbs, illustrated by Eustace Barnes and John Cox (2001) ISBN 1-873403-60-7
• Sylvia Warblers - identification, taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Sylvia, by Hadoram Shirihai, Gabriel Gargallo and Andreas J. Helbig, illustrated by Alan Harris, photographic editor David Cottridge (2001) ISBN 0-7136-3984-9
• Sunbirds - A Guide to the Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World by Robert A. Cheke and Clive F. Mann, illustrated by Richard Allen (2001) ISBN 1-873403-80-1
• Wrens, Dippers and Thrashers by David Brewer, illustrated by Barry Kent MacKay (2001) ISBN 1-873403-95-X
• Stonechats - A Guide to the Genus Saxicola by Ewan Urquhart, illustrated by Adam 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 World by Steve Madge and Phil MacGowan (2002) ISBN 0-7136-3966-0
• Pipits and Wagtails of Europe, Asia and North America, by Per Alstrom & Krister Mild, illustrated by Bill Zetterstrom (2003) ISBN 0-7136-5834-7 'nW'
• Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America by Klaus Malling Olsen, illustrated by Hans Larsson (2003) ISBN 0-7136-7087-8 'nW'

2010-current

• Reed and Bush Warblers by Peter Kennerley and David Pearson, illustrated by Brian Small (2010) ISBN 9780713660227
• Cotingas and Manakins by Graeme Green and Guy Kirwan (2011) ISBN 9780713660258
• Cuckoos of the World by Johannes Erritzøe, Clive F Mann, Frederik P Brammer and Richard A Fuller, illustrated by Richard Allen, Jan Wilczur, Martin Woodcock and Tim Worfolk (2012) ISBN 9780713660340

External links

• Publisher website