The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antartic Birds is one of the world's major ornithological projects. This seven volume set, realises the vision to publish a comprehensive summary of our knowledge of all the known bird species that have been recorded in Australia, New Zealand and Antartica.
The conclusion of the HANZAB series, a project which began 25 years ago and has directly involved over 100 people, is a defining moment in the history of Australasian ornithology. With this seventh and final volume, the series provides a complete and comprehensive account of all 957 bird species in Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. The work covers a significant proportion of the Earths surface and describes in unsurpassed detail some 10% of all known bird species. HANZAB is arguably the most important scientific natural history publication ever produced in Australia and New Zealand, as it synthesises our knowledge of the abundance, habitat, behaviour and morphology of all the bird species of our region. As such, it is the most comprehensive and reliable source of information currently available for anyone working towards the conservation of our native birds and their habitats, providing information that is essential for planning future research and developing effective conservation strategies for our environment. The information on each species is presented in sections: field identification, habitat, distribution and population, movements, food, social organisation, social behaviour, voice, breeding, and plumages and external morphology. The accounts include black-and-white illustrations of behavioural postures and plumage features, maps showing breeding and non-breeding distribution, and sonagrams of calls and songs. Each account concludes with a full list of references. This mammoth publishing venture features: Over 9,200 pages across seven volumes 957 species of birds Sonograms for every species of bird Volume 7 includes a combined index for the entire HANZAB set