Fascinating finches

OPENING up this new guide for the first time, I chanced upon page 210. I was immediately taken aback. There, squinting back at me, was some sort of otherworldly creation. Shaking my head in disbelief at the punkcrested (but otherwise bald – and blind) form, I searched for the caption. ‘Enlarged hatchling of Locust Finch. One day old’. Crikey.

Expect plenty of similar episodes of shock and marvel as you flick your way through Estrildid Finches of the World. ‘Remarkable’ is an over-used term at the best of times, yet this book is truly deserving of it – not least for the staggering array of photos depicting chick mouth markings, which are nothing short of mind-boggling at times.

But there’s plenty more to be enjoyed in this book than just its photos of hatchling finches. This delightful hardcover coffee-table guide celebrates one of the world’s most extraordinary and beautiful families of birds – many of which have been intensively ‘cultivated’ for the cagebird trade by humans, although their ability to succeed just about anywhere there is water means that relatively few are truly endangered.

After a short introduction to estrildid finches in the Foreword, plus a taxonomic summary, the species accounts begin. These are deliciously illustrated with stunning photographs of

145 species in all plumages – including the aforementioned nestling images!

In many cases, species are afforded a double-page spread with a page of text, which details identification pointers, subspecies, habitat, diet and behaviour, among others. Other, more ‘iconic’ taxa – Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and Gouldian Finch as examples – get a little bit more than this.

Author G J Huisman has invested a phenomenal amount of time (nine years, in fact) in putting this guide together and it really shows, both in the text and the photography. His knowledge and passion for these birds is clearly unparalleled and that has been reflected in an impressively produced tome that biologists and ‘recreational’ birders alike will find captivating.

This isn’t a cheap purchase, but one that will undoubtedly provide plenty of hours of fascination for the reader. It comes highly recommended. Josh Jones