Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Simpson & Day)
Encyclopedia
The Simpson & Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia is one of the main national bird field guide
s used by Australia
n birders
, which over the years has evolved through several revised and updated editions. Total sales exceed 500,000 copies.
format with a dust jacket
, 285 mm high by 215 mm wide and weighing 1.7 kg. It contained illustrations by Nicolas Day
of 758 species on 128 colour plates. It was divided into three main sections, a key to bird families
, the field information section with the plates opposite the relevant species descriptions and distribution maps, and the “handbook” with more detailed information on avian biology. The endpaper
s featured life-size profile drawings of the bills
of albatross
es and petrel
s to aid the identification of beach-washed seabird
s.
Although the dust jacket and title page
featured Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day as coauthors, the acknowledgements
principally credited Ken Simpson as Editor, Nicolas Day as Illustrator and Peter Trusler
as Art Director, with several others credited as writers, contributing illustrators and in other capacities.
Subsequent editions were published by Penguin Australia
under the Viking imprint in a smaller size (220 mm high by 160 mm wide and only half the weight), with a flexible, waterproof, plastic cover suitable for use as a field guide, and renamed the Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Additional developments were a rare bird bulletin section to cover vagrant and newly recorded species and to encourage users to report sightings of rarities, and the inclusion of checklist
s for Australia’s outlying islands and external territories. From the seventh edition the handbook section was dropped and the rare bird bulletin extended.
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
s used by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n birders
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, which over the years has evolved through several revised and updated editions. Total sales exceed 500,000 copies.
History
The book was first published in 1984 by Lloyd O’Neil as The Birds of Australia, in hardcoverHardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
format with a dust jacket
Dust jacket
The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers...
, 285 mm high by 215 mm wide and weighing 1.7 kg. It contained illustrations by Nicolas Day
Nicolas Day
Nicolas Day is an Australian wildlife artist, illustrator and teacher.Day was born in Surrey, England, and moved to Australia at the age of ten. Having acquired an early interest in natural history, he worked as a keeper at the Melbourne Zoo before turning to wildlife illustration as a career in...
of 758 species on 128 colour plates. It was divided into three main sections, a key to bird families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, the field information section with the plates opposite the relevant species descriptions and distribution maps, and the “handbook” with more detailed information on avian biology. The endpaper
Endpaper
The endpapers or end-papers of a book are the leaves of paper before the title page and after the text. Booksellers sometimes refer to the front end paper as FEP....
s featured life-size profile drawings of the bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
of albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
es and petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s to aid the identification of beach-washed seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s.
Although the dust jacket and title page
Title page
The title page of a book, thesis or other written work is the page at or near the front which displays its title and author, usually together with information relating to the publication of the book...
featured Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day as coauthors, the acknowledgements
Acknowledgment (creative arts)
In the creative arts and scientific literature, an acknowledgment is an expression of gratitude for assistance in creating a literary or artistic work....
principally credited Ken Simpson as Editor, Nicolas Day as Illustrator and Peter Trusler
Peter Trusler
Peter Trusler is an Australian wildlife artist who illustrates native Australian birds and represents biologically rigorous reconstructions of prehistoric fauna....
as Art Director, with several others credited as writers, contributing illustrators and in other capacities.
Subsequent editions were published by Penguin Australia
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
under the Viking imprint in a smaller size (220 mm high by 160 mm wide and only half the weight), with a flexible, waterproof, plastic cover suitable for use as a field guide, and renamed the Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Additional developments were a rare bird bulletin section to cover vagrant and newly recorded species and to encourage users to report sightings of rarities, and the inclusion of checklist
Checklist
A checklist is a type of informational job aid used to reduce failure by compensating for potential limits of human memory and attention. It helps to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task...
s for Australia’s outlying islands and external territories. From the seventh edition the handbook section was dropped and the rare bird bulletin extended.
Editions
- 1st - 1984
- 2nd - 1986
- 3rd - 1989
- 4th - 1993
- 5th - 1996
- 6th - 1999
- 7th - 2004
- 8th - 2010