''Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide'' by

Pamela C. Rasmussen Pamela Cecile Rasmussen (born October 16, 1959) is an American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and is based at the Michigan State University. She ...

and John C. Anderton is a two-volume

ornithological handbook An ornithological handbook is a book (or series of books) giving summarised information either about the birds of a particular geographical area or a particular taxonomic group of birds. Some handbooks cover many aspects of their subjects' biology ...

, covering the birds of South Asia, published in 2005 (second edition in 2012) by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

and

Lynx Edicions Lynx Edicions is a Spanish publishing company specializing in ornithology and natural history. History Lynx Edicions was founded in Barcelona by , a lawyer and collector; , a naturalist; and , a medical doctor and writer. Since 2002, the company ...

. The geographical scope of the book covers

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

, the

Chagos Archipelago The Chagos Archipelago () or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas, and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives archi ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

(the latter country had been excluded from previous works covering this region). In total, 1508 species are covered (this figure includes 85

hypothetical A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous obser ...

and 67 'possible' species, which are given only shorter accounts). Two notable aspects of ''Birds of South Asia'' are its distribution evidence-base — the book's authors based their distributional information almost completely on museum specimens — and its taxonomic approach, involving a large number of species-level splits.

The books

Volume 1 is a

field guide A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife (flora or fauna) or other objects of natural occurrence (e.g. rocks and minerals). It is generally designed to be brought into the "field" or local area where such objects exi ...

. A nine-page introduction is followed by 180 colour plates, each with an accompanying text page giving brief identification notes, and, for most species, range maps. In addition to the 69 plates by Anderton, eleven other artists contributed, including

Ian Lewington Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John (given name), John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a ...

and Bill Zetterström. Volume 2: Attributes and Status contains more detailed supporting texts for every species. Twelve other authors are listed as having contributed to this volume, including

Per Alström ''Per'' Johan Alström (born 9 April 1961) is a Swedish Professor of ornithology. He researches in taxonomy, systematics, and evolution, with birds in Asia as a specialty. Alström works at the Department of Ecology and Genetics (Animal Ecology) a ...

, Nigel Collar and

Craig Robson __NOTOC__ Craig may refer to: Geology *Craig (landform), a rocky hill or mountain often having large casims or sharp intentations. People (and fictional characters) *Craig (surname) *Craig (given name) Places Scotland *Craig, Angus, aka Barony of ...

. This volume opens with an appreciation, written by

Bruce Beehler Bruce M. Beehler (born October 11, 1951, in Baltimore) is an ornithologist and research associate of the Bird Division of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Prior to this appointment, Beehler worked for Conservation ...

, of

S. Dillon Ripley S is the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet. S may also refer to: History * an Anglo-Saxon charter's number in Peter Sawyer's, catalogue Language and linguistics * Long s (ſ), a form of the lower-case letter s formerly used where "s ...

, who initiated the work which led to the book, and after whom it is named. This is followed by a 24-page introduction. The bulk of the book, from pages 41 to 601, consists of individual species accounts; each of these includes sections on identification, occurrence, habits and voice (this latter section accompanied by sonograms for many species). There are ten appendices, including a hypothetical list, a list of rejected species, a summary of taxonomic changes, a glossary, a gazetteer, and a list of institutions holding major collections of South Asian bird specimens. The book's covers are illustrated by montages of South Asian birds, painted by Anderton. Volume 1 features

crimson-backed flameback The crimson-backed flameback or greater Sri Lanka flameback (''Chrysocolaptes stricklandi'') is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The crimson-backed flameback and the greater flameback The grea ...

stork-billed kingfisher The stork-billed kingfisher (''Pelargopsis capensis''), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. This kingfisher is resident throughout its rang ...

Indian eagle-owl The Indian eagle-owl (''Bubo bengalensis''), also called the rock eagle-owl or Bengal eagle-owl, is a large horned owl species native to hilly and rocky scrub forests in the Indian Subcontinent. It is splashed with brown and grey, and has a white ...

black-and-orange flycatcher The black-and-orange flycatcher (''Ficedula nigrorufa'') or black-and-rufous flycatcher is a species of flycatcher endemic to the central and southern Western Ghats, the Nilgiris and Palni hill ranges in southern India. It is unique among the ...

and

Himalayan quail The Himalayan quail (''Ophrysia superciliosa'') or mountain quail, is a medium-sized quail belonging to the pheasant family. It was last reported in 1876 and is feared extinct. This species was known from only 2 locations (and 12 specimens) in ...

on its front cover. Volume 2 features six

laughingthrush The laughingthrushes are a family, Leiothrichidae, of Old World passerine birds. They are diverse in size and coloration. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The entire fam ...

species:

variegated Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants. Species with variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the s ...

, grey-sided, blue-winged, black-chinned and

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. The back covers of both volumes feature a painting of Serendib and

Nicobar scops owl The Nicobar scops owl (''Otus alius'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands, India, in particular Great Nicobar Island, but it may also occur on Little Nicobar island. Its natural habitat is tropica ...

Taxonomic changes

In preparing the book, the authors undertook a major revision of the taxonomic status of bird forms found in the region; many

allopatric Allopatric speciation () – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from ...

forms previously regarded as

conspecific Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species. Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organ ...

are treated by Rasmussen and Anderton as full species. Many of these had previously been proposed elsewhere, but the book introduced a number of innovations of its own. The majority of these changes, and the overwhelming majority of the novel ones, are among the

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

s. The following is a list of the groups of taxa which are considered conspecific in the sixth edition of the ''

Clements Checklist ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 2022 ...

'' (Clements 2007), but split into two or more species in Rasmussen and Anderton's work (volume 2 page references in brackets).

Non-passerines

* (p. 53)

Oriental darter The Oriental darter (''Anhinga melanogaster'') is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has a long and slender neck with a straight, pointed bill and, like the cormorant, it hunts for fish while its body is submerged in water ...

(''Anhinga melanogaster'') is treated as a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

Asian species, separate from

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

(''A. rufa'') and

Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...

(''A. novaehollandiae'') darters. * (p. 58)

Cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard it ...

(''Bubulcus ibis'') is split into two species:

western cattle egret The western cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the catt ...

(''B. ibis sensu stricto'') and

eastern cattle egret The eastern cattle egret (''Bubulcus coromandus'') is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the western cattle egret together as subspeci ...

(''B. coromandus'') * (p. 60)

Black-backed bittern The black-backed bittern (''Ixobrychus dubius''), also known as the black-backed least bittern or Australian little bittern, is a little-known species of heron in the family Ardeidae found in Australia and vagrant to southern New Guinea. Formerl ...

(''Ixobrychus dubius'') is split from

little bittern The little bittern or common little bittern (''Ixobrychus minutus'') is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. ''Ixobrychus'' is from Ancient Greek ''ixias'', a reed-like plant and ''brukhomai'', to bellow, and ''minutus'' is Latin for "sm ...

(''I. minutus'') * (pp. 68–9)

Whistling Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...

(''Cygnus columbianus'') and Bewick's (''C. bewickii'') swans are regarded as separate species * (pp. 74–5)

Spot-billed duck The Indian spot-billed duck (''Anas poecilorhyncha'') is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is ...

(''Anas poecilorhyncha'') is split into two species,

Indian spot-billed duck The Indian spot-billed duck (''Anas poecilorhyncha'') is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is ...

(''A. poecilorhyncha sensu stricto'') and

Chinese spot-billed duck The eastern spot-billed duck or Chinese spot-billed duck (''Anas zonorhyncha'') is a species of dabbling duck that breeds in East and Southeast Asia. This species was formerly considered a subspecies of the Indian spot-billed duck and both were r ...

(''A. zonorhyncha'') * (pp. 101–2)

Common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...

('' Buteo buteo'') is split into two or three species: common buzzard (''B. buteo sensu stricto''),

Himalayan buzzard The Himalayan buzzard (''Buteo refectus'') is a medium to large bird of prey that is sometimes considered a subspecies of the widespread common buzzard (''Buteo buteo''). It is native to the Himalayas in Nepal, India India, official ...

(''B. burmanicus'') and Japanese buzzard (''B. (buteo) japonicus'') * (pp. 108–9) Changeable (''Spizaetus limnaeetus'') and crested (''S. cirrhatus'') hawk-eagles are treated as separate species * (pp. 141–2) Eastern water rail (''Rallus indicus'') is split from (European) water rail (''R. aquaticus'') * (pp. 154–5) Kentish (''Charadrius alexandrinus'') and snowy (''C. nivosus'') plovers are treated as separate species * (pp. 181–2)

Indian stone-curlew The Indian stone-curlew or Indian thick-knee (''Burhinus indicus'') is a species of bird in the family Burhinidae. It was formerly included as a subspecies of the Eurasian stone-curlew. This species is found in the plains of South and South-easte ...

(''Burhinus indicus'') is split from

Eurasian stone-curlew The Eurasian stone-curlew, Eurasian thick-knee, or simply stone-curlew (''Burhinus oedicnemus'') is a northern species of the Burhinidae (stone-curlew) bird family. Taxonomy The Eurasian stone-curlew was Species description, formally described ...

(''B. oedicnemus'') * (pp. 211–2)

Emerald dove The common emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica''), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. ...

(''Chalcophaps indica'') is split into two species: emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica sensu stricto'') and an Australasian species '' C. longirostris'' * (pp. 212–4)

Pompadour green pigeon The pompadour green pigeon (genus ''Treron'') is a pigeon species complex. It is widespread in forests of southern and southeast Asia. Many authorities have split the pompadour green pigeon into multiple species, which are listed below: Distribu ...

(''Treron pompadora'') is split into four to six species: Ceylon green-pigeon ''T. pompadora sensu stricto'',

grey-fronted green pigeon The grey-fronted green pigeon (''Treron affinis'') is a pigeon in the genus ''Treron''. It is found in the forests of the Western Ghats in India. Many authorities have split the species from the pompadour green pigeon complex. Description The ma ...

''T. affinis'',

ashy-headed green pigeon The ashy-headed green pigeon (''Treron phayrei'') is a pigeon in the genus ''Treron''. It is found from Nepal, northeast India, and Bangladesh to southwest China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Many authorities split the species from the p ...

''T. phayrei'',

Andaman green pigeon The Andaman green pigeon (''Treron chloropterus'') is a pigeon in the genus ''Treron''. It is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many authorities split the species from the pompadour green pigeon complex. It has been added in the 2014 Red ...

''T. chloropterus'' from South Asia, and possible fifth and sixth species, '' T. (phayrei) axillaris'' and '' T. (phayrei) aromaticus'' from the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Ma ...

in the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...

respectively. * (p. 217)

Nicobar imperial pigeon The Nicobar imperial pigeon (''Ducula nicobarica'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove fo ...

(''Ducula nicobarica'') is split from

green imperial pigeon The green imperial pigeon (''Ducula aenea'') is a large forest pigeon. The large range extends from Nepal, southern India and Sri Lanka eastwards to southern China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Ja ...

(''D. aenea'') * (p. 233) Andaman barn-owl (''Tyto deroepstorffi'') is split from

barn owl The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalaya ...

(''T. alba'') * (p. 235) Ceylon bay owl (''Phodilus assimilis'') is split from

Oriental bay owl The Oriental bay owl (''Phodilus badius'') is a type of bay owl, usually classified with barn owls. It is completely nocturnal, and can be found throughout Southeast Asia and parts of India. It has several subspecies. It has a heart-shaped face w ...

(''Ph. badius'') * (p. 244) Himalayan wood owl (''Strix nivicola'') is split from

tawny owl The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, an ...

(''S. aluco'') * (p. 248) Hume's hawk-owl (''Ninox obscura'') is split from

brown hawk-owl The brown boobook (''Ninox scutulata''), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part of the la ...

(''N. scutulata'') * (p. 278)

Crimson-fronted barbet The crimson-fronted barbet (''Psilopogon rubricapillus''), also called Sri Lanka barbet, is an Asian barbet endemic to Sri Lanka where it inhabits tropical moist lowland forests up to elevation. It has a mainly green plumage and wings, a blue b ...

(''Megalaima rubricapillus'') is split into two species,

Malabar barbet The Malabar barbet (''Psilopogon malabaricus'') is an Asian barbet native to the Western Ghats in India. It was formerly treated as a race of the crimson-fronted barbet (''Psilopogon rubricapillus''). It overlaps in some places with the range of ...

(''M. malabarica'') and Ceylon small barbet (''M. rubricapillus sensu stricto'') * (p. 290)

Crimson-backed flameback The crimson-backed flameback or greater Sri Lanka flameback (''Chrysocolaptes stricklandi'') is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The crimson-backed flameback and the greater flameback The grea ...

(''Chrysocolaptes stricklandi'') is split from

greater flameback The greater flameback (''Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus'') also known as greater goldenback, large golden-backed woodpecker is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in the northern Indian subcontinent, eastwards to southern China, the Malay Peni ...

(''C. lucidus'')

Passerines

* (p. 310) Grey-throated sand-martin (''Riparia chinensis'') is split from brown-throated sand-martin (''R. paludicola'') * (p. 311)

Pale crag martin The pale crag martin (''Ptyonoprogne obsoleta'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family that is resident in Northern Africa and in Southwestern Asia, east to Pakistan. It breeds mainly in the mountains, but also at lower altitudes, esp ...

(''Ptyonoprogne obsoleta'') is split from

rock martin The rock martin (''Ptyonoprogne fuligula'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family that is resident in central and southern Africa. It breeds mainly in the mountains, but also at lower altitudes, especially in rocky areas and around town ...

(''P. fuligula'') * (p. 312) Hill swallow (''Hirundo domicola'') is split from

Pacific swallow The Pacific swallow (''Hirundo tahitica'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements. This bird is associate ...

(''H. tahitica'') * (p. 313) Ceylon swallow (''Hirundo hyperythra'') is split from

red-rumped swallow The red-rumped swallow (''Cecropis daurica'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India, Sri Lanka and tropical Africa. The India ...

(''H. daurica'') * (p. 323)

Andaman cuckooshrike The Andaman cuckooshrike (''Coracina dobsoni'') is a species of bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a ...

(''Coracina dobsoni'') is split from

bar-bellied cuckooshrike The bar-bellied cuckooshrike (''Coracina striata'') is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is found in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and its natural habitats include mangrove forest, dry forest, swamp forest, ...

(''C. striata'') * (p. 326) Jerdon's minivet ''Pericrocotus albifrons'' is split from

white-bellied minivet The white-bellied minivet (''Pericrocotus erythropygius'') is a species of minivet found in Nepal and India, mostly in dry deciduous forest. Etymology The origin of the vernacular name of minivets is not known but it seems to be the English ad ...

(''P. erythropygius'') * (pp. 327–8)

Orange minivet The orange minivet (''Pericrocotus flammeus'') is a brightly colored bird in the cuckooshrike family, Campephagidae. It is found all along the Western Ghats and west coast of India and Sri Lanka. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the ...

(''Pericrocotus flammeus'') and scarlet minivet (''P. speciosus'') are regarded as separate species * (p. 330)

Malabar woodshrike The Malabar woodshrike (''Tephrodornis sylvicola'') is a species of bird usually placed in the family Vangidae. It is found in western India. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the large woodshrike. Gallery Malabar woodshrike - Pra ...

(''Tephrodornis sylvicola'') is split from

large woodshrike The large woodshrike (''Tephrodornis virgatus'') is found in south-eastern Asia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Its natural habitats are temperate forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, and s ...

(''T. gularis'') * (pp. 331–2) Ceylon woodshrike (''Tephrodornis affinis'') is split from

common woodshrike The common woodshrike (''Tephrodornis pondicerianus'') is a species of bird found in Asia. It is now usually considered a member of the family Vangidae. It is small and ashy brown with a dark cheek patch and a broad white brow. It is found across ...

(''T. pondicerianus'') * (p. 336) Andaman bulbul (''Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens'') is split from

black-headed bulbul The black-headed bulbul (''Brachypodius melanocephalos'') is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia. Taxonomy and systematics The black-headed bulbul was originally described in the genus ''T ...

(''P. atriceps'') * (pp. 336–7)

Black-crested bulbul The black-crested bulbul (''Rubigula flaviventris'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found from the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia. Taxonomy and systematics The black-crested bulbul was originally described in ...

(''Pycnonotus melanicterus'') is split into five species:

black-crested bulbul The black-crested bulbul (''Rubigula flaviventris'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found from the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia. Taxonomy and systematics The black-crested bulbul was originally described in ...

''sensu stricto'' (''P. flaviventris''),

black-capped bulbul The black-capped bulbul (''Rubigula melanictera''), or black-headed yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. Taxonomy The black-capped bulbul was formally described in 1789 by the German n ...

(''P. melanicterus sensu stricto''),

flame-throated bulbul The flame-throated bulbul (''Rubigula gularis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds and the state bird of Goa. It is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. Formerly included as a subspecies of ''Pycno ...

(''P. gularis''),

ruby-throated bulbul The ruby-throated bulbul (''Rubigula dispar''), or yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on Sumatra, Java, and Bali. Taxonomy and systematics The ruby-throated bulbul was originally described in the ge ...

(''P. dispar'') and

Bornean bulbul The Bornean bulbul (''Rubigula montis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the island of Borneo. Taxonomy and systematics The Bornean bulbul was previously placed in genus ''Pycnonotus''. This genus was foun ...

(''P. montis'') * (p. 344) Square-tailed black bulbul (''Hypsipetes ganeesa'') is split from

black bulbul The black bulbul (''Hypsipetes leucocephalus''), also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found primarily in the Himalayas, its range stretching from India eastwa ...

(''H. madagascariensis'') * (p. 348)

Jerdon's leafbird Jerdon's leafbird (''Chloropsis jerdoni'') is a species of leafbird found in forest and woodland in India and Sri Lanka. Its name honours Thomas C. Jerdon. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the blue-winged leafbird (''C. coc ...

(''Chloropsis jerdoni'') is split from

blue-winged leafbird The blue-winged leafbird (''Chloropsis moluccensis'') is a species of leafbird found in forest and second growth throughout Southeast Asia as far east as Borneo and as far south as southern Sumatra. It previously included Jerdon's leafbird (' ...

(''C. cochinchinensis'') Tibetan Blackbird (Turdus maximus) 1 cropped

* (p. 349)

Isabelline shrike The isabelline shrike or Daurian shrike (''Lanius isabellinus'') is a member of the shrike family ( Laniidae). It was previously considered conspecific with the red-backed shrike and red-tailed shrike. It is found in an extensive area between ...

(''Lanius isabellinus'') is split into two species,

Daurian shrike The isabelline shrike or Daurian shrike (''Lanius isabellinus'') is a member of the shrike family ( Laniidae). It was previously considered conspecific with the red-backed shrike and red-tailed shrike. It is found in an extensive area between ...

(''L. isabellinus sensu stricto'') and Turkestan shrike (''L. phoenicuroides'') * (pp. 358–9)

White's thrush White's thrush (''Zoothera aurea'') is a member of the thrush family, Turdidae. It was named after the English naturalist Gilbert White. The genus name ''Zoothera'' comes from the Ancient Greek ''zoon'', "animal" and ''theras'', "hunter". The s ...

(''Zoothera aurea''), Nilgiri thrush (''Z. neilgherriensis'') and Ceylon scaly thrush (''Z. imbricata'') are split from

scaly thrush The scaly thrush (''Zoothera dauma'') is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. Distribution and habitat It breeds in wet coniferous taiga, mainly in the Himalayas through Malaysia. Description The sexes are similar, 27–31 cm long, w ...

(''Z. dauma'') * (pp. 363–4)

Common blackbird The common blackbird (''Turdus merula'') is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not ...

(''Turdus merula'') is split into three or four species: common blackbird (''T. merula'') ''sensu stricto'',

Tibetan blackbird The Tibetan blackbird (''Turdus maximus'') is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is found in the Himalayas from northern Pakistan to southeastern Tibet. Originally described as a separate species by Henry Seebohm in 1881, it w ...

(''T. maximus''),

Indian blackbird The Indian blackbird (''Turdus simillimus'') is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the common blackbird. It is found only in India and Sri Lanka. The subspecies from most of the Indian subcontinent ...

(''T. simillimus'') and

Chinese blackbird The Chinese blackbird (''Turdus mandarinus'') is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the related common blackbird (''T. merula''). Subspecies *The Chinese blackbird (''T. m. mandarinus'') breeds ...

(''T. (merula) mandarinus'') * (pp. 365–6) Red-throated thrush (''Turdus ruficollis'') and black-throated thrush (''T. atrogularis'') are treated as separate species * (p. 372) Nicobar jungle-flycatcher (''Rhinomyias nicobaricus'') is split from brown-chested jungle-flycatcher (''R. brunneatus'') * (p. 385) Large blue flycatcher (''Cyornis magnirostris'') is split from

hill blue flycatcher The hill blue flycatcher (''Cyornis whitei'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in southern China, northeastern India and Southeast Asia. It was treated as a subspecies of ''Cyornis banyumas'' before molecular phyloge ...

(''C. banyumas'') Tarsiger rufilatus (Male) I IMG 7295

* (p. 393) Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin (''Tarsiger rufilatus'') is split from

red-flanked bluetail The red-flanked bluetail (''Tarsiger cyanurus''), also known as the orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World ...

(''T. cyanurus'') * (p. 396)

Andaman shama The Andaman shama (''Copsychus albiventris'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. t is endemic to the Andaman Islands. It was previously considered a subspecies of the white-rumped shama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tro ...

(''Copsychus albiventris'') is split from

white-rumped shama The white-rumped shama (''Copsychus malabaricus'') is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. Native to densely vegetated habitats in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, its popularity as a cage-bird and songster has led to it ...

(''C. malabaricus'') * (p. 400) White-bellied blue robin (''Myiomela albiventris'') is split from

Nilgiri blue robin The Nilgiri blue robin (''Sholicola major''), also known as Nilgiri shortwing, white-bellied shortwing, Nilgiri sholakili or rufous-bellied shortwing is a species of passerine bird in the family Muscicapidae endemic to the Shola forests of the h ...

(''M. major'') * (p. 407)

Red-tailed wheatear The red-tailed wheatear (''Oenanthe chrysopygia''), also known as the rusty-tailed wheatear, Persian wheatear or Afghan wheatear, is a small passerine bird breeding in mountainous areas of south-west and central Asia. It belongs to the wheatear g ...

''Oenanthe chrysopygia'' is split from rufous-tailed wheatear (''Oe. xanthoprymna'') * (pp. 415–6) Bhutan laughingthrush (''Trochalopteron imbricatum'') is split from

streaked laughingthrush The streaked laughingthrush (''Trochalopteron lineatum'') is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is commonly found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent and some adjoining areas, ranging across Afghanistan, Bhutan, In ...

(''T. lineatum'') * (pp. 417–8)

Assam laughingthrush The Assam laughingthrush (''Trochalopteron chrysopterum'') is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Northeast India and adjacent southwest China and Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. ...

(''Trochalopteron chrysopterum'') is split from red-headed laughingthrush (''T. erythrocephalum'') * (p. 433)

Long-billed wren-babbler The long-billed wren-babbler (''Napothera malacoptila'') is a species of bird in the family Pellorneidae. It is found in the Himalayas from north-eastern India to southern China. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane for ...

(''Rimator malacoptilus'') is regarded as a

species, separate from the two southeast Asian taxa ''R. albostriatus'' and ''R. pasquieri'' * (p. 435-6) Long-tailed wren-babbler (''Spelaeornis chocolatinus'') is split into three species, grey-bellied wren-babbler (''S. reptatus''), Chin Hills wren-babbler (''S. oatesi'') and Naga wren-babbler (''S. chocolatinus sensu stricto'') * (p. 438) Cachar wedge-billed babbler (''Sphenocichla roberti'') is split from wedge-billed babbler (''S. humei'') * (pp. 443–4)

Afghan babbler The Afghan babbler (''Argya huttoni'') is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found from southeastern Iraq to south western Pakistan. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the common babbler. When compared to the common b ...

(''Turdoides huttoni'') is split from

common babbler The common babbler (''Argya caudata'') is a member of the family of Leiothrichidae. They are found in dry open scrub country mainly in India. Two populations are recognized as subspecies and the populations to the west of the Indus river system a ...

(''T. caudata'') * (p. 449) Indian white-hooded babbler (''Gampsorhynchus rufulus'') is split from white-hooded babbler (''G. torquatus'') * (p. 454)

Manipur fulvetta The Manipur fulvetta or streak-throated fulvetta (''Fulvetta manipurensis'') is a bird species in the family family Paradoxornithidae. It is named for the state of Manipur in Northeast India. Like the other typical fulvettas, it was long inc ...

(''Alcippe manipurensis'') is split from streak-throated fulvetta, (''A. cinereiceps'') * (p. 471)

Hill prinia The hill prinia (''Prinia superciliaris'') is a species of passerine bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It was formerly considered con-specific with the black ...

(''Prinia superciliaris'') is split from

black-throated prinia The black-throated prinia (''Prinia atrogularis'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found from eastern Nepal, through Bangladesh to Eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh). It was formerly considered conspecific with the hill pri ...

(''P. atrogularis'') * (p. 483) Hume's bush-warbler (''Cettia brunnescens'') is split from yellowish-bellied bush-warbler (''C. acanthizoides'') * (p. 485) Baikal bush-warbler (''Bradypterus davidi'') is split from spotted bush-warbler (''B. thoracicus'') Greenish Warbler I IMG 0568

* (p. 503) Green warbler (''Phylloscopus nitidus'') and two-barred warbler (''Ph. plumbeitarsus'') are both split from

greenish warbler The greenish warbler (''Phylloscopus trochiloides'') is a widespread leaf warbler with a breeding range in northeastern Europe, and temperate to subtropical continental Asia. This warbler is strongly migratory and winters in India. It is not un ...

(''Ph. trochiloides'') * (p. 529) Indian yellow tit (''Parus aplonotus'') is split from black-lored yellow tit (''P. xanthogenys'') * (p. 536)

Chestnut-bellied nuthatch The chestnut-bellied nuthatch (''Sitta cinnamoventris'') belongs to the family Sittidae. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent occurring in the countries of India, Tibet Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. It is found in subtropical or tropical for ...

(''Sitta castanea'') is split into two or three species:

chestnut-bellied nuthatch The chestnut-bellied nuthatch (''Sitta cinnamoventris'') belongs to the family Sittidae. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent occurring in the countries of India, Tibet Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. It is found in subtropical or tropical for ...

''sensu stricto'' (''S. cinnamoventris''),

Indian nuthatch The Indian nuthatch (''Sitta castanea'') is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is found in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and su ...

(''S. castanea sensu stricto'') and a possible third species in south-east Asia '' S. (castanea) neglecta'' * (pp. 537–8) Przewalsky's nuthatch (''Sitta przewalskii'') is split from white-cheeked nuthatch (''S. leucopsis'') * (p. 545) Plain flowerpecker (''Dicaeum concolor''), split into three species:

Andaman flowerpecker The Andaman flowerpecker (''Dicaeum virescens'') is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands. Behaviour and ecology Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. References *Rasmu ...

''D. virescens'', plain flowerpecker sensu stricto (''D. minullum'') and

Nilgiri flowerpecker The Nilgiri flowerpecker (''Dicaeum concolor'') is a tiny bird in the flowerpecker family. Formerly a subspecies of what used to be termed as the plain flowerpecker although that name is now reserved for ''Dicaeum minullum''. Like others of the ...

(''D. concolor sensu stricto'') * (p. 547) Van Hasselt's sunbird (''Leptocoma brasiliana'') is split from purple-throated sunbird (''L. sperata'') Sturnia blythii

* (p. 554)

House bunting The house bunting (''Emberiza sahari'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is a resident breeder of dry country from northwestern Africa from Morocco south to Mali and east to Chad.Byers, C., Olsson, U., & Curson, J. (1995 ...

(''Emberiza sahari'') and

striolated bunting The striolated bunting (''Emberiza striolata'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. Distribution and habitat It is a resident breeder of dry count ...

(''E. striolata'') are regarded as separate species * (p. 566) Sharpe's rosefinch (''Carpodacus verreauxii'') is split from spot-winged rosefinch (''C. rodopeplus'') * (p. 566)

Blyth's rosefinch Blyth's rosefinch (''Carpodacus grandis'') or the Himalayan rosefinch, is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in northern Afghanistan to the western Himalayas. Its natural habitats are temperate forest and boreal shrubland ...

(''Carpodacus grandis'') is split from

red-mantled rosefinch The red-mantled rosefinch (''Carpodacus rhodochlamys'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Its natural habitats are temperate f ...

(''C. rhodochlamys'') * (p. 567) Spotted great rosefinch (''Carpodacus severtzovi'') is split from Caucasian great rosefinch (''C. rubicilla'') * (p. 581) Malabar white-headed starling (''Sturnia blythii'') is split from grey-headed starling (''S. malabarica'') * (p. 586)

Indian golden oriole The Indian golden oriole (''Oriolus kundoo'') is a species of oriole found in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian golden oriole, but is now considered a full species. Ad ...

(''Oriolus kundoo'') is split from European golden oriole (''O. oriolus'') * (p. 593) Ceylon crested drongo (''Dicrurus lophorinus'') is split from

greater racket-tailed drongo The greater racket-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus paradiseus'') is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other drongos in the family Dic ...

(''D. paradiseus'') * (pp. 596–7) Larger-spotted nutcracker (''Nucifraga multipunctata'') is split from

spotted nutcracker The spotted nutcracker, Eurasian nutcracker, or simply nutcracker (''Nucifraga caryocatactes'') is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over ...

(''N. caryocatactes'')

New South Asian endemic birds

The taxonomic changes proposed increase the number of South Asian endemic bird species, and the numbers of restricted-range endemic bird species in several of South Asia's

Endemic Bird Area An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species (''see below for definition''), which are the ...

s. Using the taxonomic arrangements in ''Birds of South Asia'', the following species are additional South Asian endemics: Ceylon bay owl, hill swallow, white-bellied and

orange minivet The orange minivet (''Pericrocotus flammeus'') is a brightly colored bird in the cuckooshrike family, Campephagidae. It is found all along the Western Ghats and west coast of India and Sri Lanka. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the ...

s, square-tailed black bulbul,

, large blue flycatcher,Endemic as a breeder; winters in south-east Asia

and

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and white-cheeked nuthatches; the following are additional Indian endemics: crested hawk-eagle,

, Nilgiri thrush, white-bellied blue robin, Naga wren-babbler, Indian yellow tit,

and Malabar white-headed starling; the following are new

n endemics: Ceylon green-pigeon, Ceylon small barbet,

, Ceylon swallow, Ceylon woodshrike,

, Ceylon scaly thrush and Ceylon crested drongo; and the following are additional endemics in the

Andaman Andaman may refer to: * Andaman Islands * Andaman Sea * ''Andaman'' (1998 film), a Kannada-language film * ''Andaman'' (2016 film), a Tamil-language film * ''Andaman'' (2021 film), a Hindi-language film See also * Andaman and Nicobar Islands ...

Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located southeast of the Indian s ...

, Andaman barn-owl, Hume's hawk-owl,

, Andaman bulbul,

Nicobar jungle flycatcher The Nicobar jungle flycatcher (''Cyornis nicobaricus'') is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and ...

and

Footnotes

References

* AERC TAC (2003)
AERC TAC's Taxonomic Recommendations, 1 December 2003
' Taxonomic Advisory Committee of the Association of European Rarities Committees * Carey, G. J. and D. S. Melville (1996) Spot-billed Ducks in Hong Kong ''Hong Kong Bird Report 1995'' 224-30 * Collar, Nigel J. (2005) Family Turdidae (Thrushes), pages 514–619 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D. Christie ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

, Volume 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes'' * Collar, Nigel J. and J. D. Pilgrim (2008) Taxonomic Update: Species-level changes proposed for Asian birds, 2005-2006 '' BirdingASIA 8:14-30'' * Clement, P and R. Hathway (2000) ''Thrushes''

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 ...

* Clements, James F. (2000) '' Birds of the World: A Checklist'' (5th edition) * Clements, James F. (2007) ''

The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 2022 ...

'' (6th edition) * Cramp, S. (1988) ''

The Birds of the Western Palearctic ''The Birds of the Western Palearctic'' (full title ''Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic''; often referred to by the initials ''BWP'') is a nine-volume ornithological handbook co ...

'' Volume 5: Tyrant Flycatchers to Thrushes * Fishpool, L. D. C. and J. A. Tobias (2005) Family Pycnonotidae (bulbuls) pages 124–250 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, A. and D. A. Christie ''

, Volume 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes'' * Fleming, Robert L., Sr., Robert L. Fleming Jr. and Lain Singh Bangdel (1984) ''Birds of Nepal, with reference to Kashmir and Sikkim'' (3rd edition) * Henry, G. M. (1971) ''A guide to the birds of Ceylon'' * Hussain, K. Z. (1958) Subdivisions and zoogeography of the genus ''Treron'' (green fruit-pigeons) ''

Ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word f ...

'' 101:249-250 * Ivanov, A.I. (1941) ''Oenanthe chrysopygia'' de Fil. I ''O. xanthoprymna'' Hempr. & Ehrenb. ''Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR'' 3: 381–384. * König, Claus, Friedhelm Weick & Jan-Hendrik Becking (1999) ''Owls - A Guide to the Owls of the World''

* Kryukov, A. P. (1995) Systematics of small Palearctic shrikes of the "''cristatus''" group. '' Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology'' 6:22-25 * Madge, Steve and Hilary Burn (1994) ''Crows and Jays''

* McAllan, I. A. W. and M. D. Bruce (1988) ''The birds of New South Wales, a working list'' * Panov, E.N. (1999) ''Kamenki Palearktiki. Ekologiya, povedenie, evolyutsiya'' (''The Wheatears of the Palearctic. Ecology, Behaviour, Evolution''). * Peters, J. L. (1931) '' Check-list of Birds of the World'' volume 1 * Rasmussen, Pamela C. and John C. Anderton (2005) ''Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide'' * Stepanyan, L. S. (1990) '' Conspectus of the Ornithological Fauna of the USSR'' * Svensson, Lars,

Peter J. Grant Peter James Grant (1943 – 16 April 1990) was a British ornithologist. He was the third chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee, from 1976 to 1986. Publications * "The New Approach to Identification" (co-authored by Killian Mullarn ...

Killian Mullarney Killian Mullarney is an Irish ornithologist, bird artist and bird tour leader. He designed a series of Irish definitive stamps for An Post illustrating Irish birds issued between 1997 and 2004. He was born in Dublin in 1958, and educated at home ...

and

Dan Zetterström Dan Zetterström (born 1 June 1954) is a Swedish ornithologist and bird artist. He is best known as a co-author of the Collins Bird Guide, with Killian Mullarney, Lars Svensson and Peter J. Grant. He has designed several series of Swedish stamps ...

(1999) ''

Collins Bird Guide The ''Collins Bird Guide'' is a field guide to the birds of the Western Palearctic. Its authors are Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterström and Peter J. Grant, and it is illustrated by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterström (with t ...

'' * Wells, D. R., E. C. Dickinson and R. W. R. J. Dekker (2003) A preliminary review of the Chloropseidae and Irenidae ''

Zoologische Verhandelingen ''Zoologische Verhandelingen'' was a Dutch scientific journal covering research in zoology. It was published between 1948 and 2002 by the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is ...

'' 344: 25-32 * Wijesinghe, D. P. (1994) ''Checklist of the Birds of Sri Lanka''
Ceylon Bird Club
Colombo. {{refend Ornithological handbooks 2005 non-fiction books Lynx Edicions books Smithsonian Institution publications