Faansie Peacock, 2006, softcover, illustrated, 296 pages, index, 15 cms x 21 cms x 2 cms, condition: as new.
Way, way back in 2006 when I was supposed to be finishing my Honours Degree thesis on mynas at the University of Pretoria, I started doodling some pipit sketches. The eventual result was this book my first foray into the world of publishing. A modest initial print-run of 1000 copies, with money I loaned from my father, sold out rapidly. I printed another 1000 books, and these have also long-since sold out. People sometimes ask me why I dont reprint this book. Partly, it is because I feel it is a bit outdated, with one of the main changes for example being that both Long-tailed Pipit (described in 1996) and Kimberley Pipit (described in 2002) have now been shown to be invalid species (by yours truly, by the way).
Ask any birder and they will confirm that pipits are arguably the most challenging birds in Africa from an identification perspective. In addition, pipit taxonomy is by no means conclusive - two new species have been described in the last decade! Despite this challenging state of affairs, identification of this group is possible. In "Pipits of Southern Africa", emphasis is shifted towards identification methods based largely on posture, feeding strategy, display flights, vocalizations and other non-plumage features. The book stems directly from the author's field notes (instead of from museum collections and ornithological papers alone) and it is immediately apparent that this is a book written by a birder for birders. However, despite the great care that has been taken to ensure that the book is readable and relevant, scientific technicalities are also covered in detail - "Pipits of southern Africa" should appeal to beginners, advanced birders and ornithologists alike. A vast amount of ink drawings are used to emphasize important points or illustrate complicated concepts, and a multitude of graphs, keys and diagrams to facilitate easy and correct identification are included. All southern African pipit species (including the recently described Kimberley and Long-tailed Pipits), are covered in detail.
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