Vanished and Vanishing Parrots

Reviews

"Comprehensive is probably not the correct word to describe this work because it is much more than that. Forshaw always produces excellent books and this one is no exception."
Talking Birds, September 2017

"Highlighting that 45 per cent of the world's parrots are extinct, threatened or near threatened, this sobering book features them all, with detailed descriptions of the birds, their ecology and status, accompanied by Frank Knight's stunning plates."
Australian Birdlife, December 2017

"My initial impression when I saw this wonderful book from renowned Parrot author Joseph Forshaw was "Wow". His new hard back coffee table edition is beautifully illustrated by Frank Knight... This book is a must for all aviculturists with an interest in the conservation of parrots in the wild."
Warwick Remington, Australian Aviculture 71(11), November 2017

"As one might expect from Joe Forshaw's standing as a (some might say 'the') leading authority on the world's parrots, the text is clear, informative, authoritative and up-to-date... The Frank Knight plates are an attractive feature of the book. They are the more attractive, in my view, for their presentation with full-page backgrounds"
Geoffrey Dabb, Canberra Bird Notes 42(3), December 2017

"Reading some of the species accounts of threatened parrots I have seen in remote parts of the world quickly demonstrates the life-time of personal research and observation that Forshaw has included in this book... an important and valuable summary of the available information about many of our most colourful and attractive birds. It highlights their plight and will hopefully raise awareness of just how vulnerable even conspicuous birds like parrots can be. It provides a timely reminder of what we have lost and what we stand to lose without better conservation and habitat protection."
David Milton, Birds Queensland Newsletter 48(11), 2017

"The author has done an impressive job of drawing this information together from a wide range of sources... There is a great deal to recommend this outstanding reference book to students of ornithology, conservation managers, and libraries, as well as those among us who are fascinated by the world’s parrots and their future fate."
Michael Szabo, Birds New Zealand (16), December 2017

"This is a valuable addition for ornithology, tropical and sub-tropical fauna, or endangered species collections."
T. R. Faust, CHOICE, September 2018

"Forshaw and Knight have provided a thorough, well-organized, and aesthetic work that not only inspires us to look back at what we have lost but also forward to prevent further extinctions; we can learn from past mistakes... Those involved in parrot conservation, as well as parrot admirers from all walks of life, will want a copy within reach."
Mark F. Riegner, Quarterly Review of Biology 93, September 2018

"This is a valuable book with a great many strengths. Forshaw is a master of collecting pertinent information from a broad array of sources; the result is a rich collection of species accounts that surpasses in detail those in any of his preceding books. The artwork by Knight complements these accounts and brings them to vibrant life. Particularly compelling in this respect are the illustrations of extinct species, which are often based on educated surmises but nonetheless offer valuable insight into these vanished species."
Timothy F. Wright, The Condor - Ornithological Applications 120, October 2018

"I recommend – without reservation – the purchase of Vanished and vanishing parrots. It is, truly, worth saving up for. I am grateful to have read it; I am grateful to have been made to think on the issues and concerns that it raises. Most especially, I am grateful to have read not only what Joseph Forshaw has written, but commend to you the experience of reading his writing. And then there are Frank Knight’s illustrations: magnificent. This is a valuable, and for this reviewer, a valued book."
Stephen Ramm, South Australian Ornithologist 43(1-2), November 2018.

"Vanished and Vanishing Parrots is an impressive work. Its scope is comprehensive, the information presented is current, and its layout and presentation are excellent."
Conservation Biology 33(3), 2019

"The lay-out of each species account is superb, and this is where the artistic work must be put up in lights. To see each species brought to life in such vivid and accurate detail is truly amazing. In summary, this is a beautiful book that combines the best and most recent scientific knowledge with visual presentation that is second to none."
Rob Heinsohn, Corella Vol 42, 2018

Details

Hardback | October 2017 | $150.00
ISBN: 9780643096325 | 352 pages | 305 x 215 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour Paintings, Illustrations, Maps

ePDF | October 2017
ISBN: 9780643106499
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

ePUB | October 2017
ISBN: 9780643106505
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

Features

• Up-to-date and detailed species accounts of parrots that have been lost or are in danger of being lost to extinction
• Beautiful colour paintings by Frank Knight bring these spectacular extinct and endangered species to life
• Discusses by region the threats facing parrots and the conservation measures both underway and further needed

Contents

Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Fossil history of parrots
Australasian distribution
Afro-Asian distribution
Neotropical distribution
References cited
Index
View the full table of contents.

Authors

Joseph Forshaw is one of Australia’s foremost ornithologists and is internationally recognised as a leading expert on parrots. He has made a lifetime study of these birds in their natural environment and at numerous research institutions. He has published papers and articles in journals and magazines, and collaborated with William Cooper to produce Parrots of the World (Lansdowne Editions, 1973, 1978, 1981 and 1989), Australian Parrots (Lansdowne Editions, 1969 and 1981, Alexander Editions, 2002), and A Natural History of Australian Parrots: A Tribute to William T Cooper (Nokomis Editions 2016), and with Frank Knight to produce Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide (Princeton University Press, 2005).

He is a Churchill Fellow, having been awarded a Fellowship in 1970 by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to enable him to complete his research for Parrots of the World. He is active in national and international conservation bodies, and was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal for services to ornithology and conservation. Joseph Forshaw retired from a senior position in the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra. He is a Research Associate in the Department of Ornithology at the Australian Museum, Sydney, is a Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union, and in 2016 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, again for services to ornithology and wildlife conservation.

Frank Knight has been a wildlife illustrator for more than 30 years, producing illustrations for scientific papers, books and lectures. He has been a member of the International Society of Animal Artists. His work appears in A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, with text by Graham Pizzey and Peter Menkhorst, in Field Guide to Frogs of Australia, with text by Michael Tyler, and he collaborated with Joseph Forshaw to produce Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide.