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SASOL IV Book Review
Having just received a shiny new copy of SASOL IV we set about looking at and reviewing this new version of a much loved guide. At first glance the book has been produced on high quality paper with our version having the hard wearing PVC cover drawing the reader to delve deaper.
First off an interesting change is the section on raptors. The majority of the artwork whilst the same as SASOL III does feature some additions but what is handy for the reader is having perched and flight patterns of each species combined on the same plate which does make navigating the raptors a little easier. The same characteristic has been continued throughout the book with other groups such as waders and waterfowl.
For some of the trickier families sonograms have been included on the plates. This is helpful if you have some experience in reading sonograms. For more information on sonograms and how to read them you can visit http://www.sasolbirds.co.za .
Like any updated field guide the species names in this book have seen a revision although there is still some deviation from the international naming convention being developed. This was deliberate decision by the authors to avoid confusion for Southern African readers. With these species names some species have been split or remain split that do not currently have full species status. This is not necessarily a flaw but rather alerts the reader to taxonomic discussions about likely future splits.
Distributions maps have also been updated with handy features such as darker and lighter areas showing various distributions and a bar has been included showing the months of the year during which you are likely to encounter them. Some errors in the distribution maps have been brought to public attention on various forums but this is something that can be easily rectified in the next impression and is hardly a reason not to purchase this book.
An interesting addition is the section of exotic waterfowl which has caused ID confusion for people not familiar with these species however listers need to be aware that these species are not included on the Southern African checklists but are included in the guide simply to help people identify them.
Another nice change from the previous edition is the placing of the family descriptions at the beginning of each family rather than at the beginning of the book as it was previously in SASOL III.
The text has also been expanded over the previous version with some new useful information.
Overall this is a refreshing update to a trusted field guide and time in the field with the new book will ultimately reveal its efficacy as a useful tool for identification.
Is this worth adding to your birding collection, yes.
By Doug Newman and Gordon King..
Rating:  [ of 5 Stars!]
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