This encyclopaedic reference book will cover all 900 species (including those recently extinct) occurring in Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica, and in the Australian and New Zealand dependencies and subantarctic islands. To be produced in five volumes, it will be the most authoritative and up-to-date handbook of the birds of Australasia. Volume 1 covers emus to ducks - 196 species of which 162 breed in the region. The text for each bird includes field identification, habitat, distribution, movements, food, voice, social organization and behaviour, breeding, and plumage. There are superb colour illustrations of every species, showing developmental and seasonal changes in the plumage and bare parts. Distribution both within and beyond the range is shown on maps. Line drawings of displays and other postures, diagrams of the annual cycle of each species, and sonagrams of important calls are also included.