Nature Books Australia

Recommended books for naturalists

Book Review: Where To See Birds In Victoria

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I was so overwhelmed when I first started birdwatching in 2015. There was so much information online on various blogs, social media sites and e-bird. Where To See Birds In Victoria was one of the first birdwatching books that I bought, and it has been a much-used resource during my journey. It is a brilliant primer for birdwatching and gives you a broad overview of many sites in Victoria.

It’s the first book I use when researching a new area and one of the few I always take with me.

How Is The Book Structured?

The book is organized into eight key regions of Victoria: The Victorian Mallee, greater Wimmera, north-central Victoria, western Victoria, Geelong, Melbourne, Gippsland and Far Eastern Gippsland. Each section has dedicated chapters dedicated to specific birding sites or areas. Some of these sites are quite large, such as the Great Otway National Park and Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula.

Each chapter has a brief background on the region, information on how to get there, accommodation and facilities, and the key birding sites in that area.
There is also a Bird Finding Guide at the end of the book. It listed each species in Victoria and give a short explanation of how common it is and where to find it. The guide was so useful. I was able to go through the book and discover some of the species I was after and create a bit of a bucket list. I’d notice similarities and then look up specific locations and plan an adventure.

Some chapters were too brief

Some chapters focus on just 3-4 locations, whereas others, like the Greater Geelong chapter, have 13. As a newbie, I found that the chapters that covered more sites weren’t comprehensive enough. Balyang Sanctuary got one short paragraph and, due to seasonal changes, was a bit outdated. This is to be expected; external forces such as bushfires and climate change have changed the birds behaviour. The brevity meant that there were times in the field when I was in over my head. This isn’t a fault of the book, as no statewide guide can cover everything. I’d recommend using this guide as your first reference point, and then using additional resources like ebird and Facebook for the best chance of finding birds.

Do I recommend it?

Definitely.

This book is intended to be a starting point, and it very much serves that purpose. However, the guide shouldn’t be the sole source of information when going on trips. It would be best if you used the book to get an overview of the birding opportunities in an area and use that as a starting point for further research. Use it to create a shortlist of locations.

If you are birding in only one or two regions of Victoria, a more specific guidebook may be more relevant. Alternately, you can check out the local Birdlife office for resources.

I’m critical of the book only so people can make the right decision when buying it. I would have learned a lot more in a shorter time if I’d used it the right way.

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Book Review: A Guide To The Cockroaches Of Australia

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Many people associate cockroaches with the pest species found in households and workspaces. This is understandable; cockroaches can carry disease and are associated with unhygienic conditions.

When you look beyond the pest label, however, they are quite fascinating. There is a lot of variation among the Australian cockroaches; with some species having beautiful markings. David Rentz has created a brilliant guide that helps readers identify most of the 550 described species found locally.

It is useful for both the amateur and the expert

I have reviewed a lot of field guides for this site. I’ve noticed that most guides tend to target either the amateur or the professional entomologist, but rarely both.

A Guide To Cockroaches is one of those rare books that find the balance between audiences. It is accessible and newbie-friendly but doesn’t shy away from the complicated details. Readers will be able to identify most Australian species; however, some may require significantly more work. It is the type of guide that will always be relevant.

The introductory content is very comprehensive

Rentz passion is evident throughout the whole book, however it was most noticeable during the chapters that weren’t about identification. He covered a lot of ground in just 72 pages.

The morphology section was really useful. You get images detailing the features of cockroach wing ventilation, their front head, leg details and a fully winged male cockroach. Rentz also provides images of possible variations of features, such as the tarsal claw type and the subgenital plates of males. It probably will still be overwhelming for beginners, but that’s more due to the complexity of species identification

The chapter on collection and preservation was brief but also detailed. Rentz discussed the various ways of collecting cockroaches, detailing both the positives and negatives of each technique. He explored the difference between day and night collecting, as well as how to mount or pin the cockroach. There is also a decent amount of information about preparing genitals.

My favourite chapter was on the personalities of those who had previously studied cockroaches. It was just seven pages but is the type of information you rarely find in a field guide. It was fascinating learning about their history.

Species profiles

There are over 530 species of cockroach found in Australia. Like so much in entomology, the field is poorly studied. The species profiles do a great job of detailing the key identifiable features in just a couple of chapters.

The pictures are of high quality, which isn’t always possible when photographing insects. Most species get one image; however, you can get up to seven where necessary. The photos show differences due to geographical variations, such as with Euzosteria tuberculata. Other profiles show the differences between gender and morph. A map is provided for each species, showing the distribution within Australia and individual states.

The written content is comprehensive, considering the space limitations. The profiles go into detail about the key features and any similarities to other cockroaches. There is information on early instars, preferred habitat and differences between genders. Rentz also includes species that hasn’t been formally studied and mentions any gaps in knowledge.

Do I recommend it?

For most people, no. Like many in this series, there are more practical books for beginners; especially those who stick to suburbia. I would recommend either the guide to beetles or spiders.

If you have the slightest interest in cockroaches, then I recommend this book. David Rentz has done an impressive job both piquing and encouraging the interest of those who want to learn more. I wish all guides were this useful.

The book is now out of print. You can see places to buy a digital copy at CSIRO Publishing.

Book Review: Australian Bird Names

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I first became obsessed with birds when I was in primary school. I got a pet cockatiel and set about learning as much as possible about cockatoos. I learned the scientific name of many of my favourite species such as cockatiels, galahs and rosellas.

Ten-year-old me struggled. I devoured what few books our local library had growing up. This is the type of book I would have really enjoyed. The authors explain the history behind the scientific names for the families, species and orders of Australian birds. These histories explore the challenge new naturalists faced, the previous names and the influence of the indigenous names for species. It is packed with so many information that a reader would likely learn something new with each reading.

How is the book structured?

The book is separated into two main ‘chapters’: passerines and non-passerines. A ‘passerine’ is a bird that belongs to the order Passeriformes; an order that comprises of two-thirds of living birds in the world. The remaining orders were combined into their own chapter. In both chapters, the various species are then organized into their family. The order is listed next to the family name.

The species in each family section is then organized into genus and species. Information about the bird names is given for family, species and genus. All the genera are listed at the start of the section, which can be overwhelming for the new reader. There also is no page breaks after each family.

What information is given about each species?

The book covers all of the species of birds in Australia, including the extinct ones. This is an amazing feat when you consider that 55 species had been adding to the national list in the 6 years between the publication of the first and second editions. The species information lists their common name, scientific names and other names they would be known by. All three types of names are given descriptions. In some cases, such as the crimson rosella, the authors discuss the names of the more prominent subspecies. These descriptions vary in length

It is meticulously researched; the authors went through a lot of historical records. Readers will learn how the names changed over time and how the current species names came into use. For instance, the name ‘paradise parrot’ was chosen as a marketing term. It’s the type of book you need to delve into over multiple sittings.

Do I recommend this book?

Sadly, no. It is a great book and one that you can learn a lot from, however, it isn’t essential reading. The beginner birdwatcher would get a lot more out of 1-2 dedicated field guides and a guide to finding birds in their region.

I do recommend this book as a gift. It brings so much joy and would remain in any naturalists library for a long time. It just isn’t the most practical purchase for the amateur naturalist.

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Book Review: A Guide To Mosquitoes Of Australia

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I never expected to become interested in mosquitoes. The ones I observed around central Geelong seemed dull compared to many other types of insects. This changed when I started following one of the co-authors, Dr Cameron Webb, on twitter. He frequently tweets about science communication, entomology and mosquitoes. I bought this book on a whim after Dr Webbs tweets had piqued my interest. It’s ended up becoming one of my favourite books in this series.

The introductory content is very user friendly.

The introductory chapters cover a wide range of information targeted at different audiences. There is information on the biology, habitats, publish health risks, controlling mosquitoes near homes and how to collect mosquitoes. This means that amateurs, ecologists and public health officials can all get a solid background. Enthusiasts and citizen scientists don’t need to read all of these chapters; however, they are a useful reference.

The main criticism is the two graphics that detail the morphology and general structure of mosquitoes. It would have been helpful if these were accompanied by better descriptions. Multiple graphics are crammed into two pages with little context. Later, it becomes evident that these are visual representations of features that are mentioned in the species profiles. It does make it slightly more difficult for beginners.

Species Profiles

The authors described this book as ‘a pictorial guide to some of the most important, most interesting and most beautiful mosquito species in Australia.’ Around 80 of Australia’s 300 species are featured. I was disappointed that they didn’t include more species; especially as the guide was just 217 pages. However, I can understand the need to limit it to the ones most commonly found or of importance.

1-2 pages are dedicated to each species. The profiles cover the species physical description, habitat, distribution and pest status. Readers will likely need to refer to the morphological descriptions until you get the hang of the terminology.

The number of pictures varies. In some cases, you get just one picture of an adult. In others, you also get the picture of the larva and pupa. These images sufficed for me; however, I’ve only used the guide to identify about 5 species.

The habitat information is pretty comprehensive, considering the limited space. These sections cover:

  • uncommon places to find them
  • whether little is known about the dispersal range
  • how far the species will, or won’t, travel from its larval habitat

Do I recommend it?

I wouldn’t recommend it for most beginners. It pains me to say that, as it is a great book and is very user friendly.

Mosquitoes aren’t as easy to observe in the wild as other species, such as beetles and spiders. In many cases, you will have to collect the eggs and larvae to rear the mosquitoes before being able to identify it. There are also some types of traps you can use. The chapter on how to collect, rear and photograph mosquitoes discusses these in detail.

Alternately, you can try to get a photo of a mosquito while one is biting you. From experience, it can be tricky trying to get a clear macro photo of all the identifiable features.

Some may find it too overwhelming to obtain the mosquitoes to identify them. I would recommend that beginners choose a species that is easier to observe, especially if it’s their first time trying to identify insects.

I would highly recommend it for those who have an existing interest in mosquitoes and want to try to collect them. It’s a brilliant guide if you are prepared for the extra work.

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Book Review: Life In A Gall

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Galls were one of the first things I noticed when I started to explore entomology. I’d see these strange lumps on either the leaves or stems of various plants. Kind naturalists informed me that these were ‘galls,’ but it was a struggle to find accessible information on them.

This book filled part of that need. It’s just 61 pages, so barely scratched the surface when it came to exploring the fascinating world of galls. However, it is the only accessible guide I’ve found, and it packed a lot of information into these pages.

What is a gall?

According to Blanche, The term ‘gall’ refers to any abnormal swelling of plant tissue. These deformities can be on leaves, stems or flower buds of plants—mostly caused by insect activity. Mites, fungi and physical injury can also cause galls.

This guide focuses on the galls caused by insects.

What does the book cover?

A lot of information is condensed into the six short chapters. The introductory chapters focus on gall-inducing insects and their host plants, plus the remarkable adaptations. Blanche discusses the relationship between insect and host plant, the types of insects create galls, and the kinds of host plants that are the insects tend to favour. It explores just how complex the study of galls is. The male and female insect of the same species can look different. The galls also vary depending on where a species is in its life cycle.

There are brief sections dedicated to the wasps, thrips, flies, beetles and moths. I would have liked more information in these sections, however, was impressed with the number of pictures. Despite the brevity, these chapters contain a lot of information. You will likely return to these often as you learn more.

There are chapters dedicated to the enemies of gall-inducing insects; the benefits of such insects and how the insects can have a detrimental effect on both plant and animal life. The benefits chapter focuses strongly on how certain insects can be used for bio-control. Blanche shares examples of overseas locations where native plants have gotten out of control, such as South Africa and Florida.

The whole book is very amateur-friendly, but this is was especially noticeable in the chapter on studying galls. The chapter details how to collect the galls and accurately record any data associated with it. Blanche explores the type of data that is useful to collect and the potential pitfalls of trying to study them. I was very encouraged by it.

Do I recommend it?

Yes!

Galls are fascinating, and there is so much that is unknown. Life In A Gall is the perfect balance of giving an overview of galls and providing examples of species. This guide doesn’t offer identification tips; however you do get a lot of photos where the specimen is narrowed down to exact species.

Sadly, the book is no longer in print. It is available as a digital copy for around $25. That price point can be off-putting for a digital edition of this size. I recommend seeking the print version at your local library or via a second-hand store.

CSIRO Publishing