worldwide, of these 96 occur in the Neotropics, but there is a representative of 
at least one of these three families in almost every part of the globe, being 
absent only from the majority of desert regions, Australasia and many islands, 
most significantly Madagascar. As a result few forested areas in the world are 
without a woodpecker, and there is even one species, the Andean Flicker 
Colaptes rupicola that occurs high above the treeline. This book, published by 
Pica Press, follows a very similar approach to the popular and highly success- 
ful series of family guides pulished by Helm. With Christopher Helm 
involved in both series' it is unsurprising that the two are similar and invite 
comparison. The usual introductory chapters include sections on relationships 
and taxonomy, distribution, morphology and mechanics, plumage and moult, 
food and foraging, ecological and sexual dimorphism, behaviour, reproduction 
and sociality, and woodpeckers and man. As woodpeckers are such a spe- 
cialised group these opening sections provide fascinating reading. Gaps in our 
knowledge are highlighted and areas where future research could usefully be 
undertaken pointed to. Some of these sections could have been expanded, in 
particular that on woodpeckers and man could have included a more detailed 
discussion of the conservation issues facing this group. 
The species accounts include sections on identification, distribution, move- 
ments, habitat, detailed description, geographical variation, measurements, 
voice, habits, food, breeding and references. In general they have a slightly 
broader and more detailed coverage than some of the Helm titles. Hans 
Winkler is one of the world's foremost authorities on woodpeckers, so it comes 
as no great surprise to find all the texts for species with which I am familiar 
accurate and apparently error free. The length of the accounts vary, with the 
well known species receiving quite detailed coverage, whilst those for the 
poorly known species are rather brief. Clearly a book of this scope cannot go 
into exceptional detail, but all the texts appear comprehensive and. up to date. 
For example the number of pairs of White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopus 
leucotos breeding in Sweden in 1994 is included. A reasonably comprehensive 
reference section for each species points to those sources to which the interest- 
ed reader should next turn. The maps also appear up to date and accurate, 
with no obvious errors that I could detect. Unlike the Helm series, where 
colour maps appear opposite the plates, the maps here have been placed with 
the relevant species text. They are monochrome and use different types of 
shading to show breeding and non-breeding areas. This approach allowed 
greater freedom in the sizing and therefore a clearer depiction of the range of 
some species has resulted. I do however prefer the Helm series' use of colour 
maps since it facilitates easy interpretation, especially for migrants. Helm's 
placing of the maps with the plates makes it easier to compare the differing 
ranges of one or more similar species. However a brief summary of range is 
included in the text adjacent to the plate. 
A scattering of line drawings, mainly depicting woodpeckers in flight, accom- 
pany the species accounts, although more could have been usefully included. 
61 
