Neville W. Cayley's What Bird Is That?
Natural History Field Guide Australian Fauna Ornithology Birdwatching Illustrated Nature Reference Travel & Outdoor
Neville W. Cayley’s classic What Bird Is That? (1987 revised hardcover) is still the most comprehensive single-volume field guide to every Australian bird. Across 802 pages and with Cayley’s own detailed paintings, this edition pairs museum-quality artwork with the updated range maps, size charts, and behavioral notes serious birders demand. From rainforest cassowaries to desert chats, the concise descriptions highlight key field marks, calls, and habitat preferences, making rapid identification realistic in the bush, backyard, or on road trips along the Great Ocean or Birdsville Track.
Collectors prize the 1987 revision because it is the last major update overseen by the Cayley estate before smaller, more fragmented guides took over bookshops. The heavy-duty hardback lies flat on a car bonnet or picnic table, and the generous page margins invite annotations from years of trips, making each copy a personal birding diary. With only mild foxing to the endpapers and a tight binding, this copy is clean enough for reading yet retains the patina that signals a well-loved reference, not a shelf queen.
Whether you're a young adult learning to spot your first kookaburra, an educator building a classroom nature library, or an overseas visitor planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kakadu, this single volume replaces a stack of regional guides. Its durable binding and timeless artwork make it a perfect gift for nature lovers and a sound investment for anyone who wants the definitive guide to Australia's 750-plus recorded species in one iconic book.
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