Birds of Southern Africa by Peter Steyn

Birds of Southern Africa (Illustrated Hardcover in Protected Dust Jacket)

A Richly Photographed Introduction to the Birds of Southern Africa by the Region's Leading Ornithologist-Photographer

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Birds of Southern Africa
• Author: Peter Steyn
• Publisher: Central News Agency Ltd, Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1991
• ISBN-13: 9780862838553
• ISBN-10: 086283855X
• Edition Details: First Edition, Central News Agency, Johannesburg, 1991.
• Binding: Publisher's dark blue cloth boards with illustrated dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Large-format illustrated hardcover, 141 pages. With full-colour photographs throughout and captioned colour plates.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The dark blue cloth boards are seen at the edge beneath the jacket and appear sound. The spine of the jacket is intact with no obvious damage. The book is housed in its illustrated dust jacket, fitted with a clear protective film cover.
• Interior: The title page, copyright page and sampled text pages are clean and bright, with no foxing or markings. The binding is tight and the book block appears solid.
• The Dust Jacket: Present. The illustrated dust jacket is complete, with no tears seen and an author biography on the back flap. It is protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in Johannesburg in 1991 by Central News Agency, Birds of Southern Africa is a large, generously illustrated introduction to the region's birdlife by Peter Steyn. Full-colour photographs run throughout, with captions accompanying the colour plates, and the book treats birds by habitat, including forest species.

The book is the work of a Cape Town-born ornithologist and photographer who wrote and photographed professionally for decades. It is a handsome volume for anyone who values southern African natural history, whether as a reference to browse or as a fine example of South African bird photography from the early 1990s.

Offered in its illustrated dust jacket, protected in an archival-type cover, this is a collectible copy for Africana natural history shelves.

Author Profile: Peter Steyn

Peter Steyn (1936-2024) was a South African ornithologist, author and photographer. He earned a BA in English and History from the University of Cape Town and then taught for about ten years at Falcon College in Southern Rhodesia. In 1970 he left teaching to write and photograph professionally.

His books include Eagle Days (1973), A Guide to the Common Birds of Wankie National Park (1974), Birds of Prey of Southern Africa (1982), which remains the definitive reference on these raptors, Nesting Birds (1996) and the memoir Kingdom of Daylight. His honours include the Gill Memorial Medal for lifetime contribution to the knowledge of southern African birds and the Steven Piper Lifetime Achievement Award for raptor conservation and research.

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