Page 23 - The Villager January 2021

Birding

sasol was a big hit and over the
next 27 years, three more editions
appeared, partly made necessary
because south african bird names
were changed to comply with
international naming policies – our
dikkops, for instance, became thick-
knees – but also because of changes
in the distribution of many species.
as birding became more and more
Pages from South Africa’s first bird spotters’ guide of 1936 (above), compared with the just- popular in the 21st century, the
launched guide (below)
average birder was now using the car
as a base on birding expeditions, so the
weight of bird books was no longer that
important. Just as well, for now we have
the bulkiest field book of all – the fifth
edition of sasol. it’s a 1,2kg blockbuster
and introduces a revolutionary new
facet to bird books – audible bird calls.
Beneath each distribution map there is
now a barcode which, when scanned
by one’s cell phone, reproduces the
bird’s call.
this is the largest sasol of all – The
Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of
Southern Africa. it has larger images
and updated distribution maps.
the book’s text has been compiled
by an impressive team: ian sinclair,
Phil hockey, warwick tarboton, Niall
Perrins, dominic Rollinson and Peter
But Roberts, even through the 70s Newman’s illustrations were big and Ryan. the meticulous illustrations are
and 80s, still had all the illustrations bold and, importantly, depicted each again by Norman arlott and Peter
bunched up at the beginning of the species opposite its text. hayman but with additions by alan
book so that, once you found the then came ‘sasol’ when struik harris and faansie Peacock.
picture, you now had to go to another Nature’s publisher, Pippa Parker, this new edition has 10% more
part of the book to find the details. produced Sasol Birds of Southern pages, including an initial 21 pages of
Roberts’ popularity took a knock Africa. it had a handy, plasticised cover general information, while the rest of
when, in 1983, Macmillan published for use in the field and Parker corralled its 500 pages illustrates around 1 000
a guidebook by a former commercial three of the country’s top professional species of southern african birds.
artist and amateur birder, kenneth birders, ian sinclair, Phil hockey and these include a handful of species
Newman. Newman’s Birds of warwick tarboton, to handle the text which the average birder is unlikely to
Southern Africa entered the scene as while Peter hayman and Norman arlott see because they have seldom strayed
a proclaimed ‘field guide’ and, for the did the illustrations. it was flagged as into our region. Even the peacock
first time, included our entire region ‘the region’s most comprehensively features, for it has become feral in
from antarctica to the Zambezi. illustrated guide’. parts.

The Villager • Issue 1 2021 • 21