Handbook of the Birds of the World – Volume 5

This is the volume to which the greatest number of experts have contributed (38 authors). The Foreword, by Nigel J. Collar deals with risk indicators and status assessment in birds.
The 10 families covered in the volume will be of special interest to admirers of nocturnal birds (owls, nightjars and allies), indefatigable swifts and the extraordinary hummingbirds, which with 328 species is one of the most numerous of bird families. The content of the volume ranges from species with worldwide distribution that are familiar to all, such as the Barn Owl, to rarities like the endemic and threatened Forest Owlet, rediscovered in 1997 in central India; it also covers singular species like the Edible-nest Swiftlet and its sought-after nests, made entirely of saliva, and the Bee Hummingbird which, at 5 cm long, is the smallest bird in the world.