You can buy these books directly from author's website here :

http://www.avitoon.nl/en/publications/

Hancock House Encyclopedia of Estrildid Finches

by Matthew M. Vriends & Tanya M. Heming Vriends

2002, 256pp, ISBN: 9780888394934

Estrildid finches of the family Estrildidae comprise over 140 different species. This is a major title that deals with a lot of information on avicultural as well as wild aspects of these beautiful finches.

Book is divided into two main parts. First part deals with introduction with topics like lives and behaviors of these finches in the wild. Next, there are chapters on housing and care in the aviculture with good details on their proper management that includes their breeding cages, aviaries, their common illnesses, treatments, chapter on food, water and breeding.

Text is accompanied by illustrations showing indoor cages, aviary designs and various nest boxes. There are also interesting tables dealing with expert suggestions for group aviary that can house mix species. Similarly, there is good information on aviary plants that are best suitable for these finches and also those plants that should be avoided. Various band sizes and banding the birds is also discussed.

There is a color section of 56 pages showing photos of different types of aviaries and species. Excellent color pictures of species, subspecies and mutations are very helpful in identification of closely resembling species and subspecies.

Second part deals with the species accounts. Each species account contains description of species (including subspecies), their habitat, requirements in aviculture and food. Black and white illustrations of many species are also present in the species account along with their other common names.

The only thing missing in this book is distribution maps of the species. Only one range map of Gouldian Finch is shown. Also, it would be much nicer if color photo of each species is present alongside the text in the species account section instead of black and white illustrations.

Recommendation:

This is a MUST HAVE title, not only for keepers, breeders and lovers of finches but also for everyone who is interested to know more about the wonderful world of Estrildid finches.

You can buy it directly from publisher's website here :

https://www.hancockhouse.com/products/estrildid-finches

This is an excellent book with Outstanding Photography. Book is bilingual, written in both Spanish and English. Each and every species of Estrildid Finch that is found in Asia, Australia and Oceania is beautifully presented by the author. In total, 62 species are presented in this book, out of over 140 species that are found in the world. (African continent, which holds over 70 species of Estrildid Finches is excluded from this book).

Almost all mutations are shown in wonderful photos. Few subspecies and photos of both sexes i.e. Male and Female are shown in some (not all) species. Text includes their common and scientific names along with their sizes, natural habitats, housing in aviary, feeding, breeding and mutations. Range maps are also present. In short, this is a MUST HAVE book, not only for keepers, breeders and lovers of these beautiful finches but also for everyone who is interested to know more about the Estrildid Finches and their rare mutations.

You can buy it directly from author's website here :

https://www.libros-engonari.com/?lang=en