Isolated for at least 120 million years, Madagascar has developed a unique flora and fauna. The fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar has 260 species of birds, no fewer than 108 of which are endemic and a further 25 of which are endemic to the Malagasy Region. (Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, and their outlying islands). This beautiful book is a photographic field guide to the avifauna of Madagascar.

The text for each species describes all known plumages likely to be encountered in Madagascar, vocalizations (many of which have not been previously described), habitat and behavior, range within Madagascar and worldwide, status (including taxonomic notes where relevant, subspecies, and global conservation status), and where to locate the species in Madagascar. There is also an invaluable section that summarizes distinctions from similar species. The introduction gives an overview of the birds found on Madagascar and the habitat zones where they are most likely to occur. There is also a short gazetteer to the major birdwatching locations on the island that, together with the "where to watch" section of the species accounts, should enable prospective visitors to plan their itineraries so that they can see nearly all the Madagascan endemics and regularly occurring species.

The book features an assemblage of color photographs, the work of twenty photographers. Many of the species illustrated have been photographed for the first time, and the few species for which no photographs exist have been painted by Mark Andrews in a series of specially commissioned plates.