Peacocks & Picathartes

Both informative and entertaining, Peacocks & Picathartes is a celebration of Africa’s diverse birdlife and examines not only the continent’s endemic bird families, but also those birds that, despite being more widespread, are quintessentially African.

Watson’s anecdotal style vividly captures his encounters with prized species, such as the secretive White-necked Picathartes and the elusive Congo Peacock. His enthusiasm extends from the common to the extraordinary: he conveys the sheer delight mousebirds take in ‘being what they are – and reveals the surprise discovery in 1991 of a new partridge in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains.

Drawing on precolonial and current-day avian accounts, he offers his own insights based on a lifetime of personal observations in the wilds of Africa, recounting unforgettable expeditions, quirky bird behavior, shifting taxonomy, moments of rare good luck – and much more.