Demongin and Baker non-passerine comparison chart – UPDATED

12^th May, 2017 | Reviews

UPDATED – 11^th January, 2018
Thanks to fellow ringer Ivo Hertl I am now bringing you also the list of species present in the first edition of Baker’s guide. You can also download the table as excel sheet here: baker-demongin.xlsx [20.0 kB]

A comparison chart of the three major books dealing with European non-passerines intended as a reference for bird ringers. These are:

Identification of European Non-Passerines, 1^st edition (1993) Jeff K. Baker, British Trust for Ornithology, ISBN: 0903793180, link
Identification of European Non-Passerines, 2^nd edition (2016) Jeff K. Baker, British Trust for Ornithology, ISBN: 978-0-903793-18-6, link
Identification Guide to Birds in the Hand (2016) Laurent Demongin, Beauregard-Vendon, ISBN: 978-2-9555019-0-0, link

Please note that the Identification Guide to Birds in the Hand by Laurent Demongin does not deal with non-passerines only. Apart from the 154 species of non-passerines contains also information on 147 passerines. Also, some of the species discussed in Baker and not in Demongin are actually present in Demongin. But not as full accounts. These species might be present in “identification tables” helping identify confusing species. Since no other info (ageing, sexing) apart from identification is given for these species, I still mark them with red cross as not present in Demongin.

From the list bellow you can see that the second edition of Baker and the Demonging largely overlap in the species they deal with. It is true though, that Baker should be called rather British Non-Passerines as it does not deal with some species living in Europe outside the UK. Apart from that, the other difference is that Baker 2^nd edition is focusing more on geese and ducks. Demongin on the other hand contains slightly more species of waders, herons, woodpeckers or owls and birds of prey. First edition of Baker does not contain any account for any species of wader. That is probably because of sexing and ageing waders in hand was mainly covered in Guide to Identification & Ageing of Holarctic Waders by A. J. Prater, J. H. Marchant & J. Vuorinen link .

English name	Latin name	Baker 1^st ed	Baker 2^nd ed	Demongin
Mute Swan	Cygnus olor
Bewick's Swan	Cygnus columbianus
Whooper Swan	Cygnus cygnus
Bean Goose	Anser fabalis
Pink-footed Goose	Anser brachyrhynchus
White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons
Lesser White-fronted Goose	Anser erythropus
Greylag Goose	Anser anser
Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis
Barnacle Goose	Branta leucopsis
Brent Goose	Branta bernicla
Red-breasted Goose	Branta ruficollis
Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca
Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis
Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea
Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope
American Wigeon	Anas americana
Gadwall	Anas strepera
Teal	Anas crecca
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
Pintail	Anas acuta
Garganey	Anas querquedula
Blue-winged Teal	Anas disors
Shoveler	Anas clypeata
Red-crested Pochard	Netta rufina
Pochard	Aythya ferina
Ferruginous duck	Aythya nyroca
Tufted duck	Aythya fuligula
Scaup	Aythya marila
Eider	Somateria mollissima
King Eider	Somateria spectabilis
Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis
Common Scoter	Melanitta nigra
Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata
Velvet Scoter	Melanitta fusca
Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula
Smew	Mergellus albellus
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator
Goosander	Mergus merganser
Common Quail	Coturnix coturnix
Red-legged Partridge	Alectoris rufa
Grey Partridge	Perdix perdix
Red-throated Diver	Gavia stellata
Black-throated Diver	Gavia arctica
Great Northern Diver	Gavia immer
White-billed Diver	Gavia adamsii
Fulmar	Fulmarus glacialis
Cory's Shearwater	Calonectris borealis
Scopoli's Shearwater	Calonectris diomedea
Manx Shearwater	Puffinus puffinus
Storm Petrel	Hydrobates pelagicus
Leach's Petrel	Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Gannet	Morus bassanus
Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Shag	Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Bittern	Botaurus stellaris
Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus
Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena
Slavonian Grebe	Podiceps auritus
Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
White Stork	Ciconia ciconia
Honey-buzzard	Pernis apivorus
Black Kite	Milvus migrans
Red Kite	Milvus milvus
Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
Hen Harrier	Circus cyaneus
Montagu's Harrier	Circus pygargus
Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis
Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
Buzzard	Buteo buteo
Western Steppe Buzzard	Buteo buteo vulpinus		^[1]
Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus
Spotted Crake	Porzana porzana
Little Crake	Zapornia parva
Baillon's Crake	Zapornia pusilla
Corncrake	Crex crex
Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
Coot	Fulica atra
Little Bustard	Tetrax tetrax
Stone-curlew	Burhinus oedicnemus
Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus
Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta
Oystercather	Haematopus ostralegus
Grey Plover	Pluvialis squatarola
Golden Plover	Pluvialis apricaria
Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula
Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius
Kentish Plover	Charadrius alexandrinus
Eurasian Dotterel	Charadrius morinellus
Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus
Whimrel	Numenius phaeopus
Curlew	Numenius arquata
Black-tailed Godwit	Limosa limosa
Bar-tailed Godwit	Limosa lapponica
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres
Red Knot	Calidris canutus
Ruff	Calidris pugnax
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea
Temminck's Stint	Calidris temminckii
Sanderling	Calidris alba
Dunlin	Calidris alpina
Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima
Little Stint	Calidris minuta
Red-necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus
Red Phalarope	Phalaropus fulicarius
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus
Spotted Redshank	Tringa erythropus
Greenshank	Tringa nebularia
Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola
Redshank	Tringa totanus
Jack Snipe	Lymnocryptes minimus
Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola
Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago
Great Snipe	Gallinago media
Arctic Skua	Stercorarius parasiticus
Great Skua	Stercorarius skua
Puffin	Fratercula arctica
Black Guillemot	Cepphus grylle
Razorbill	Alca torda
Guillemot	Uria aalge
Little Tern	Sternula albifrons
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrida
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger
Sandwich Tern	Sterna Sandwicensis
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo
Roseate Tern	Sterna dougallii
Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea
Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla
Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Little Gull	Hydrocoloeus minutus
Mediterranean Gull	Larus melanocephalus
Common Gull	Larus canus
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus
Yellow-legged Gull	Larus michahellis
Caspian Gull	Larus cachinnans
Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus
Stock Dove	Columba oenas
Woodpigeon	Columba palumbus
Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
Turtle Dove	Streptopelia turtur
Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus
Great Spotted Cuckoo	Clamator glandarius
Barn Owl	Tyto alba
Eurasian Scops Owl	Otus scops
Eurasian Eagle-Owl	Bubo bubo
Little Owl	Athene noctua
Tawny Owl	Strix aluco
Long-eared Owl	Asio otus
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus
Boreal Owl	Aegolius funereus
Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus
Swift	Apus apus
Pallid Swift	Apus pallidus
Alpine Swift	Apus melba
Hoopoe	Upupa epops
Bee-eater	Merops apiaster
Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
European Roller	Coracias garrulus
Wryneck	Jynx torquilla
Grey-headed Woodpecker	Picus canus
Green Woodpecker	Picus viridis
Black Woodpecker	Dryocopus martius
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major
Middle Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos medius
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dryobates minor
Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
Lesser Kestrel	Falco naumanni
Merlin	Falco columbarius
Hobby	Falco subbuteo
Peregrine	Falco peregrinus
Ring-necked Parakeet	Psittacula krameri
TOTAL:		119	153	154^[2]

[1] Unlike in Demongin, the Steppe Buzzard does not have a separate account in Baker. It is rather briefly discussed in the account of the Common Buzzard.

[2] 155 species if the Steppe Buzzard is treated as a separate species, the Buteo vulpinus.