Ken keeps up with the birds

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
KEN Simpson believes his work for the bird watchers of Australia is never done.
The eighth edition of the Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, which Mr Simpson co-authored with Nicholas Day, will be launched at the Yarra Junction Library in August.
But Mr Simpson said he was already looking to the next edition.
“Another four new species have been found since the book has been finished,” he said.
The field guide was first published in 1984 and is “very intense, condensed, thought-out information”, he said.
“New information is flowing in every day – this is 30 years of bird watchers going out and finding more species,” Mr Simpson said.
He said one and a half years of work goes into the update for each edition.
“Now the bird watchers are going to islands in Torres Strait and finding more birds from Guinea, Russia and even Scandinavian birds drop in every 10 years,” he said.
Mr Simpson said he never travels without his field guide to birds.
“I’ve seen more than 550 different species of bird in my lifetime and if I could get up north I could add another 200 or so to that list,” he said.
Mr Simpson is launching the eighth edition of the Field Guide to the Birds of Australia at Yarra Junction Library on Thursday 5 August at 7pm.
Bookings are essential on 5967 1588 or book online at www.erl.vic.gov.au