The very first *Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World* is actually two books in one. It is a complete checklist whose taxonomy incorporates the most recent information as well as a comprehensive methodology (Tobias et al. 2010), all presented in a perfectly systematic and consistent manner. At the same time, the work provides illustrations and distribution maps for all the bird species in the world. It includes the original illustrations from the HBW series as well as hundreds of new plates, all compiled into two compact volumes.
