Book excerpt: Byram mangrove forest with a land area of 240 ha is considered as a degraded mangrove forest. However, the union of different elements, both man-made and natural – the rubbish dump, effluent ponds, intermittent semi-submerged skeletal trees, a mangrove estuary – somehow works in harmony to attract a number of bird species to such a small area. Famously known to avid bird watcher as the Pulau Burung Landfill Site, this semi-aerobic landfill is located in the Byram mangrove forest. Byram mangrove forest is part and parcel of this unique ecosystem. The Pictorial Guide to the Plant and Bird Life of Byram Mangrove Forest, Penang illustrates photos of plant and bird species thriving within the Byram mangrove. Thus, it is a recommended reading for educators, policy makers, academicians, researchers, students and land managers. Key features include: § more than 100 full-colour photos covering major plumage variation, § accurate and latest text describing the habitat, behaviour and status of birds visiting Byram mangrove forest, and § a magnificent guide that successfully captures the richness and biodiversity of the Byram mangrove, in an accessible form. This work should be considered as a continuity of another collaborative effort between Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Penang State Forestry Department on the mangrove ecosystem, from which a book, namely the Ecological Survey on Mangrove Forests: A Case Study of Balik Pulau and Pantai Acheh was published in 2006 by Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia