Book excerpt: Birds are a prominent feature of the Northern Territory environment, with almost half of Australia's bird species found there in spectacular landscapes ranging from deserts to tropics. This guide will lead you to the Northern Territory's best birdwatching areas and help you find the birds. It is designed to be used in conjunction with one of the Australian field identification guides. The book has four main sections: habitats, areas, special birds and a checklist. The text does not discuss every bird likely to be found in every area, instead it points out interesting species found at each site. The special birds section covers birds considered to be special to the Northern Territory and includes tips on finding the birds and local identification hints.