This is the emblematic first volume of the series, published in 1992. It features a Foreword by Christoph Imboden, presenting the project. There is also a 38-page introductory article, providing a complete general description of the biology of birds.
Following the taxonomical order of the encyclopaedia, the volume covers the 27 bird families. Some groups are geographically highly localized (cassowaries, kiwis, Shoebill), or found on only one continent (Ostrich, rheas, emus, tinamous, Hamerkop, screamers), but the greater part of the volume is dedicated to the families of marine and aquatic birds with extensive distributions in the northern hemisphere (divers), the tropical zone (tropicbirds, darters, frigatebirds), in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters (penguins, albatrosses, diving-petrels), and cosmopolites (grebes, petrels, pelicans, herons, flamingos, ducks, geese and swans).
Order Struthioniformes
Family Struthionidae (Ostrich)
Family Rheidae (Rheas)
Family Casuariidae (Cassowaries)
Family Dromaiidae (Emu)
Family Apterygidae (Kiwis)
Order TINAMIFORMES
Family Tinamidae (tinamous)
Order Sphenisciformes
Family Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Order GAVIIFORMES
Family Gaviidae (Divers)
Order PODICIPEDIFORMES
Family Podicipedididae (Grebes)
Order Procellariiformes
Family Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)
Family Procellariidae (Petrels and Shearwaters)
Family Hydrobatidae (Storm-petrels)
Family Pelecanoididae (Diving-petrels)
Order PELECANIFORMES
Family Phaethontidae (Tropicbirds)
Family Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
Family Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies)
Family Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)
Family Anhingidae (darters)
Family Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)
Order CICONIIFORMES
Family Ardeidae (Herons)
Family Scopidae (Hammerhead)
Family Ciconiidae (Storks)
Family Balaenicipitidae (Shoebill)
Family Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
Order PHOENICOPTERIFORMES
Family Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos)
Order ANSERIFORMES
Family Anhimidae (Screamers)
Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans)