Other Guides

These books are better suited to armchair reading, but some may be all right carried in a rucksack.

Bird Guide; K. Mullarney, L. Svensson, D. Zetterstrom, and P. Grant; Collins; ISBN 0007192991; 1999 (Large Format) This book has been praised by most birders ever since it was published for its excellent pictures and descriptions of over 700 species. I think it is outstanding and a worthy addition to any bookshelf. This large format book is for the coffee table and not the backpack, but allows you to really appreciate the stunning illustrations. Also available in smaller format hardback and paperback. Buy from Amazon

Birds Britannica; M. Cocker & R. Mabey; Chatto and Windus ; ISBN 0701169079; 2005 Birds Britannica is magnificent and lavishly illustrated book that reveals the importance of birds in our culture, including folklore, myths, art and literature, birds as food, anecdotes, the seasons and much, much more. Buy from Amazon

The New Encyclopaedia of Birds; C. Perrins; Oxford University Press; ISBN 0198525060; 2003 This weighty tome is absolutely magnificent - profusely illustrated with fantastic photographs and pictures of all the World's main bird families. So, if you are interested in finding out more about Ostriches, Penguins, Bower Birds, Vultures and so on, this is the book you have been waiting for. Buy from Amazon

Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America; K. M. Olsen et. al; Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd; ISBN 0713670878; 2004 If you are fascinated by gulls but struggle to identify the different species by the often subtle differences then this book should be on your bookshelf - well, probably on your coffee table. The illustrations, photographs and descriptions are excellent. Beware, however, this really is not a book for those wanting to separate Black-headed Gulls from Mediterranean Gulls - there is simply too much information in here and for species you would rarely see in the UK. Buy from Amazon

Collins Birds of the World: Every Bird Family Illustrated and Explained; L. Beletsky; Collins; ISBN 0007242360; 2007 I couldn't wait for my copy of this title from Collins. Sadly, although the illustrations are excellent, the rather limited number of species and poor accompanying text makes this one of the poorest bird books from the Collins stable. If you want to learn more about the bird species of the World, get a copy of The New Encyclopaedia of Birds. Buy from Amazon

The Birds of the Western Palearctic - Concise Edition; D.W. Snow & C.M. Perrins; Oxford University Press; ISBN 019854099X; 1998 This two volume set distils the 9 volume set. Within the 1700 pages the descriptions for each species found Europe, North Africa and the Middle East comprises: identification, size and weight, habitat, distribution, population, food, voice, behaviour, and breeding. Now out of print.

Tracks & Signs of the Birds of Britain & Europe; R. Brown et. al; Helm; ISBN 0713653825; 2003 Have you ever found a feather, but cannot identify from which bird it came? Well, this book can help identify birds from what is left behind, whether this is their tracks, nests, pellets, droppings, feathers or skulls. Superb! Already I have identified birds from feathers that I have found, which in some cases I would still be wondering about had it not been for this book. Buy from Amazon

Bird Nests, Eggs & Nestlings; C. Harrison & P. Castell; Collins; ISBN 0002201259; 1998 The cover states this is "a book for bird-lovers, not for egg collectors". Detailed descriptions and illustrations in this book offer insights into an interesting part of the bird's life cycle. Buy from Amazon

Bill Oddie's Birds of Britain & Ireland; New Holland; ISBN 1853688983; 1998 This is billed as the ideal book for the beginner, which indeed it is, however, anyone loving birds will find this book enjoyable - particularly with Bill's irruptions of wit. Buy from Amazon

Birds by Behaviour; D. Couzens; Collins; ISBN 0007115490; 2003 This is not your typical field guide; forget detailed descriptions and illustrations of birds as this one concentrates on how the birds behave when feeding, flying, etc., thus often providing that essential key in differentiating between two similar looking species. The book is profusely illustrated and annotated, and this leads to the one minor criticism: some pages are a bit cluttered. Buy from Amazon

Photographic Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe; H. Delin and L. Svensson; Chancellor Press; ISBN 1851529446; 1996 A large (29cm x 22cm) format book with many excellent photographic illustrations and descriptions of 570 birds of Britain and Europe. Unlike some books based on photographs, this one includes photographs of juvenile and female birds where they differ from the adult male.

Birds of the British Isles; J. Flegg; Island Books; 2001 Under the editorship of Jim Flegg, an awesome gathering of ornithologists have contributed to this book. Unfortunately, an incomplete contents list, no index, and countless typographical errors spoil what is otherwise a very readable book about more than 100 species.