Product Description

This wonderful, handy guide is a complete, single source of key information on the bird life of Britain and Ireland. A `biography' of each of the 280 most common species is provided in simple, non-technical language, including a description to aide identification, habitat details and migration habits.

Over 1150 superb colour illustrations show all the major species and up-to-date distribution maps represent where they can usually be found. There is information on breeding, wintering and migration patterns as well as much to discover on identification, moult patterns, range, voice, food and feeding, breeding ecology, and conservation. The book is unique in providing guidance on identification, biology and conservation all in a single volume of this size.

Practical and easy-to-use — this is a must for the pocket of everyone interested in birds, whether a new enthusiast, or an avid birdwatcher.

At a glance:
* `Biographies' of the 280 commonest birds in Britain and Ireland
* Over 1150 superb colour illustrations
* Key information on identification, behaviour and conservation
* Up-to-date distribution maps
* Voice, food, breeding and seasonal movement details

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45479 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-13
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

The Good Book Guide, September 2006
"A compact but comprehensive reference book for the keen
birdwatcher."

Birdwatch, August 2006
"A must for newcomers to birding."

Highland News, March 2007
"I was genuinely amazed at the price as it must represent the best
value for any bird book on the market at present... get along to the
nearest bookshop as you will not be disappointed."

Customer Reviews

An excellent bird guide
This is the book that I reach for before I go to sleep to review some of the birds that I have seen throughout the day - an amazing wealth of information is crammed into a page, and each page is dedicated to a bird. The drawings and artwork are OK, not up to Collins standards, and it would not be my first choice for a field guide, but for some interesting factual information about species that I have encountered. This is the one, and worth having just for that. I love it, and think that the RSPB have a very good and effective range of books out at them moment.

Easy to Read And Use
The RSPB Handbook of British Birds is an excellent all-round bird book with many topics not discussed in ordinary identification field guides. The main purpose of the book is to give you a better understanding of the birds in the book with sections on habits, movements and migrations and conservation which gives you an idea of what is causing decline and what can be done to prevent it. It also includes some rare birds frequently seen in Britain such as the Night Heron, Ruddy Shelduck and Scarlet Rosefinch. Wherever possible the book has tried to give as much detailed information as possible, for example instead of saying that a kingfisher eats fish, it gives a good description of the different species of fish taken. All round it is a very good book with some excellent illustrations and good up-to-date maps. An excellent addition for anyone with an interest in birds. Well worth the buy!

Extremely accessible and informative
This is a very impressive all round birdguide. Most guides limit themselves to merely providing details about how to identify species, this book not only perfroms that function perfectly well but in addition offers notes on what makes birds fascinating - their ecology, habitats, conservation status and movements. So, for example, you are not only told how to differentiate between a male and female Grey Partridge but also that they have declined by 84% in the last 25 years and that this is linked to a reduction in suitable nesting cover on farmland and insecticide use. In this way the book gives more of a clear overall picture of British bird species than almost any other book I know. Do not buy this book if you intend to find the definitive identification guide. But for anyone looking for a book that will provide interesting general information about bird species then this is for you.