Product Description

The Complete Guide to the Birdlife of Britain and Europe is a state-of-the-art introduction to European bird life. Based on the best-selling book. The Birdlife of Britain and Europe, this classic, family reference guide includes all the resident species and regular seasonal visitors to Europe - 430 species of birds in total. Geographic coverage is from Varangar Fjord through Leningrad and Kiev to Istanbul, including the Balearics, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Crete. There are at least six exquisite, full-colour illustrations of each species accompanied by detailed information on plumages, habitats, breeding, feeding, migration, voice and distribution - all that is necessary for correct identification. Much of the text is in the form of annotation around the illustrations to highlight the most important identification features. Similar species are close together for easy comparison. The Complete Guide to the Birdlife of Britain and Europe also contains an invaluable section introducing the life of birds with large, illustrated features on habitats, biology, migration and lifestyles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #420618 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

About the Author
Peter Hayman is one of the best-known and most authoritative ornithologists, bird artists and authors in Europe, renowned for his uniquely meticulous approach to bird illustration. His previous books include the best-selling Birdwatchers' Pocket Guide (Mitchell Beazley), Shorebirds of the World (Helm) and The Illustrated Guide to the Birds of South Africa (New Holland/Straak). He lives in Suffolk. Rob Hume has been editor of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' award-winning Birds magazine since 1989. He has written several ornithological books including Discovering Birds, Observer's Birds, Focus on Birdwatching, and Birds by Character. For 10 years he was a member and Chairman of the national British Birds Rarities Committee that scrutinises reports of rare birds in Britain, and in 1973 he discovered a new species for Britain, the American ring-billed gull. He lives in Befordshire.

Customer Reviews

A superb addition to any birders library
This is quite simply the best illustrated guide to Europe's birds that I have seen. Every bird is pictured at least five times (and sometimes twenty times) in varying poses within its habitat. Seeing the birds in context, really gives this book the edge.
The text , written by an expert, is concise, thorough and up to date. Many of the recent splits are included. The likes of Yelkouan Shearwater and Southern Grey Shrike are illustrated superbly for perhaps the first time in any recent guide.

More than a field guide, the book is coffee table size, and certainly deserves to be in the collection of every serious bird watcher.

Top quality illustrations, excellent descriptions, a "must" for every birder
This is an exceptionally well presented book, with superb illustrations and easy to follow descriptions. Even on a dull, wet day when there are no birds on the feeders in the garden it is nice to flick through this book just for the exquisite drawings.

I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in birds.