Product Description

Identification guide covering all the bird species to have occurred in the European region. The species are covered by family, with each family introduction followed by the relevant colour plates and species accounts and for 625 species there are detailed colour maps within the text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #664615 in Books
• Published on: 1998-11-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 872 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Birdwatching, or Birding, is one of the most popular activities and pastimes in Europe and so it follows that it is essential to be able to identify the birds on view, be it in the back garden or for making more serious in-depth studies.

This book aims to bring together as much information as possible in one volume, using extremely detailed, up-to-date guides and identification of every species known to have occurred in Europe and the West Palearctic, that is, the whole of Europe, North Africa as far south as the Central Sahara, the Middle East to the border of Iran, the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, the islands off Mauritania and the Cape Verde islands, as defined by Cramp and Simons 1977.

They have certainly been successful in doing so and have produced a wonderfully comprehensive guide covering nearly 900 species, showing a wide range of differing plumages. The colour plates are exquisite and have been painted by some of Europe's leading bird artists. The text is clear and can be followed by beginners but finer points of identification are included for the benefit of more serious bird watchers. Particularly helpful is the cross-referencing of the text and colour plates. There are more than 600 colour maps to identify where the birds are to be found, which are simple and easy to use with excellent descriptions of status and habitat.

Authors Beaman and Madge are both extremely well known in their field and are widely revered. Mark Beaman is the pioneer of modern professional bird tours in Europe, having travelled more extensively in the Palearctic region than any other ornithologist. He has made many important written contributions on the subject of bird identification. Steve Madge has also written a number of articles on bird identification and is the author of other bird books in the Helm series, receiving the Best Bird Book of the Year Award in 1988 for Crows and Jays. He too is a partner in a bird tour company. --Susan Naylor

Review
"Unrivalled as a single volume guide.It is so thorough that if you can't identify what you have seen from its pages the bird probably doesn't exist. [The authors] write with authority, flair and wit... First published in 1998, it remains fresh and relevant." Gravesend Reporter (January 2007)

Customer Reviews

It's a beauty
This is a fantastic reference book for birders of all levels. Lovely colour plates and great descriptive text that will have you drooling. Not a guide for field use though, and you may need to reinforce your bookshelf. For me it was love at first sight.

Best plates, best texts, best overall presentation!
It was my best friend's copy... For some obscure reason, I didn't know the book yet. He laughed at me. I simply choked! Best plates, best texts, best overall presentation! ... I had no idea a book like this could be bought by such a outrageous low price!

A must for everybody who's interested in birds !
This book, combined with a good field guide such as the Svensson & Mullarney, is really all you need .... It's my favourite bird book, and I can only HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one !!