Collins BTO Guide to British Birds Book
In a unique new collaboration, Collins have paired up with the respected British Trust for Ornithology, bringing together the most authoritative and up-to-date information in this new field guide to the common birds of Britain and Ireland.
This unique new identification guide features all of the birds that have occurred five or more times in Britain and Ireland, including all species that breed regularly in the region, plus those that winter here, or occur as common passage migrants.
The book has been written and illustrated as much with the beginner in mind as the experienced birdwatcher. Designed to be used in the field, the text and photographs describe and illustrate the key features needed to identify a species with confidence, and to separate it from similar, or ‘confusion’, species. As a general rule, the species accounts follow the taxonomic running order provided by the British Ornithologist’s Union (BOU). But for the benefit of the reader, in some instances the running order has been juggled subtly so that potentially confusing species are placed side by side. Throughout the book there are special pages that describe the key features needed for separating different families, and groups of birds that share the same habitat.
More than 1,200 photographs are featured and many are seen here for the first time. They have been chosen carefully to show not only important identification features but also to give clues to the usual habitat favoured by the bird, and its typical posture.
Annotations highlight key identification features that are discussed in the text. Song and call are useful aids to identification, and reference is made to vocalisation for each species. The average size of each bird is included; in most species this is the length, measured from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail, but in birds that are seen most frequently in flight (such as raptors), the given measurement is wingspan.
Relative abundance maps are shown for every species. The darker shading shows where a species is most abundant, and the lighter shades where it is less so. These are based on the very latest information contained within the BTO’s Bird Atlas 2007–11.
Author: Paul Sterry
Biography
Paul Sterry is a biologist, author and photographer whose interest in natural history spans more than 50 years. He has travelled widely, pursuing his interest in the natural world, gathering photographic material for his books, and taking stock images for his photo library, Nature Photographers Ltd (http://www.naturephotographers.co.uk). Recently, Paul’s interests have centred on British wildlife and its conservation. He has written more than 50 books on British wildlife, including numerous field guides. Almost all the titles are largely illustrated by images from the archive of Nature Photographers Ltd. Among Paul’s most proud achievements are books in the critically acclaimed ‘Collins Complete’ series of field guides; recent titles on Coastal Wildlife, and Mushrooms and Toadstools, have set new standards in terms of image quality and the role that photography has to play in the identification of plants and animals.
Product Details
RRP 19.99
Format Paperback | 320 pages
Dimensions 135 x 195 x 19mm | 560g
Publication date 01 May 2015
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint William Collins
Publication City/Country London, United Kingdom
Language English
ISBN10 0007551525
ISBN13 9780007551521
