Book Reviews

Man and Bird in the Palaeolithic of Western Europe
Author: Anne Eastham
Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, Oxford
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781789699098
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 160pp
Price: £30.00
This book attempts to straddle the two disciplines of ornithology and archaeology, by fusing the author’s stated passion for birds with their obvious deep knowledge of early hunter-gatherer communities in Europe. With 134 pages of text out of 149 altogether, do not be fooled into thinking this will be a light or easy read; it is a dense academic piece.
The first chapters describe aspects of the ecology and diversity birds, and lives of the humans and Neanderthals that lived alongside... read more
Anthony Wetherhill

The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent
Author: Danielle J. Whittaker
Publisher: John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781421443478
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 277pp
Price: £20.50
If you have ever visited a seabird colony, you will most likely have found that they are remarkable places for their ability to stimulate, or even assault, the senses. Visually, the sight of thousands of birds whirling in the air and thronging on the cliffs is always a treat, and the sounds that go with that can be a raucous, deafening orchestra. But often, the memory of seabird colonies that lingers is the smell. It’s a heady mix of guano, fish and death, but with a little something else... read more
Anthony Wetherhill

The Extraordinary World of Birds
Author: David Lindo & Claire McElfatrick (illustrator)
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780241529058
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 80pp
Price: £14.99
An expertly written and beautifully illustrated book, that does as the title suggests - convince children that the bird world is in fact extraordinary.
Covering all aspects of birds’ lives, the author takes the reader on a journey of discovery, from teaching children about the ancestry of birds and their behaviours, to offering ways they can help protect them such as setting up feeders and making a bird-friendly garden.
Furthermore, children will delight in the excitement... read more
Belinda Betts (BTO Youth Rep, Norfolk)

Europe’s Birds: An Identification Guide
Author: Rob Hume, Robert Still, Andy Swash & Hugh Harrop
Publisher: WILDGuides, Princeton
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780691177656
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 640pp
Price: £19.99
This newly published guide covers an impressive range of over 900 species and it is laid out in a very user-friendly way. It’s a hefty tome- it’s not a field guide but neither is it intended to be.
I’m often a little cautious of photographic field guides as it’s so dependent on the chosen photos. In this case the authors have collated a staggering 4,700 photographs to show various ages and plumages of birds and often showing exactly the features they outline in the accompanying text... read more
Steve Willis

How Birds Live Together: Colonies and Communities in the Avian World
Author: Marianne Taylor
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780691231907
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 224pp
Price: £25.00
How Birds Live Together offers an overarching view of the different and unexpected ways that birds nest and interact together. Many differing nesting habits are covered, from seabird cliff colonies to burrow nesters, to predator and prey nesting together and even non-social nesters, with discussions on the challenges, benefits, hazards, and social dynamics of each style of living, and features a wealth of species as examples.
The author, Marianne Taylor, has clearly done... read more
Gill Birtles

The Secret Life of Birds
Author: Moira Butterfield & Vivian Mineker
Publisher: Happy Yak, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780711266209
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 48pp
Price: £12.99
The Secret Life of Birds is a collection of delightful stories and engaging facts, which imparts a love of birds and of nature on the next generation, inspiring them to look after the world around them. Readers are invited to follow the book's guide, Speedy the Swift, as they fly through the pages, introducing us to their bird friends who teach the reader about such things as anatomy, the science of feathers and moulting, diet and migration. Interspersing the narrative are... read more
Gill Birtles

Feathers: An Identification Guide to the Feathers of Western European Birds
Author: Cloé Fraigneau
Publisher: Helm, London
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781472971722
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 400pp
Price: £54.99
The pattern and colouration of feathers provide valuable and often memorable clues to bird identification. Taken in isolation, however, feathers can be surprisingly hard to identify, particularly for those who do not have experience of birds in the hand. If you have even the slightest inclination to identify the feathers that you come across, this reference guide is a revelation – not to mention a thing of great beauty!
The book comprises eight chapters, including introductory... read more
Nick Moran

A Newsworthy Naturalist: the Life of William Yarrell
Author: Christine E. Jackson
Publisher: John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781913679040
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 228pp
Price: £25.00
Yarrell’s is a name that you have probably come across, if only through its association with the British race of White Wagtail – which we know as Pied Wagtail or Motacilla alba yarrellii. He is, however, a somewhat distant figure now, whose significant contributions to the study of birds (and fish) have largely been forgotten. Yarrell’s A History of British Fishes and A History of British Birds, published in the 1830s and 1840s respectively, were the main reference... read more
Mike Toms

The Role of Birds in World War Two: How Ornithology Helped to Win the War
Author: Nicholas Milton
Publisher: Pen & Sword History, Barnsley
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781526794147
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 224pp
Price: £25.00
Stories such as War Horse have brought the history of animals in warfare into the public consciousness. Their significant contribution was formally recognised in 1943 through the creation of the PDSA Dickin Medal awarded for gallantry and devotion to duty, and the important role played by birds in World War Two is clear from the fact that pigeons are the most numerous recipients.
You would be forgiven for thinking this will be a book about messenger pigeons. Whilst... read more
Lesley Hindley

Short-eared Owls
Author: Bryan Benn
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781838480004
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 432pp
Price: £35.00
This book is a remarkable achievement. It describes one man’s study of Short-eared Owls over 10 years across different parts of Britain. While the main strengths of the book are those personal observations supported by a collection of stunning photographs (again the work of one man), Bryan Benn has put these into context in a series of carefully thought out chapters. Subjects covered include appearance, habitats, behaviour (including breeding, hunting and social), movements, voice and... read more
John Calladine

The Wryneck: Biology, Behaviour, Conservation and Symbolism of Jynx torquilla
Author: Gerard Gorman
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing, Exeter
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781784272883
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 202pp
Price: £24.99
The Wryneck is one of our weirdest birds and it is hard to believe it really is a woodpecker. Gerard Gorman is a global authority on woodpeckers and combines the extensive literature with his knowledge of this species in this beautifully written and produced monograph. It is a worthy addition to his six previous books on the Picidae and the latest in the excellent Pelagic Monographs series.
Wryneck occur extensively across Northern Europe and Asia. They have been lost as a breeding... read more
Linda Smith, Woodpecker Network

Vagrancy in Birds
Author: Alexander Lees & James Gilroy
Publisher: Helm
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781472964786
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 400pp
Price: £39.99
Avian vagrancy is a phenomenon that has fascinated natural historians for centuries. From Victorian collectors willing to spend fortunes on a rare specimen, to today’s high-octane bird-chasing ‘twitchers’, the enigma of vagrancy has become a source of obsession for countless birders worldwide.
The ‘twitching’ scene in Britain is well established with reports of large numbers gathering at the site of a rare bird often being reported in the mainstream press. However, this practice isn’... read more
Paul Stancliffe

Naturalized Parrots of the World
Author: Stephen Pruett-Jones (Ed.)
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780691204413
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 304pp
Price: £34.99
Parrots are among the most endangered birds globally, their populations threatened by habitat loss, trapping for the pet trade (both legal and illegal), and shooting, the latter predominantly centred on real or perceived threats to agriculture. Trapping for the pet trade has, ironically, both contributed to population declines within native ranges and seen parrots introduced to other geographical regions and habitats. Of the roughly 300 parrot species known to have been transported beyond... read more
Mike Toms

Birds of Lincolnshire
Author: Colin Casey, John Clarkson, Phil Espin & Phil Hyde
Publisher: Lincolnshire Bird Club
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780953825721
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 240pp
Price: £44.99
The last comprehensive review of Lincolnshire’s birds was completed more than three decades ago, so this book will undoubtably serve as a timely and eagerly awaited update. Produced on behalf of Lincolnshire Bird Club, this book aims to document the status of every bird species that has occurred in the county and report on the changes concerning their population and distribution since the last publication. By this virtue it also serves to showcase Lincolnshire’s birdlife and habitats to... read more
David Norfolk

Birdpedia: A Brief Compendium of Avian Lore
Author: Christopher W. Leahy
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780691209661
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 272pp
Price: £9.99
Birdpedia is an eclectic and entertaining read. It follows an A–Z format, taking the reader from ‘Abundance’ to ‘Zugenruhe’. Along the way, we learn about everything from ornithological pioneers and poetry, to bird evolution, physiology, taxonomy, behaviour, the many threats that have faced birds in the past and those they continue to face today.
The style is conversational, with a good dose of humour. Readers will find sections on ‘Air Conditioning (Do Birds Sweat?)’ and ‘... read more
Viola Ross-Smith
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