Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe [Paperback]

Chris Kightley (Author), Steve Madge (Author), Dave Nurney (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 1998

This invaluable book is the ultimate pocket guide to the birds of Britain and north-west Europe. Covering birds of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Britain, and Ireland, it describes 386 species, including all breeding species and all regular and scarce migrants.

The definitive and accurate text highlights the key features that are required to make quick and safe identification. Almost every species is illustrated with a plate and all plumages regularly seen in the region are depicted. Similar species are compared to scale on double-page spreads as an aid to identification. Numerous maps are also included.

Copublished with Pica Press

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Birding tour operator Kightley, author Madge, and illustrator Dave Nurney have produced an attractive, easy-to-use field guide to the birds of Britain and northwest Europe. Brief introductory material explains how to use the book and offers a bird topography, glossary, and tips for improving birding skills. The rest of the guide, arranged by family, identifies 380 species of birds. Each half-page to full-page entry includes the English common name, the scientific name, size, a range map, and detailed color drawings of all plumages seen in the area. Many of the birds are also depicted in flight. The authors share habitat, tips on identifying the bird (by sight, behavior, and sound), relative abundance, and a comparison to any similar species. Packed with information, this book fits easily into a pocket or backpack. Another excellent choice, Roger Tory Peterson and others' A Field Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe (Houghton Mifflin, 1993; 5th ed.), covers a wider geographical area and includes 548 species. Recommended for circulating collections in public and academic libraries.ASue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"One of the best guides for a beginner" The Oserver (June 2008) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (March 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300074557
• ISBN-13: 978-0300074550
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent field guide, September 4, 1999

By 

Floridian (Ocala, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe (Paperback)

This is a very intelligently laid out guide for the field. Pictures, copy and maps are all on the one page; no thumbing from picture to map to copy, as with Peterson's field guide. No space is wasted, even the inside covers are full of information, and there is a color code index. This was designed by persons who know what it is to hurry, in wind, rain or bad light, to identify a bird.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-west Europe., July 26, 2001

By 

Lisa M. Harkins (Greenbank, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe (Paperback)

I checked this book out of the library prior to a trip to London, and now I'm going to buy a copy for my library. This is such a well laid out book, and the perfect size for the field. The information on the covers is particularly nice, with black and white illustrations of members of all the families so that you can quickly determine where in the guide to look for details. This is very helpful because there are many unfamiliar birds there that don't fit into the categories of birds we're used to in the states. And right inside the front cover is a color-coded index to help you quickly get to the section you need. I also liked the interesting facts about the birds that you don't see in many field guides. If you need a guide to birds for this area, this is definitely the one to have!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please let them publish one for North America!, May 22, 2001

By 

Joyce (South Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe (Paperback)

Before our vacation in Denmark this month, I purchased this guide and based my selection on the 2 previous reviews and its small size. Boy, did I get lucky! This is one great field guide! Not only is all the pertinent information for each species located on one page, but that one page is also full of all sorts of interesting items (such as behaviors and flight patterns), written and/or pictured. If the authors would compile a similar guide for our North American species, it would surely replace my almost-worn-out National Geographic (my previous favorite)!