Birds: through Irish eyes

Following hot on the heels of the well-received Bird Habitats in Ireland, this new book from The Collins Press looks at Irish birds from a slightly different angle. Whilst there is no doubt it has been produced in ‘coffee table’ style, with its beautiful photography and descriptive text, it is not just for glancing through and leaving on that table. 

The book begins with informative short sections offering useful tips on watching birds and identifying by ‘jizz’, highlighting the loss of habitat in Ireland and the possibility of its recovery, though a further couple of sections on garden birds and ‘tools of the trade’ sit rather oddly at the back of the book. Acting as a ‘state of the birds’ in Ireland in the 21st century, the nicely written and very readable species accounts – of one or two pages each – invite the reader to dip in and discover interesting facts about the life, behaviour, history and current status of each bird, along with anecdotes and personal observations.

Anyone who loves a well-produced book will certainly be attracted to this one, and will no doubt learn a thing or two in leafing through it. They may even get hooked…