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Remarkable Birds

Publisher: Thames & Hudson, London

Publication Year: 2016

Binding: Hardback

Page Count: 240

ISBN Number: 9780500518533

Price: £ 24.95

Remarkable Birds

This is the latest book from Mark Avery, who worked for the RSPB for over 25 years, being their Conservation Director for 13 years. He is now a freelance environmental campaigner.

In Remarkable Birds, Mark chooses 67 species with which to examine our relationship with birds. The book is beautifully illustrated with an array of over 225 paintings and lithographs from past artists.

Mark divides his selection of species into eight groups with headings including ‘Songbirds’, ‘The Love life of Birds’, ‘Avian Cities’, ‘Useful to Us’ and ‘Threatened & Extinct’. Each section is introduced with an examination of the theme, and looking at the variety that birds exhibit. The species accounts that then follow illustrate the range of behaviour and specialisation. For example, ‘Birds of Prey’ looks at Ospreys catching fish; Bat Owl catching its prey as they emerge from caves; Snail Kite catching slow moving snails; Eleonora’s Falcon that nests at a delayed time that ensures the mass migration of songbirds becomes available prey; Eurasian Kestrel hovering and using very accurate eyesight; Harpy Eagle, a very large bird that catches and carries away surprisingly large mammals; and Secretary Bird that stalks on its long featherless legs through vegetation stamping on its prey.

Mark’s writing style is easy to read, and yet he still manages to pack in large amounts of information. This is an attractive book that contains a wealth of fascinating facts about familiar and less familiar species. Its format makes it easy to pick up and read small sections at a time.

Book reviewed by Derek Toomer



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