The Warbler Guide

It is a sad but undeniably true fact that one of the biggest differences between birding in North America and in Europe is that their warblers are somewhat flashier than ours (although theirs are actually slim buntings, so it’s not an entirely fair comparison). The Nearctic warblers are well covered in standard field guides, but this new book really goes to town on their identification (note, Palearctic warblers are NOT included). The authors have compiled photos of every plumage imaginable, but what makes the book stand out is the attention to the process of identification, not just the bare facts. Moreover, the book devotes almost as much space to guiding the reader through the recognition of vocalisations, both songs and calls (including nocturnal flight calls). The publishers claim that the guide contains an entirely new system of vocalisation analysis and it is hard to argue with this. It would be fascinating to see someone apply these methods to European bird songs; any takers?

Book reviewed by Andy Musgrove