Book reviews

Book reviews

Read reviews of the books we hold in the Chris Mead Library, written by our in-house experts. A selection of book reviews also features in our members’ magazine, BTO News.

Featured review

All the Birds of the World

Lynx have had a long-term project to produce an exhaustive guide to the birds of the world. It started out with the 17 volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the World (1992–2013) which has family and species accounts for all birds. This was followed by the two volumes of the Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World (2014–2016). They have now published the third and final stage of this avian odyssey with this current book.

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All the Birds of the World

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Human, Nature

Author: Ian Carter

Publisher: Pelagic Publishing

Published: 2021

The judges of Bird Book of the Year 2021 enjoyed the straight-talking and balanced approach taken by the author in addressing issues that others may have skirted. Ian’s personal knowledge around the ...

The Glitter in the Green

Author: Jon Dunn

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: 2022

Another journey of discovery, in this title the author goes in search of hummingbirds. For those judges who have been fortunate enough to see hummingbirds, this book brought back many fond memories; ...

Vagrancy in Birds

Author: Alexander Lees & James Gilroy

Publisher: Helm, London

Published: 2021

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 ...

Naturalized Parrots of the World

Author: Stephen Pruett-Jones (Ed.)

Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford

Published: 2021

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 ...

Birds of Lincolnshire

Author: Colin Casey, John Clarkson, Phil Espin & Phil Hyde

Publisher: Lincolnshire Bird Club

Published: 2021

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 ...

The Gull Next Door: A Portrait of a Misunderstood Bird

Author: Marianne Taylor

Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton

Published: 2020

Early on in The Gull Next Door, author Marianne Taylor declares that she is “not a true, hardcore larophile”. Don’t be deceived though – she clearly knows her stuff about gulls, and her deep affection ...

Birdpedia: A Brief Compendium of Avian Lore

Author: Christopher W Leahy(Author) & Abby McBride(Illustrator)

Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton

Published: 2021

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 ...

Seabirds: The New Identification Guide

Author: Peter Harrison, Martin Perrow & Hans Larsson

Publisher: Lynx Edicions, Barcelona

Published: 2021

For many, seabirds are a bit of a mystery in that they occupy a world that for most is largely inaccessible. However, during the last couple of decades pelagic tours, both daily and for longer periods ...

Bird: Exploring the Winged World

Author: Phaidon Editors(Editor), Katrina van Grouw(Introduction By) & Jen Lobo(Contributor)

Publisher: Phaidon Press, London

Published: 2021

This is the perfect coffee table book for when it’s so cold and wet that you’ve decided to postpone your birdwatching session: this rich visual survey of artworks will cure your ‘fomo’ on birds and ...
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