Quite often, a bird does not need to be seen to prove its presence. Many birders are adept at identifying birds by sound, or can confidently assign a nest or errant eggshell to species. But how many of us spend much time investigating the ground beneath us, looking for clues of avian activity? 

Most BTO members will be familiar with those established and useful books about tracks and signs, which often include more obvious or unusual features that birds and other animals leave behind. 

This new book, however, by John Rhyder and David Wege, focuses entirely on birds and their footprints. No nibbled acorns, discarded hair, or droppings are to be found in these pages. 

Covering 139 species, most of which occur naturally in the UK, this guide allows active birders to delve into the often-subtle world of avian prints, and how to determine just what left them behind. 

I am sure we’ve all come across curious tracks in snow, sand, or mud, and while we may have been able to assign the transient creature to a family, or ‘type’ of bird, we might have struggled to confirm the departed owner’s specific identity with confidence. This is where Bird Tracks comes in, detailing the exquisite differences between, say a Rook and Carrion Crow print, or those of Grey and Golden Plover. 

It does take quite a level of dedication to get down to the sometimes-indistinct differences between some of the featured footprints, but overall, the book is an absorbing collection of images and detailed text that takes the identification of bird tracks into fresh territory. 

I for one, had no clue about the syndactyl foot of the Kingfisher, and I was intrigued by the totipalmate structure of Gannet and Cormorant feet. 

Delving into this book, one may not become an expert in the identification of birds’ feet overnight, but there is a great deal in which to delight and discover.

Reviewed by

Jon Carter