Like many active birders, I am something of a bibliophile and have a rather healthy (and ever-growing) collection of bird books. But when it comes to practical field guides, I tend to stick to the Collins edition, which has dominated the European field guide market since first published in 1999. 

So, what is this new guide, and how does it differ? And who, exactly, is it aimed at? 

Firstly, it does not present itself as a standard field guide. There is little text for the species covered, no maps, and no mention of vocalisations. Instead, it uniquely focuses on just five visible identification criteria that will, it is claimed, unequivocally confirm the identity of any bird seen. 

I have to say the illustrations by Jeff Baker are, overall, genuinely superb. These are furnished with ‘Peterson style’ markers to point out the most salient ID features, making for a rapid assessment of what to look for when faced with any bird. Paul Stancliffe has done an impressive job of homing in on just five key points for each species, and while the identity of some can clearly be solved in fewer, the very concept that all species on the UK list can, in theory, be identified by so few visible features is really quite revolutionary. 

Aside of my own impressions, I also wanted to gauge response from a selection of birdwatchers to see what they thought. I handed the book around to a group while I was guiding a bird tour earlier this year and asked them to put it to use, and to provide some feedback. A catchphrase of the two-week trip soon became “have you seen all five features?” when faced with any new or challenging bird. Overall, it went down well, though some questioned how long it would take for the clean white cover to look grubby after a few days in the field! 

In summary, I think it serves as a companion to your existing favourite field guide, or as one of the tour group said, ideal for keeping in the car for handy reference. Experienced birders will doubtless find it useful for reminding them of some of the more subtle differences between similar (and scarcer) species while beginners may find it helpful for learning the basic principals of how to go about identifying birds.

Reviewed by

Jon Carter