This book aims to look at shape and structure, before dwelling on finer plumage characteristics, an approach you might already use on raptors. It starts ‘Gulls? No waaaayyeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’, which rather sets the tone for the rest of the book; chatty, laid back and informal. Author Pete Dunne realised he was better able to identify a Lesser Black-backed Gull at 200 yards than at 20 feet. Although, being a book covering the gulls of North America, I can relate to this point when thinking about species such as Caspian Gull here in the UK, or Lesser Black-backed Gull vs Greater Black-backed Gull, structure is a good place to start. It is acknowledged early on that you could argue (quite easily!) that gulls cannot be simplified, but that the pathway to identification can be. Gull nuts subconsciously do it all the time, narrowing down the options on structure. Pages six to nine are full of gull profiles – the first two pages are cut-out photographs, the latter two are those same images in silhouette, bringing to life the point exactly. This is followed by illustrated anatomical terms. One (of the many) things I like about this book is that these terms are repeated throughout. For example, on a given species page, where the text mentions the tertials or wing coverts, the accompanying image will have labelled pointers showing readers where those parts of the gull are, so you don’t have to keep flicking back to the introductory pages – it makes the book very accessible to all. Why would it need pointers to plumage characteristics if we are only looking at structure? Well, this book doesn’t underestimate the need to look at plumage and does go into detail regarding within-species variation of plumages of similarly aged gulls. This is also highlighted with the important addition of the date each photograph was taken, allowing readers to properly analyse the image. Ah the images… the cover sets the standards high, and the full-page images within are simply stunning too. OK, if I have to choose – the Ring-billed Gull by John McNamara on page 32 is probably a personal favourite. The majority of photographs are by Kevin T. Karlson and make for a beautifully illustrated publication. If I were being very picky, it would be nice not to have the same images repeated, for example, the flight shot of the adult breeding Heermaan’s Gull and profile snaps of an immature Thayer’s Gull and Iceland (Kumlien’s) are used a couple of times – I would have hoped there would be enough images to show various points without recycling the same image – but it’s not something you’d notice unless you’d looked through the book as often as I have! Overall, they are perfectly placed to explain a point and many are fascinating; with species in the same frame allowing direct comparisons. These images teamed with the friendly style of writing make you want to read and study every corner of this book, every paragraph, every caption and to top off the enjoyment – a quiz! Oh yes, this book has a photographic quiz at the back, and it is great fun – really! From a UK perspective, you will need to ignore some of the American spelling, for example the colour ‘gray’ and the term ‘molt’ – unfortunately two of the most frequently used words in gull identification! Species names may cause some confusion for those who don’t know the quirks in common bird names such as their Herring Gulls are American Herring Gulls when they visit the UK and a distinct species, ‘Iceland’ Gull is our ‘Kumlien's’ and ‘our’ Common Gulls are their Mew Gull – the latter two pairs being separate races. Overall though, it is a refreshingly uncomplicated read and I often find myself browsing through the pages again and again. This is a book on the gulls of North America, aimed to complement other gull books on the bookshelf (even for the American audiences) as stated by the author. It provides an enjoyable read, is easy on the eye and for those of us who are gull mad, it makes one look at gulls from a simplified perspective once more. For those new to gull identification, this book probably isn’t going to be very helpful when learning gull identification in the UK, but for those who are already hooked and searching for vagrant gulls from the other side of the pond here in the UK, it really is a lovely book and now sits proudly between my other gull books! OK, that’s a lie, it mostly lives on the floor next to my bed but staying off the bookshelf and in easy reach is a good sign! A highly recommended book for North American and UK gull geeks of all abilities.

Having grown up on the Wirral peninsula and begun my birding career there I was excited to lay my hands on this new book. It begins with four fascinating short chapters. The first provides an overview of the Wirral’s long history of seabird records, most notably of course its sometimes exceptional numbers (and also exceptional views) of Leach’s Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa. The other three chapters focus on some of the more dramatic status changes which have taken place in the county in recent years – the invasion of Great White Egrets Ardea alba and Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis (the latter now a breeder here), the increased prominence of scoter Melanitta flocks (including Surf Scoters M. perspicillata) and the remarkable 2016 influx of Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus. It is salutary to think that by the time I left Wirral in the mid-1980s I had never seen any of these latter species in the area. The next segment of the book comprises a useful and very clear map of the area and a site guide to the more notable birding locations, from the sandstone ramparts of Hilbre Island in the north-west via the internationally important Dee and Mersey estuaries to the freshwater wetlands of Sandbach Flashes in the south-east. The meat of the book is of course the 161 individual species accounts. These follow a standard format beginning with an overview of the species’ home range and status in Britain. Then come the details of the Cheshire & Wirral occurrences, with, for the rarer species, all records listed. The texts are solid and accurate – the only error I noted was that Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans has four subspecies, not two as stated here. Some of the systematic list was a real trip down memory lane. I was pleased to be reminded of two famous bird characters – the extraordinary wintering Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus at West Kirby from 1974 to 1979 and the Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides which returned to New Brighton each winter from 1955 to 1985. It was also nice to reminisce about the great seabird autumn of 1978 and my first Leach’s Petrel, Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini and Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus, the latter identified thanks to the ‘Witherby Handbook’ in the school library. An equally happy read was the account of the 1979 Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana at Meols, my first ‘top drawer’ rarity and the subject of an anxious after-school dash following a tip-off from the late ‘Prof’ Craggs. Since those days the keen birders of Cheshire & Wirral have gone on to find an enviable list of rare birds. The best passerine I found on Hilbre (my first much-loved local patch) was a Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla but in more recent years the members of the Observatory there have gone on to claim much greater prizes including Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus, Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola and even Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola! The roll call of star finds across the rest of the county (including American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus, Little Swift Apus affinis, Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus and White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys) serves as a reminder that persistence and alertness always pay off. Inevitably, the list of rarities includes many Nearctic species but the simultaneous presence of an Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis and a Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva in the same garden (at Meols in October 1971) would be impressive anywhere on the east coast. An engaging feature of the book is the inclusion of ‘finder’s accounts’, all of which capture well the subtle mix of shock, panic and joy which can accompany the discovery of a rare bird. The text is relieved by a generous helping of photographs, some of which (for example the Leach’s Petrel against a rearing wave) are simply superb. Others are a little more ‘retro’ but are no less pleasing for that. There are some great habitat shots too, that of a storm-lashed New Brighton being particularly dramatic. Also on show is the terrific artwork of Ray Scally, known to many for illustrating the late Martin Garner’s ‘Challenge’ series. I particularly liked the diminutive and jizzy Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochioloides and the sun-drenched Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola. This book is a superb summary of the rare bird highlights of what is demonstrably a great birding area. For anyone who lives or who has lived in the county this will be an essential purchase but it deserves a wider audience too. Looking back to my formative years on Wirral (birding by bicycle and with no telescope) I wonder what I missed!

This book was originally reviewed by Brian Small on behalf of British Birds. The review can be read on the BB website: https://britishbirds.co.uk/article/gulls-of-the-world-a-photographic-guide/ Is there space on your shelf for another book on gulls? For any ‘gull freak’ the answer will always be ‘yes’, but for more ‘normal’ birders what does this guide offer that others have not? My most-thumbed (gull) books are Gulls of Europe, Asia & North America, by the same author and illustrated by Hans Larsson; Gulls of the Americas, by Howell & Dunn; and, of course, Gulls: a guide to identification, by Peter Grant. There are classic papers too: Lars Jonsson’s article in Alula on Yellow-legged Larus michahellis and Caspian Gulls L. cachinnansas well as his ‘fuscus’ [Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus] paper in Birding World; and the BB papers by Martin Garner and David Quinn on Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls. There are other articles, and other books; will this new addition become equally well used? In many ways it is unfair to compare this guide to the gulls of the world with those detailed papers, as they have the capacity to deal with the intricacies of gull ageing and identification that a guide of this kind cannot. Indeed, the author professes it to be a ‘companion guide’ to (his own) Gulls of Europe, Asia & North America and to offer a ‘more concise’ view of gull identification. In this respect he has succeeded; while at the same time acknowledging that the minutiae of difficult gull identification are better served by the ‘overwhelming’ plethora of images on the internet, for example at www.gull-research.org, and by detailed papers on individual species. Following a 12-page introductory section on various elements and difficulties of gull identification, the new book moves you swiftly on to the main species accounts. These vary in length according to identification difficulty and where the plumage is most complicated. There are 1–4 pages of dense text, including a map, followed by a series of photographs showing the development of the plumage through a number of age stages and some individual variation (and occasional hybrids/intergrades). There are just eight images for Dolphin Gull Leucophaeus scoresbii, but over 30 images to help us navigate the intricacies of Iceland Gull L. glaucoides, Herring Gull L. argentatus and American Herring Gull L. smithsonianus. Individual species texts deal with ‘Identification’ (which actually is a detailed description of plumages), ‘Moult notes’, ‘Geographical variation’, ‘Hybridisation’, ‘Status, habitat and distribution’, ‘Similar species’ (which has a better discussion of identification than ‘Identification’, as it compares the discussed species with others) and ‘References’. I have to admit that I find it hard to gain a true impression from the detailed written descriptions of gull plumages, especially juvenile, without photographs or artwork. Here’s a description of a juvenile gull: ‘Head and breast muddy brown, streaked or mottled, often with more solid eye-mask. Underbody whitish with greyish brown mottling or spotting along the flanks. Central belly and undertail-coverts whitish with dark markings normally restricted to fine spots or arrow shapes along sides of undertail coverts…’. It could be any one of umpteen species (it’s actually a Caspian Gull). However, as this is a ‘photographic guide’ the focus of attention is on the images. Virtually all of the images are good, well-chosen to illustrate a point and are accompanied by text. I have two comments: firstly, the annotations could have been more detailed – in many instances there is the space – and have pointed out more of the key features; secondly, I think that in quite a few cases the reproduction is a touch too dark or contrasting, with heavy shadow or very dark background. For example, in my copy I find that the mantle tone of ‘Heuglin’s Gull’ L. fuscus heugliniis a shade too dark. A simple header at the top of each page might have been a good idea too, to save you paging back and forth to find out which species you’re looking at. The taxonomy chosen, in my opinion, takes a sensible and proactive view: ‘Mew Gull’ L. (canus)brachyrhynchusis treated as separate from Common Gull, ‘Thayer’s Gull’ L. (glaucoides) thayeri (of particular personal interest) is not lumped with Iceland Gull, nor is Heuglin’s lumped with Lesser Black-backed. Distinct (sub-) species such as ‘Steppe Gull’ L. (fuscus) barabensis, ‘Azores Gull’ L. (michahellis) atlantis, etc., are described in separate accounts, with a strong series of images. I enjoyed this book (the more I use it the more I like it) and, despite a few personal misgivings about one or two elements, I am confident it will find a prominent place on my bookshelf; I am quite sure I shall go back to it time and again.

Many ornithologists already have the multi-volume Birds of the Western Palearctic or the Concise BWP on their shelves. This new work covers almost the same ground geographically, though adding Iran and all of Arabia and following national boundaries across Africa, but it differs in concentrating on specific and racial identification, ageing and sexing. It is a massive step forward in these areas from the days of BWP, as would be expected from two of the foremost experts in these fields. Breeding and behaviour are not included: this is not a comprehensive ‘handbook’ in the tradition of Witherby and BWP. With the help of more than 5,000 superbly presented photos and 400 maps, however, we can find the very latest information on plumages, moults, calls and measurements – and how to clinch a difficult identification. The authors encourage the use of moult patterns to age birds in the field or from photographs, while the biometric information is clearly aimed more at ringers and museum workers. The photos and maps are all of very high quality and make these books fascinating to browse. Among the highlights for me are the inclusion of marginal species of which I was unaware, like Amethyst Starling, and vagrants such as Chestnut Bunting and Black-naped Monarch. A few established introductions, such as Red Avadavat, are helpfully included but not others – Red-billed Leiothrix, for example. In their ordering of families, the authors reject all recent scientific advances and revert to the work of Voous in the 1970s, on the grounds that our knowledge of avian evolution is still incomplete. This puts, for example, wagtails into the first volume and corvids into the second, which many BTO members would no longer expect. In contrast to this conservative approach, they have independently reassessed species boundaries and the divisions between races, recognising no previous authority. This a step back from the global unity of taxonomic opinion that most birdwatchers eagerly await. I will certainly be consulting this book next time I encounter a passerine I can’t confidently identify. These pages comprise all the options, along with priceless hints and caveats and are – though apparently some photos have been miscaptioned – as comprehensive and authoritative as anyone could wish. Two non-passerine volumes are planned to follow at intervals of three to four years.

Michael Brooke’s Far From Land; the Mysterious Lives of Seabirds takes the reader on a magical tour of every ocean and some of the remotest locations on the planet through the lives of seabirds. Michael Brooke’s passion for seabirds shines through from every page of this book. As a seabird biologist, he has spent his career studying this enigmatic group of birds. Out of necessity, his, and many other seabird researchers’, studies have mostly been conducted on land, leaving large gaps in our knowledge about where seabirds go when they leave our shores, how they migrate, how they cope with inclement weather conditions at sea, how they locate their food and so on. Over the past 20 years, these questions, and many more, have started to be answered thanks to modern electronic tracking devices; in this book, Brooke reveals what these emerging technologies have uncovered about the lives of seabirds when at sea. The book starts by introducing the reader to the seabird families of the world as well as to the various electronic devices that have provided so much previously unobtainable information. The book then charts the progression of seabirds from fledging, through immaturity to adulthood, revealing what we now know, thanks to electronic devices, about their wanderings as unencumbered juveniles, their migrations as adult birds, the restrictions placed on them when breeding, their abilities to flourish in (what we would consider to be) inhospitable oceanic conditions and their various feeding strategies. The final chapter looks at interactions between humans and birds, historically, currently and into the future. The book contains a series of colour plates along with black and white photographs. Each chapter is also beautifully illustrated by Bruce Pearson, the renowned wildlife artist. Stunning as the photographs and drawings are, I did occasionally find myself wishing for a splash of colour to truly appreciate the beauty of the Red-necked Phalarope or the absurdity of Red-footed Booby feet. Throughout, the text is personalised by the inclusion of anecdotes from Brooke’s days spent researching seabirds as well as occasional, sometimes random, often humorous, asides (we learn, for instance, that Finsbury Park is the London underground station used by supporters of Arsenal Football Club when heading to a home game and that Sooty Shearwaters can fly almost as quickly as Usain Bolt can run a 100m race). This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in seabirds and tracking technologies. It provides a detailed and thoroughly referenced review of the knowledge these technologies have imparted, yet is written in an easily accessible, highly readable, style. At times, it does career though numerous different species to illustrate a point, which can be a little confusing, although understandable in the context. The book is packed with fascinating discoveries and revelations – just how and why penguins leap so suddenly from the water onto an ice shelf being one of my personal favourites. What we have learned to date from these relatively new technologies is astonishing; researchers are now able to tell, remotely, where a bird is, whether it is flying or swimming, how deep it is diving, whether (and when) it is eating and so on. The potential for future discoveries as technologies advance is truly exciting and I cannot wait for the sequel to this book in 20 years’ time. I would highly recommend Far From Land to anyone with an interest in the subject.

If, like me, you are continually perplexed by the seemingly random re-ordering of birds on the British List every year, then this is the book for you. Any list of species needs to be ordered in some way, and all modern lists try to reflect the order in which species diverged, from earliest to most recent. Until the ground-breaking work of Charles Sibley in the mid 1980’s, a relatively stable consensus had emerged based largely on anatomical and physical characteristics. Unfortunately, these turn out not to be terribly helpful, distantly related species may look similar because they occupy similar habitats, and closely related ones may diverge markedly to fill unoccupied niches. The rapid advancement in molecular techniques is now providing, in ever finer detail, a picture of the true relationships, based on genetic differences. In 27 chapters, each based around a particular bird group, this book follows these relationships and the evolutionary adaptations that have led groups to diverge in different ways. The author was a medical scientist during his working life and this shows: physiological and biochemical adaptations are well covered, ecological ones perhaps a little less so. Although he doesn’t shy away from details (concentration is required in one or two places), the writing is engaging and the story never less than fascinating, so I found it hard to put down. Is this the last word on the topic? Undoubtedly not. Two initiatives: the Birds 10,000 Genomes (B10K, https://10k.genomics.cn) and the just launched OpenWings (blog.openwings.org) projects aim to sequence all or part of the genomes of every bird species in the same manner over the next few years; more surprises undoubtedly await. In the meantime though, this ranks among the best popular science books and provides a great guide to our current understanding of where, and how, birds evolved.

This book, a joint project between BTO and the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA), explores Afro-Palaearctic migration in a unique and engaging way. Compiling BTO data and using a series of artworks and photographs to beautifully illustrate, it provides a fascinating insight into all aspects of the journeys of migrant birds from Europe to Africa and back again. Whilst being in depth and detailed, the content is clear and easy to understand, making this BTO research accessible to a wider audience. It covers a wide range of factors that influence migration; from food availability and climate change, to land use and hunting, as well as the challenges that the birds face along the way. The more I read, the more in awe I became of what our migratory birds achieve year on year. Whilst the science in this book is incredibly interesting and enlightening, it is the art that brings it to life. The range of unique artistic styles, with a variety of media from watercolour sketches to screen prints, all beautifully capture the character of the migrant birds and their journeys. Depicting the birds, their habitats and the researchers at work, the artwork really aids in the communication of the science. Art and science go hand in hand, and this book is a perfect example. It helps in the understanding of this ecological research, creating a personal connection and allowing more people to engage with it. Something that the book is perhaps lacking, which would further help in the understanding of the text, are maps to illustrate the migration routes described, reinforcing the information. This book also illustrates how BTO’s work is helping to improve our understanding of this feat of nature, highlighting the importance of the variety of methods of data collection that the BTO draws on. Data from BTO research, other research projects across Europe and Africa, tracking devices, bird ringing, citizen science projects like BirdTrack, and BTO volunteer surveys like the Nest Record Scheme and Common Birds Census, are compiled to build an overall picture of Afro-Palaearctic migration and all of its complexities. Hence it is clear just how important this work is to inform conservation decisions on a continental scale. Whilst making it clear that there are many barriers to conserving our migrants, this book also instils hope for the future, describing opportunities for further research and potential solutions. This book is an excellent, engaging read for anyone wishing to find out more about our summer migrants and the work of BTO, seamlessly bringing together art and science.

Land-use in rural Britain has experienced many changes over the centuries but since 1950 it has undergone an astonishingly rapid and virtually universal transformation. The management of arable crops and grassland is utterly different to 80 years ago and yields have massively increased. Key drivers of this ‘agricultural revolution’ include supremely efficient mechanisation and huge reliance on agrochemicals. Over this period, populations of birds and other wildlife on farmland have fallen dramatically – a familiar story to many readers of BTO News. This book is a masterly and wide-ranging account of the consequences for bird populations of these recent shifts in British farming practices. Ian Newton’s perspective on one of the greatest environmental issues of modern times is especially valuable, having personally researched birds throughout the decades when agricultural intensification was at its height. He is careful not to blame the farmers who have essentially been implementing government policy. Nonetheless, the point is made that virtually all aspects of the numerous and complex changes that have occurred in lowland agriculture have been harmful to wild plants and animals. It has proved difficult to disentangle the ecological effects of one particular change from another – for example to determine the relative effects of increasing use of pesticides, the simplification of crop rotations and the shift to autumn sowing. Despite these technical challenges, the evidence is overwhelming that the declines in birds and other wildlife have been driven predominantly by the intensification of lowland agriculture. Put simply, ever more production has been squeezed out of the land, leaving dwindling opportunities and resources for wildlife. The situation differs in the uplands where hill farming does not rely on agrochemicals but grazing pressure, mainly by sheep, has large impacts on vegetation and habitat quality for birds. Although farming practices have fundamentally driven most of the observed declines in farmland wildlife, predation by increasing numbers of corvids and mammalian predators, has probably increased in importance, especially for ground-nesting birds, and may now inhibit recovery of some species. The colossal amount of research on the environmental impacts of agriculture and on approaches to softening these impacts is synthesised in an accessible way, with helpful conclusions throughout. Several chapters make it abundantly clear how land management has influenced huge declines in food for birds, especially invertebrates and seeds. However, one chapter above all others makes a sobering read – chapter 8 lays out the full implications of the ongoing massive reliance on pesticides, bringing the issue right up to date with a discussion of neonicotinoids. Two chapters are devoted to agri-environment schemes which have delivered some positive outcomes, as have local conservation initiatives, but the declines have continued and much of the countryside still supports a diminished wildlife. The restoration challenges are immense and essentially are ones of scale. This book should become a classic account of how land-use policy can have profound and rapid effects on the other species with which we share the land. It deserves to be widely read, including, one hopes, by the policy makers of the future.

Mark Cocker points out in his foreword to this thought-provoking anthology the significance of biodiversity loss for our cultural heritage. Birds in particular have long been embodied in the arts; Vaughan Williams, Shakespeare and Yeats have all drawn on avian inspiration. Curlew Calling brings together poetry, prose and artwork to highlight not only the plight of these waders but also to remind us of their contribution to our lives. This iconic bird is etched into our personal histories, for many its arrival heralds the seasons, and is an indication of the health of the countryside. Given the decline of these instantly recognisable birds, many of the pieces in the anthology are quite sobering, lamenting their loss. In particular, the poems ‘Real’ and ‘Shropshire Curlew’ are almost chilling in charting the disappearance of the birds, and the very real prospect of the once familiar call being unknown to future generations. The prose extracts often describe people’s own Curlew experiences, lending a personal touch to the anthology, and highlight the bird’s evocative capacity perfectly summed up in the piece ‘The Power of Curlews’. The artworks by members of the Society of Wildlife Artists are charming additions to the anthology, complementing the writings well, showcasing an array of compositions and media. The common theme throughout the work is the threat to these birds; even if not explicit in a particular excerpt, one cannot help but read each against this backdrop. This lends quite a haunting feel to the whole collection, which seems appropriate for work pertaining to a bird itself often described as ghostly. However, an underlying message percolating through the anthology is that of hope; although these and other birds emblematic of our countryside are in peril, it is not too late. Vital research into the causes and prevention of further declines is being carried out, to which sales of this book directly contribute. This anthology would be a wonderful addition to the shelves of not only birders, but anyone with an interest in conservation or natural history. By dipping into this collection of work, the reader can conjure up an image or revisit a memory of this icon of our landscape; an icon which we must ensure is not consigned to the history books.