Book reviews
The Corncrake: an ecology of an enigma
Author: Frank Rennie
Publisher: Whittles Publishing, Dunbeath
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781849955027
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 189pp
Price: £18.99
This comprehensive monograph is, perhaps surprisingly, the first to be published on this charismatic species. Extremely well referenced, while still being highly readable, Frank Rennie’s book provides a fascinating account of the Corncrake, both here and more widely across its range. As you would expect for a monograph, there are sections on breeding biology, migration, status, taxonomy, diet, mortality, and conservation. Refreshingly, the cultural importance of the Corncrake is also explored,... read moreMike Toms
The Role of Birds in World War One: How Ornithology Helped to Win the Great War
Author: Nicholas Milton
Publisher: Pen & Sword History, Barnsley
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781399070560
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 232pp
Price: £21.99
In a follow-up to last year’s The Role of Birds in World War Two: How Ornithology Helped to Win the War, Nicholas Milton has produced another fascinating book exploring the role played by birds in 20th century conflict. Described as “The Best Birdwatching Army Ever Sent to War”, the British Expeditionary Force included hundreds of both professional and amateur ornithologists. This book covers a number of their stories, starting with the Foreign Secretary at the outbreak of war, Sir... read more
Lesley Hindley
Tracks & Signs of the Birds of Britain and Europe
Author: Roy Brown, John Ferguson, Michael Lawrence & David Lees
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, London
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781472973184
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 416pp
Price: £29.99
I suspect that the vast majority of naturalists and birdwatchers have a few feathers, skulls and general bird detritus somewhere in their possession. These can serve as a souvenir from a trip, a useful reference, or worth having simply to appreciate their beauty or structure. Knowing where these objects come from adds a lot to their meaning. This is where Tracks & Signs of the Birds of Britain and Europe steps in.
This is the third edition of this book, with this latest... read more
Rob Jaques
The Bird Name Book
Author: Susan Myers
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780691235691
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 416pp
Price: £30.00
In style, this very engaging book sits somewhere between the terse Helm dictionary of scientific bird names (by James Jobling) and Ray Reedman’s much more discursive Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks. In content too. The subtitle here is all important - “A history of English bird names”. It aims to cover the ‘common’ English names of all bird groupings (from Accentor to Zeledonia). So no explanations of scientific names here – except where they have been transferred into the... read more
Rob Robinson
A Newsworthy Naturalist: the Life of William Yarrell
Author: Christine E. Jackson
Publisher: John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781913679040
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 228pp
Price: £25.00
Yarrell’s is a name that you have probably come across, if only through its association with the British race of White Wagtail – which we know as Pied Wagtail or Motacilla alba yarrellii. He is, however, a somewhat distant figure now, whose significant contributions to the study of birds (and fish) have largely been forgotten. Yarrell’s A History of British Fishes and A History of British Birds, published in the 1830s and 1840s respectively, were the main reference... read more
Mike Toms
Birds of the Lesser Antilles: A Photographic Guide
Author: Ryan Chenery
Publisher: Helm, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781472989611
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 224pp
Price: £16.99
This guide serves as a colourful who’s who of the Lesser Antilles’ birdlife designed for casual birders visiting the region, including those on a non-birding holiday who would nonetheless appreciate being able to identify the avian species they encounter on their travels. I am myself no means an ornithological expert, though my partner is, and we have been on many a holiday on which I have repeatedly asked ‘what’s that bird?’ or ‘what’s that I can hear singing?’. Sometimes having a weighty... read more
Sarah Cooper
Bho Bheul an Eòin / From the Bird’s Mouth
Author: Ruairidh MacDhonnchaidh / Derek Robertson
Publisher: Woodlands Studios
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780953932450
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 91pp
Price: £15.99
Over the past few years, there has been a resurgence in awareness of, and interest in, Scottish Gaelic far beyond the current heartlands of the Western Isles and Skye. Initiatives such as SpeakGaelic, a new learning program for beginners, learners, and lapsed speakers, as well as the online Scottish Gaelic Duolingo course have proven to be hugely popular. However, for Gaelic speakers, both native and learners, seeking to give voice to the nature around them, there are gaps where Gaelic names... read more
Anthony Wetherhill
Where to Watch Birds in East Anglia: Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk
Author: David Callahan
Publisher: Helm, London
Publication Year: 2020
ISBN: 9781472962225
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 366pp
Price: £24.99
Courtesy of its geographic position, diversity of lowland habitats and extensive coastline, East Anglia is high on the list of desirable UK birding destinations. Even in this age of web- and app-based resources, there is still a place for ‘where to watch’ books and this comprehensive site guide to such an attractive birding region will be of interest to local and visiting birdwatchers alike.
Overall, the book does a very good job of cramming in lots of information in a manageable... read more
Nick Moran
Birds of South Africa
Author: Adam Riley
Publisher: Helm, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781472990808
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 224pp
Price: £16.99
For budding birders or those unfamiliar with African avifauna, the prospect of identifying birds in a biodiversity-rich country like South Africa might feel overwhelming. Birds of South Africa aims to provide a lifeline for this untapped audience. Pitching itself as a comprehensive beginner’s guide, the book provides just enough information on the appearance, habitats and behaviour of South Africa’s most commonly seen species to permit a positive identification. The vibrant and... read more
Fionnuala McCully
Gulls of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: An Identification Guide
Author: Peter Adriaens, Mars Muusse, Philippe J. Dubois & Frédéric Jiguet
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton & Oxford
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780691222837
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 320pp
Price: £29.99
Although I do not condone it, I (somewhat) understand why non-birdy people often refer to all gulls as ‘seagulls’. Until you get your eye in, some species do look similar to one another. This statement may be controversial, but it is safer to say that even for more experienced birders, gulls can be tricky. This is especially true when identifying juveniles. The authors of Gulls of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: An Identification Guide aimed to tackle this problem by... read more
Fionnuala McCully
Birds of the Middle East: A Photographic Guide
Author: Abdulrahman Al-Sirhan, Jens Eriksen and Richard Porter
Publisher: Helm, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781472986757
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 224pp
Price: £16.99
The Middle East is something of an international stepping stone for both migratory birds and people travelling between Europe, Africa and Asia. For birdwatchers stopping over in this part of the world, a rich and unique avifauna awaits, and this photographic guide provides a perfect introduction. The front cover is adorned with stunning images of a representative selection of the region’s birds: Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Desert Wheatear, Steppe Eagle and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. These... read more
Nick Moran
Birds and Us: A 12,000 Year History, from Cave Art to Conservation
Author: Tim Birkhead
Publisher: Viking Books, London
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9780241460498
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 473pp
Price: £24.99
The scope of Birds and Us is impressive, beginning 8,000 years ago with Neolithic cave art and ending on a 2018 undergraduate trip to Bempton Cliffs. As BTO Vice-president Prof Tim Birkhead takes us through the millennia in between, he weaves together art, religion and science with rich historical detail, mini-biographies and personal anecdotes. The book is written clearly and directly, and the result is a highly engaging journey which will appeal to anyone interested in the... read more
Miriam Lord
Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds
Author: Bryan Nelson and June Nelson
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides, Chalfont St Peter
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781784778859
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 264pp
Price: £11.99
Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds is an update to Bryan Nelson’s original 1968 book Galapagos: Islands of Birds, with additional stories from June, his wife. The two of them spent a year on two islands in Galapagos – Tower and Hood (known as Genovesa and Española today) - studying seabirds. As such, the book is a great introduction to the different species found on the Islands with in-depth chapters on the various mammals, reptiles, insects and birds that the... read more
Clare Simm
Man and Bird in the Palaeolithic of Western Europe
Author: Anne Eastham
Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, Oxford
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN: 9781789699098
Binding: Softback
Page Count: 160pp
Price: £30.00
This book attempts to straddle the two disciplines of ornithology and archaeology, by fusing the author’s stated passion for birds with their obvious deep knowledge of early hunter-gatherer communities in Europe. With 134 pages of text out of 149 altogether, do not be fooled into thinking this will be a light or easy read; it is a dense academic piece.
The first chapters describe aspects of the ecology and diversity birds, and lives of the humans and Neanderthals that lived alongside... read more
Anthony Wetherhill
The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent
Author: Danielle J. Whittaker
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781421443478
Binding: Hardback
Page Count: 277pp
Price: £20.50
If you have ever visited a seabird colony, you will most likely have found that they are remarkable places for their ability to stimulate, or even assault, the senses. Visually, the sight of thousands of birds whirling in the air and thronging on the cliffs is always a treat, and the sounds that go with that can be a raucous, deafening orchestra. But often, the memory of seabird colonies that lingers is the smell. It’s a heady mix of guano, fish and death, but with a little something else... read more
Anthony Wetherhill
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