The Helm Guide to Bird Identification: An in-depth look at confusion species

This new field guide is largely based on the ground breaking, classic Macmillan Guide to Bird Identification published in 1989. This update looks at ninety-four confusion groups of species, from Whooper and Bewick’s Swans to Reed, Little, Rustic and Lapland Buntings.

Whilst a lot of the artwork from the original version has been used again, there is also a lot of new artwork that shows just how much bird identification has advanced during the intervening 35 years. There are, for instance, twelve illustrations for Caspian Gull (a species not recognised when the first guide was published), the recently identified pale spot at the base of the lower mandible is illustrated as a good feature for separating Marsh from Willow Tit, and the Daurian/Turkestan Shrike plate is sublime.

The text has also been updated with recently recognised identification features where necessary. Caspian Gull gets three-and-a-half pages, Northern Harrier gets a very informative half-page (although there are no illustrations) and the redpolls have four full pages that discuss the three full species, Lesser, Mealy and Arctic.

Comparing the plates with the original book, it is obvious that the printing process has made quite a difference to the colours, which appear more true to life.

As it states on the cover, this is not a complete ID guide to all British birds, but as it concentrates only on the confusion species there is ample room to treat these in much greater depth and that alone makes this book a must-have companion to any field guide. Used alongside the BTO ID videos this will be a great source of reference to help us tackle those birds we all come across while birding or surveying that we struggle with.

Book reviewed by Paul Stancliffe