Whether you are listening to a flock of geese communicate as they fly overhead or watching a group of feeding waders on an estuary, wetland birds are among the UK's most gregarious and charming waterbirds. But do you know a Coot from a Moorhen? And can you tell the difference between a Wigeon and a Pochard? The UK's wildlife-rich freshwater habitats are home to a diverse collection of our most beautiful wild bird species. RSPB ID Spotlight Wetland Birds is a reliable fold-out chart that presents illustrations of 51 of our most widespread and familiar wetland birds by renowned artist Stephen Message. - Species are grouped by family and helpfully labelled to assist with identification - Artworks are shown side by side for quick comparison and easy reference at home or in the field - The reverse of the chart provides information on the habitats, behaviour, life cycles and diets of our wetland birds, as well as the conservation issues they are facing and how the RSPB is working to support them - Practical tips on the most suitable foods to feed ducks and other waterbirds are also included The ID Spotlight charts help wildlife enthusiasts identify and learn more about our most common species using accurate colour illustrations and informative, accessible text.

"An utter delight" - Jennifer Tetlow. In the Encounters in the Wild series, renowned nature writer Jim Crumley gets up close and personal with British wildlife - here, the kingfisher. With his inimitable passion and vision, Jim relives memorable encounters with some of our best-loved native species, offering intimate insights into their extraordinary lives.

Do you have a large 'Wader'-sized gap in your bird knowledge? Roy Cowgill and Stephen Davis will help you fill in those gaps and will soon have you identifying South Africa's shorebirds with confidence and ease. This unique new guide will help identify the more common waders (shorebirds) in South Africa and will appeal to both experienced birders and novices. Using classification, characteristics and behaviour, and based on an 8-point identification framework, the reader is guided through the stages of identification of shorebirds. The book gives visual clues to both plovers and sandpipers through silhouettes and plumage patterns showing their relative size as a key to identification, as well as photos with key species characteristics. Also included are descriptions of habitats, tables showing seasonality, abundance and distribution.

Raising children, nursing them when ill, and teaching them to respect nature falls right into a parallel category of nursing injured animals that are brought home for a parent to help them recover. Sewing skills, honesty, and creative problem-solving are also a plus when tackling unchartered waters. It also helps to have a tender heart

From the tiny rufous hummingbird to the majestic bald eagle, Colorado is home to more than 496 types of birds, making it one of the finest birding destinations in the world. Preserved habitats created by local, state, and national authorities have helped foster and protect nesting sites for hundreds of species, 235 of which are featured in their natural habitats, from Great Plains to Rocky Mountains, in this ornithological guide. The birds are organized by type from waterfowl to finches and appear in beautiful color photographs accompanied by clear and concise introductions, identification tips, and habitat and birdsong descriptions. The book also includes a complete state bird checklist and a directory of birding destinations, making this field guide the perfect companion for anyone interested in learning more about the natural history of Colorado and the diversity of the state’s birds and where to see them.

The understanding of nature was Ralph Simpson's consuming passion, which he pursued with unmatched vigor and high spirits. In Grass Flats, 1890--1923, Simpson meticulously documents 218 species accounts of bird life in Warren County, Pennsylvania, including notes on other species observed at Presque Isle on Lake Erie. Simpson speaks of habitat preferences and population shifts, while at the same time offering a view of the natural world with a bit of whimsy, as in the following 1909 observations of the Screech Owl. I knew of an old Flicker's hole nearby, and on going past I saw feathers about the edges, so I investigated and found a Gray Screecher at home. She made no resistance, so I reached in and counted five eggs under her, petted her, and left her. Join this noted naturalist, as he seeks adventure birding in the virgin timber of Wild Cat Run, navigating a steep precipice in the wilds of Goshawk Basin, or climbing 70 feet up a giant Eastern Hemlock to peer into a Sharp-shinned Hawk's nest. From his exploits, Simpson learned early on that, with nature, every moment instructs. Simpson, with feet on terra firma, beckons you to his stomping ground--Grass Flats.

Originally published in 1851. First editions are now extremely rare and very expensive. One of the first books to deal in comprehensive detail with the management, history, natural history and types of domestic and wild pigeons. The illustrated contents include chapters on: Earliest History - Domestication - Legends and Superstitions - Breeding and Management - Classifications - Breeds - Carriage, Flight and Colouring - Natural History - etc. This fascinating book will appeal greatly to all pigeon enthusiasts and contains much advice and information which is still of practical use today.

'High from the earth I heard a bird' - Emily Dickinson Eric Fitch Daglish (1892-1966) was a wood engraver, writer and illustrator. His book 'Woodcuts of British Birds' was published in 1925. Daglish learnt the art of wood engraving from Paul Nash and became known for his illustrations of the natural world. He illustrated an edition of Gilbert White's 'Natural History of Selborne' and he both wrote and illustrated several books on natural history, including 'Birds of the British Isles', 1948. Beautifully produced in hardback with lined paper and ribbon marker, this makes a perfect gift for bird watchers and nature lovers.

This is an introductory guide to 180 species of bird commonly found throughout Scotland in the best-selling pocketable Gem format. Unlike many field guides, "Gem Scottish Birds" does not cover birds which only visit occasionally, or which occur in such small numbers and are so difficult to identify that only experienced birdwatchers can spot them. Instead, it concentrates on the commoner species that the amateur birdwatcher is most likely to see, plus a few scarcer ones of particular interest. The entries are grouped taxonomically, with a detailed introduction to all the different habitats. There are also details of key identification features and behavioral characteristics which will help you identify each bird with accuracy and ease. Each entry includes full-color illustration; common name and Latin and Gaelic name; the season in which the bird is likely to be spotted; and details on habitat, feeding habits, and voice. There is also a section with up-to-date details about places of interest and the best sites to go for birdwatching, with maps and contact information to help you get there. Packed full of information, "Gem Scottish Birds" is the ideal guide for both visitors and residents of Scotland who wish to learn about the fascinating wealth of birds that can be found there.

The Roberts Bird Guide (2nd Edition) has gone to great trouble to concentrate on, and illustrate, difficult-to-identify species and family groups such as raptors, warblers, cisticolas and waders. Special attention has been given to make sure there is far greater coverage of male-female differences and there are also many more juvenile illustrations. Unlike all previously published southern African bird guides, this new edition will be scattered with informative photographs that are incorporated in the text pages and each plate illustration is augmented with an introduction. Apart from the approximately 240 plate spreads, the guide also has 12 photographic and illustrated double spreads that show head enlargements and other details. Plates are annotated far more definitively than other guides – highlighting key identification features, especially for difficult-to-identify species.

This is the definitive monograph on the gamebirds of Africa. This detailed full-colour handbook includes everything needed to identify and get to know the 89 species that fall into six groups: guineafowls and Congo Peafowl (7 species) francolins and partridges (33 species), spurfowls (26 species), quails (3 species), sandgrouse (13 species) and snipes and Eurasian Woodcock (7 species).

Gamebirds of Africa offers a concise and updated summary of the large but scattered body of accumulated scientific research and field-guide literature. Pertinent and interesting facts about the distribution, habits, breeding, and conservation status of each species are presented in a readable fashion. Numerous photographs convey the appearance, characteristic features, behavioural activities and, in many cases, the habitats frequented by each bird.

Gamebirds of Africa will be a worthy addition to the ornithological literature and to the bookshelves of bird enthusiasts, particularly birders, wing-shooters, land owners and anyone with an interest in nature and conservation, throughout Africa and across the rest of the world.

The publication of this book was made possible through the generous funding of the Wild Bird Trust and the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town.

Every year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries. Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.

100 SWEARY TEAR-OUT POSTCARDS TO DELIGHT YOUR NEAREST AND DEAREST, FROM THE CREATOR OF EFFIN' BIRDS Ever since Effin' Birds first appeared on social media, fans have been clamouring for a way to deliver these lavishly illustrated profane messages in the real world. Today is the day that their prayers and DMs are answered: Greetings from Effin' Birds is a book of 100 tear-out postcards, featuring new birds and new jokes, plus 100 absolutely true* Bird Facts that will help you spot these fine avian creatures in your everyday life. The bewildered gander wants to talk about how fucked everything is... The fretful scaup wants to know how long this bullshit is going to take... The rational sheldrake is losing its fucking mind over here... and 97 more! *All 100 Bird Facts are completely untrue.

Discover the number one bestselling phenomenon that is a powerful and profound mediation on grief expressed through the trials of training a goshawk. **SELECTED BY CARIAD LLOYD ON BBC TWO'S BETWEEN THE COVERS** As a child, Helen Macdonald was determined to become a falconer, learning the arcane terminology and reading all the classic books. Years later, when her father died and she was struck deeply by grief, she became obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. She bought Mabel for GBP800 on a Scottish quayside and took her home to Cambridge, ready to embark on the long, strange business of trying to train this wildest of animals. H is for Hawk is an unflinchingly honest account of Macdonald's struggle with grief during the difficult process of the hawk's taming and her own untaming. This is a book about memory, nature and nation, and how it might be possible to reconcile death with life and love. 'This beautiful book is at once heartfelt and clever in the way it mixes elegy with celebration' Andrew Motion 'It just sings. I couldn't stop reading' Mark Haddon, bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time 'Dazzling... Deeply affecting, utterly fascinating and blazing with love and intelligence' Financial Times

The ultimate guide to the birds of Bangladesh Despite being one of the most densely populated countries on Earth, Bangladesh boasts a diverse range of natural habitats, including forests, wetlands and grasslands, and supports a wide range of species including a number of sought after regional specialities. Birds of Bangladesh is the definitive field guide to the rich avifauna of this fascinating and beautiful country. - Covers all 705 species that occur in Bangladesh, including vagrants - 103 superb colour plates, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference - Concise species accounts describe key identification features, voice, habitats, distribution and status

The very best photographs from Bird Photographer of the Year. The Bird Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the artistry of bird photography, and this beautiful book reflects this. A celebration of avian beauty and diversity, it is a tribute to both the dedication and passion of the photographers as well as a reflection of the quality of today's modern digital imaging systems. The book includes the winning and short-listed images from the seventh year of this annual competition, showcasing some of the finest bird photography and with a foreword by birdwatcher and explorer, Steve Backshall. A proportion of the profits from the book goes directly to Birds on the Brink to support their conservation work. The advent of digital technology has revolutionised photography in recent years, and the book brings to life some of the most stunning bird photography currently on offer. It features a vast variety of photographs by hardened pros, keen amateurs and hobbyists alike, reflecting the huge diversity of bird enthusiasts and nature lovers which is so important in ensuring their conservation and survival.