Ever since the publication of the original edition of 'Britain's Birds' by Rob Hume et al I've been banging on about the desirability of a 'European' version. My pleas were renewed when the much improved second edition of the book appeared (see here) so I'm pleased to hear that publication of what should be a ground breaking guide is now scheduled for 25th May 2021. With just over 600pp it will be an even heftier tome that the British version but the price is still a reasonable £20 (although pre-publication offers from online booksellers should knock several pounds off the price). Here's the publisher's 'blurb':-
Covering more than 900 species, and illustrated with over 3,800 photographs, this is the most comprehensive, authoritative and ambitious single-volume photographic guide to Europe's birds ever produced. Detailed descriptions provide the information necessary to identify the birds of Europe in all their plumages - male, female, breeding, non-breeding, adult and immatures, as well as distinctive subspecies- yet the book is easy-to-use, practical and accessible. Birdwatchers of any ability will benefit from the clear text, details on range, status and habitat, and an unrivalled selection of photographs. Chosen to be as naturalistic and informative as possible, the images are also stunning to look at, making this a beautiful book to enjoy, as well as an up-to-date and essential source of identification knowledge.
The authors include top-class wildlife photographers, writers and editors, and an imaginative, highly skilled designer. All are experienced birdwatchers themselves, who know what is needed and what is useful in an identification guide for birdwatchers living or travelling in Europe.
The authors include top-class wildlife photographers, writers and editors, and an imaginative, highly skilled designer. All are experienced birdwatchers themselves, who know what is needed and what is useful in an identification guide for birdwatchers living or travelling in Europe.
- Covers all 914 species ever recorded in Europe, including established introductions
- Describes all distinctive plumages and subspecies
- Provides details of vocalizations, flight action and favoured habitats
- Features more than 3,800 photographs, including comparison pages of birds in flight
- Includes 540 maps, prepared in association with BirdLife International
- Enables direct comparison of similar species
Covering over 900 species in the sort of detail needed to match the original British guide in only a little more than 600 pages seems a very tall order to me. I admit that I was hoping that extreme rarities would be excluded to give more space to birds you are actually likely to see on a European jaunt. However, Wildguides have a world beating team and you can be sure that whatever compromises necessary (and there are always some) to produce this guide will be well considered and judged. Naturally, as soon as I get a copy I will review it here.
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