Birds: A Complete Guide to all British and European Species [Hardcover]

A lively, large format, lavishly illustrated family reference guide to the birds of Europe

‘Dunnocks have a pretty spicy sex life…they exhibit monogamy, polygyny, polyandry and polygynandry, and any individual may embark on any one of these possibilities in any season, sometimes actually changing its arrangement in between broods. Few other birds enter such a realm of choice. How this list of options arises requires some explanation…’

Bird books are not always considered a compulsive read, yet Dominic Couzens has achieved precisely this. Birds communicates the secret lives and astonishing beauty of all the species in Britain and Europe.

Featuring over 450 species of bird that can be found regularly within Europe, this complete photographic guide provides a comprehensive and authoritative text along with some of the best bird photography in the world.

• The characteristic appearance and behaviour of every species is clearly identified, and there is at-a-glance information on food, song, habitat, migration, breeding and behaviour

• Each species is illustrated with a sumptuous colour photograph and artworks to show different plumages

• Maps accompany each species to show distribution and breeding ranges

Memorable descriptions and often astonishing facts make even our commonest birds worthy of new attention. Organised taxonomically, entries vary in length from longer articles about the more iconic species, to shorter descriptions for similar species within a family. Beautifully illustrated with over 500 colour photos and 1000 illustrations, Birds makes an ideal gift for bird-lovers and complete beginners alike.

This beautifully illustrated reference guide to all the birds of Britain and Eruope takes you beyond the information you might find in a field guide. Dominic Couzen's sparkling text conveys the secret lives, bizarre habits and fascinating behaviour of over 420 European species. Organised taxonimcally, entries vary in length from longer features on the more iconic species, to shorter articles for similar species within a family. His memorable descriptions and often astonishing facts make even our commonest birds worthy of new attention and bring to life the extraordinary diversity of closely related species.

Birds is also a visual feast, showing the astonishing beauty of all the species in Britain and Europe through the best bird photography in the world. There are also distibution maps, identification information and artwork to give you a truly encyclopedic level of information. With 500 stunning colour photos and over 1000 illustrations, Birds makes an ideal gift for bird lovers and complete beginners alike.

Birds is the ultimate reference book to the secret lives, bizarre habits and fascinating behaviour of all the species in Britain and Europe. This lavishly illustrated guide provides a comprehensive and authoritative text along with some of the best bird photography in the world.

Dominic Couzens has written many books on birds and birdwatching, including two books published by Collins: Birds by Behaviour and Birds of Britain and Ireland. He is a regular leader of specialised tours both home and abroad, and is a regular contributor to Birdwatch magazine.

Dunnocks
"Dunnocks have a pretty spicy sex life...they exhibit monogamy, polygyny, polyandry and polygynandry, and any individual may embark on any one of these possibilities in any season, sometimes actually changing its arrangement in between broods. Few other birds enter such a realm of choice. How this list of options arises requires some explanation..."

Pigeons
"The staring eyes seem to give these birds a permanently rather gormless look as they bob their heads in time with their steps on the ground, but it would be foolish to write them off as ‘bird-brained. Pigeons and doves may not have the cognitive skills to read a map but they do have highly sophisticated ways of finding their way around. "

The Great Tit
"At times a male feels the need to watch his mate literally from dawn to dusk from the time when he sings during the dawn chorus to when he escorts her back to her roosting hole. If all goes well the 8-13 eggs and resulting nestlings will all be his but spring is an anxious time."

Purple Sandpiper
"The most famous is the "rodent run" in which the bird literally pretends to be a lemming or similar and runs along the ground, making a rodent-like squeak. Beguiled by easy food the predator follows this new trail, away from the nest, and must be extremely surprised when at a safe distance the "rodent" takes off and flies away!"