- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Collins; illustrated edition edition (4 Nov 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002199173
- ISBN-13: 978-0002199179
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13.6 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 179,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
When a new American warbler appeared in a supermarket car-park near Maidstone, within two days 3500 people came from all over the country just to see it. The news spreads by word-of-mouth, by telephone hot-lines and via the media. In the UK bird recognition is a national sport. This book provides a field guide to the rare birds of Britain and Europe - describing and illustrating them - with all the non-European species ever recorded in Britain and Europe featured.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
IVE OWNED THIS TITLE FOR SOME YEARS NOW,AND IT STILL PROVIDES ME WITH SOME GREAT INFORMATION WHERE THE UP TO DATE TITLES FAIL ON THE RARER SPECIES.THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE AS GOOD AS THE RECENT COLLINS,AND SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS BETTER, WHAT A SHAME THIS TITLE HAS NOT BEEN RE RELEASED, HOWEVER I DO FEEL THAT THESE BOOKS ARE BEING SOLD FOR MORE THAN THEIR WORTH SO SHOP AROUND............
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
"A field guide to the rare birds of Britain and Europe" by Ian Lewington, Per Alström and Peter Colston is an excellent field guide to the rare birds of Europe (minus Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine).
In this context, "rare" does not refer to rare birds breeding in Europe, but rare vagrants from North America, Asia, Africa or the South Atlantic. As such, the book is of interest only to European bird-watchers. North American birders will no doubt recognize at least the North American species (such as the American Robin on the front cover). For some reason, a few Arctic species that might as well be considered European are also included, such as the white billed diver and the harlequin duck.
The book is nicely illustrated, and shows several plumages of each bird, and also juveniles. Even more plumages are described in the text, which is more comprehensive than usual for a field guide. The most likely places to encounter the vagrants are also mentioned, but that information is very dated, the book being published in 1991, and never updated since.
Personally, I must admit that I find the chasing of vagrants as a somewhat esoteric activity! I was fascinated by vagrant birds as a kid, but no more. The world, after all, is getting smaller. In the age of globalization, it might be vaguely thrilling to see an American Robin in Stockholm, but hardly earth shaking. (Perhaps an albatross might do the trick?) Still, I'm surprised that this excellent field guide hasn't been updated or reprinted. I found it by chance at a library. True, many regular field guides to European birds include vagrants, usually from North America or Siberia, but usually only the male adult in summer plumage is shown. This book could therefore fill a gap for advanced bird-watchers active on the European side of the Atlantic...
Five stars, but clearly in need of a revision!
In this context, "rare" does not refer to rare birds breeding in Europe, but rare vagrants from North America, Asia, Africa or the South Atlantic. As such, the book is of interest only to European bird-watchers. North American birders will no doubt recognize at least the North American species (such as the American Robin on the front cover). For some reason, a few Arctic species that might as well be considered European are also included, such as the white billed diver and the harlequin duck.
The book is nicely illustrated, and shows several plumages of each bird, and also juveniles. Even more plumages are described in the text, which is more comprehensive than usual for a field guide. The most likely places to encounter the vagrants are also mentioned, but that information is very dated, the book being published in 1991, and never updated since.
Personally, I must admit that I find the chasing of vagrants as a somewhat esoteric activity! I was fascinated by vagrant birds as a kid, but no more. The world, after all, is getting smaller. In the age of globalization, it might be vaguely thrilling to see an American Robin in Stockholm, but hardly earth shaking. (Perhaps an albatross might do the trick?) Still, I'm surprised that this excellent field guide hasn't been updated or reprinted. I found it by chance at a library. True, many regular field guides to European birds include vagrants, usually from North America or Siberia, but usually only the male adult in summer plumage is shown. This book could therefore fill a gap for advanced bird-watchers active on the European side of the Atlantic...
Five stars, but clearly in need of a revision!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
This book is 16 or so years old so it does not have the glossy photographs that modern bird books have, but it certainly makes up for this in its content. It is not a book for the casual observer of birds as it covers the more rare species of both Britain and Europe.
It is not inconceivable that one of the species that it covers will alight on your garden bird table one morning, but it is more likely that you will have to go and find them rather than them come to you. The book is extremely comprehensive in what it covers and the illustrations are top quality. I would suggest that it is a book for the serious ornithologist, or those who appreciate the beautiful illustrations in the book for their own sake.
It is not inconceivable that one of the species that it covers will alight on your garden bird table one morning, but it is more likely that you will have to go and find them rather than them come to you. The book is extremely comprehensive in what it covers and the illustrations are top quality. I would suggest that it is a book for the serious ornithologist, or those who appreciate the beautiful illustrations in the book for their own sake.
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