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Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe
 
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Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (Hardcover)

by Lars Svensson (Author), Peter J. Grant (Author), Killian Mullarney (Illustrator), Dan Zetterstrom (Illustrator), David Christie (Translator)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 412 pages
  • Publisher: Collins; New edition edition (6 Dec 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007192991
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007192991
  • Product Dimensions: 31.2 x 21.2 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 439,571 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Review
* The richest, most comprehensive of the current guides. 'The Times' * This book will surely become our standard guide for many years to come. 'BBC Wildlife' * ...buy this book, read it in the bath, keep it in the car boot and use it. 'Bird Watching' * One of the most talked about and fervently anticipated bird books of the past decade has finally arrived ... The wait has been worth it. 'Birding World' * ... this book is a must for every birdwatcher. 'Country Life' *If you want to have only one guide to British and European birds, this is the one to get. 'British Wildlife' *As essential as binoculars for those who take birdwatching seriously 'New Scientist' *.. go on, buy it and enjoy it - it really is a very good book! 'RSPB Birds magazine'

Product Description
Following on from its hugely successful launch in 1999, Collins Bird Guide -- the ultimate reference book for bird enthusiasts -- is now available in a lavish large format edition. With expanded text and even larger colour illustrations, this guide covers every species and every plumage you will see, with detailed information on identification, habitat and voice. A must for every birdwatcher. The book provides all the information needed to identify any species at any time of the year, covering size, habitat, range, identification and voice. Accompanying every species entry is a distribution map and illustrations showing the species in all the major plumages (male, female, immature, in flight, at rest, feeding: whatever is important). In addition, each group of birds includes an introduction which covers the major problems involved in identifying or observing them: how to organise a sea watching trip, how to separate birds of prey in flight, which duck hybrids can be confused with which main species. These and many other common birdwatching questions are answered. The combination of definitive text, up-to-date distribution maps and superb illustrations, all in a single volume, makes this book the ultimate field guide. It will become essential on every bookshelf and birdwatching trip.

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Customer Reviews

39 Reviews
5 star:
 (33)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
140 of 144 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but not quite the definitive guide., 20 May 2001
By A Customer
Much attention and comment has been focused on this book since its original publication in hardback, and deservedly so. As stated in The Times review, it most probably is 'the richest and most comprehensive of the current guides'. Just holding the book and looking at the cover, you get the impression that the publishers had every confidence that this book would sweep away the competition, and wanted to display it that way. The front design is striking - jet black, with bold, shining, gold and white upper-case text - 'BIRD GUIDE' - the image of a barn owl on silent wings and the proclamation of 'the most complete field guide to the birds of Britain and Europe' adding to the effect. The book seems to scowl 'Buy me, I'm brilliant and I'm the best!'. Clever, yet the appearance is strangely unwelcoming and almost intimidating.

Does it live up to the hype? The earlier 'Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe' with Bertel Brunn is a landmark, a classic book that had everything right - perfect illustrations, clear and unambiguous descriptions. Has this continued in that vein? Well, yes and no. By-and-large, the contents are excellent. Extraordinary works of art show the appearance of each species, immaculate, stunning and intimate in their detail. This, coupled with perfectly clear and in-depth descriptions of form, plumage, song and flight, provides a wonderful guide to the identification of even the most easily confused species. For the size of the book, everything has had to be crammed in, and the visual 'feel' is of slight overcrowding - but this is unavoidable if you want a book this informative and descriptive for field use. The major fault is that for some species, some distribution maps contain inaccuracies. Examples - the cormorant breeds quite happily along most of the Irish coast and on lakes in the midlands, yet the relevant map wrongly indicates it is only a winter visitor to most of the coast, and a resident only in pockets. The map for the yellow wagtail shows it as absent from Ireland and Wales, though it is not. Also, the nightjar breeds in parts of the Algarve, yet is only shown as a passage visitor to the region. I have spotted several more examples relating to Ireland, Portugal and Italy which makes me wonder if other maps are unreliable for other countries. This is a real dissapointment for what otherwise is a very fine book, and could cause confusion for learners and those hoping to use this book while travelling - defeating the purpose of a field guide.

If these errors could be corrected, this book would be the definitve guide to Europe's birds.

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53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best field guide to any avifauna, 8 Nov 2005
By Christopher J. Sharpe "Chris Sharpe" (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book emerged onto a highly competitive market already burgeoning with numerous field guides, most by renowned authors and many having benefitted from improvement over several editions. Quite simply though, this book won instant recognition as the best field guide available for Europe - and perhaps a model for field guides everywhere. Its authors are well known experts in their field having spent many years studying and publishing on the birds of the region. However, the key to the guide's success is the fact that so much more useful information has been condensed into a guide which is much the same size as existing books. The book boasts excellent illustrations, succinct text and handy maps, all presented on a the same page. Small enough to fit into a pocket and cheap, it is a must for anyone even remotely interested in British or European birds. Don't hesitate!
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the seasoned bird-watcher, 31 Jan 2001
By A Customer
The original version of this book is good but the larger print version is even better. The diagrams are first class. Overall a first rate reference book to have at home to check on those birds you are still unsure of after reviewing your field guide. The section on gulls shows the different appearances of first winter gulls, second winter etc., something most field guides omit. The size of the book prohibits it being taken into the field but is ideal for those cold dark winter nights when the repeats are on telly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect guide to birds of Europe
This book is small enough to carry into the field and comprehensive enough to cover all needs. The descriptions and illustrations are excellent and thorough. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Pamela Tunney

4.0 out of 5 stars Bob The Barbour
I have dozens of bird books, but if I had to pick only one it would have to be this book, it covers all the birds of the British Isles and Europe but a lot of books does this but... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert Barbour

5.0 out of 5 stars collins bird guide
The best bird guide ever, needed this book for a friend and now he will not put it down,you will find the answer to those tricky birds non birders try to describe just by loaning... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alan Heeley

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want the best - then this is it!
I have quite a large collection of bird guides, including a good number concerning Britain & Europe. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dr. Otto Meth-cohn

5.0 out of 5 stars My first review
I found this book to be very usefull as it gives pictures of juvinile and winter plumage, which is very helpfull when tracking down a species. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. P. C. Inskip

5.0 out of 5 stars Collins Bird Guide
The book was bought as a present for family friends who have developed an interest in bird watching. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. G. W. Jack

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best at what it does.
This is beyond any reasonable doubt the best portable field guide.
The other reviewers make that clear. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Phil Bull

5.0 out of 5 stars Birds - lots of feathers
I bought this book to identify the little blighters who hop and fly merrily around my garden. It's a great book with good images and text. The only bird book you'll ever need.
Published 15 months ago by D. Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT BOOK!
I cannot recommend this book khighly enough. I have being birding for 25 years and have amassed a collection of c60 bird books on European birds. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Derek L. Watters

5.0 out of 5 stars First class field guide
An excellent field guide with brilliant drawings of all the birds in their different plumages. Really does help when identifying rare birds or ones which you are unsure of.
Published 17 months ago by Mr. C. D. Yates

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Britain and Ireland or Britain and Europe? 1 4 days ago
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