The Birdwatcher's Handbook: A Guide to the Natural History of the Birds of Britain & Europe

For millions of Americans, birdwatching is nothing less than an obsession. For enthusiasts, the excitement of sighting a rare species, the pleasure of watching a bird in flight, and the satisfaction of being able to spot and identify different birds constitute a burning passion that travels with them wherever they go. The Birdwatcher's Handbook provides a marvelous resource for these dedicated hobbyists, offering a compendium of information about European birds that will be a delight to armchair readers and vacationers alike.
In The Birdwatcher's Handbook, authors Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, Darryl Wheye, and Stuart Pimm provide in-depth information about British and Northern European birds not found in standard guides. Unlike quick-reference spotter's guides, this volume combines helpful identification aids with thorough descriptions of the birds' behavior and characteristics. Here you can find out where a bird nests, what type of nest it builds, and which partner builds it; how many eggs it lays, what they look like, which parent incubates them, and for how long; how it cares for its young, what it likes to eat, and its foraging habits. This comprehensive volume also provides details about displays, mating, wintering and migration, conservation status, and guides to further reading. For the dedicated birdwatcher on the go (in one of the most popular vacation destinations for Americans), this information will constitute invaluable help for locating and following different birds, and for identifying them by their behavior as well as their appearance. And both bird-loving travelers and homebound enthusiasts will delight in the comprehensive background this book provides on 515 separate species--including 150 short essays on avian natural history.
Bird-watchers form a remarkable group, dedicated to following their passion from the backyard to the most distant places. The Birdwatcher's Handbook provides the information they need for both at-a-glance reference in the field and hours of reading pleasure at home--the perfect companion to a trusted identification guide.