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Now it is possible to listen to the amazing variety of birdsong that enriches our environment simply by opening this newly formatted book. Delve into the absorbing text and beautiful photographs of each of the 150 birds whilst listening to their songs and calls. Among many others, the sounds you will hear at the touch of a button include the cries of birds of prey like the Red Kite, Osprey and Peregrine Falcon as well as the dramatic mewing or barking cries of several species of gulls that can be found both on our coasts and in the centre of towns. The recordings include the songs and calls of much-loved garden birds as well as the sounds of many wonderful migrants: the call of the Cuckoo that heralds the arrival of spring and the piercing cries of the Swifts that arrive later.
The recordings also include sounds for mating or challenging a territorial rival: the rattling bursts of Woodpeckers as they drum their beaks rapidly against a hollow tree-trunk, or the strange bleating sound made by the Snipe's outer tail feathers as it hurtles earthwards in its display flight.
Concise descriptions are given of each species as well as fascinating nuggets of information. Did you know that the Nightingale sings by day as well as at night, and the Great Tit holds the record for the number of different songs and calls – over 50 – it produces?
With stunning colour photographs of each species, accessible and authoritative text and a unique sound module, this rich source of wildlife knowledge can be enjoyed at home or outdoors.
New to this second edition:
- Smaller format (186 × 213 mm (W × H) compared to 280 × 280 mm for the first edition)
- Now includes a headphone jack
- Now includes breeding maps
Jonathan Elphick, is a natural history writer, consultant, editor and lecturer, specialising in ornithology. Among his many books are the award-winning field guide to British birds, The Birdwatcher's Handbook and, with John Woodward, Pocket Birds. He has a B.Sc. in Zoology and is a Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London and a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London.
Lars Svensson is an ornithologist and writer. He is co-author of the bestselling standard work Collins Bird Guide. He is also the author of Identification Guide to European Passerines, and a number of specialist articles on the ID of similar bird species. Lars has been collecting birdsong since 1970.
Jan Pedersen is a photographer, writer, essayist and adventurer. For more than two decades he has led guided tours to wildlife destinations around the world. He has also worked as warden and guide in Sweden's nature reserves and lectures frequently to popular science audiences. He is also the author of Sweden's Birds: A Field Handbook for All.
