At a time when many raptors in Britain and Ireland are recovering from low population in the mid to late 20th Century (or earlier), there is a growing demand for high quality information on numbers, distribution, and population trends of these birds. This publication, Raptors: A Field Guide for Surveys and Monitoring, written by experienced professionals, is aimed at people who watch, survey or monitor raptors. It provides detailed descriptions of survey methods for all species of raptor (Accipitriformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes), which regularly occur in the United Kingdom. This second edition incorporates new information and feedback on the first edition from raptor experts.
Raptors: A Field Guide for Surveys and Monitoring, including a CD-ROM containing raptor calls, sets out to promote best practice for the survey and monitoring of raptors. It is hoped that it will provide a starting point for anyone wanting to begin a raptor study, and indeed to encourage a new generation of raptor ecologists.
Written and edited by members of the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Group, Raptors: A Field Guide for Surveys and Monitoring draws on the knowledge and experience of over 300 raptor specialists. 'Raptors: A Field Guide to Survey and Monitoring' has been funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, with assistance from the other Statutory Conservation Agencies in Britain and Ireland, as well as non-government bodies concerned with birds of prey.