The Crossley ID Guide: Britain & Ireland is a celebration of the beauty of birds and the British and Irish countryside. Aimed at beginner and intermediate birders, yet suitable for all levels, this new volume in the groundbreaking Crossley ID Guide series is the most user-friendly guide to the birds of Britain and Ireland. Following The Crossley ID Guides' award-winning design, this book looks at all regularly occurring species in Britain and Ireland, and shows readers how to identify birds in their natural habitats using size, structure, shape, probability, and behaviour – just like the experts do! Stunning images are accompanied by the colourful and compelling text of Dominic Couzens, one of Britain's leading nature writers.
This unique book treats more than 300 species – all the regularly occurring birds likely to be encountered by observers – and The Crossley ID Guide: Britain & Ireland's attractive pages provide a real-life approach to bird identification. Beautiful, in-focus scenes present birds in various plumages and in lifelike poses set in identifiable British and Irish habitats. The plates also illustrate how a bird's appearance changes with distance. Organizing images in cohesive, easy-to-understand plates rather than as separate photographs, The Crossley ID Guide: Britain & Ireland also sets itself apart by containing more images that demonstrate flight, behaviour, habitat, and plumages than any other volume available. Not only is this field guide a reference book, it is also a spectacular teaching resource that makes it easy for nature enthusiasts to see and appreciate the big picture of bird identification.
Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder and photographer and the award-winning author of The Crossley ID Guide series (Princeton/Crossley Books), which has been recognized for a pioneering approach to bird identification. He is also a coauthor of The Shorebird Guide, the cofounder of the Pledge to Fledge global birding initiative, and he is working on multiple birding projects involving mixed media.
Dominic Couzens is one of Britain's best-known wildlife writers. He contributes regularly to Bird Watching and BBC Wildlife magazines, and is also a professional field-trip guide. His books include The Secret Lives of Garden Birds, Top 100 Birding Sites of the World, and Extreme Birds.
"[...] If you like this style, or are willing to give it a go (as with anything new it can take a little while to get used to) then I would highly recommend this book to help you improve your skills at identifying real birds in real situations!"
– Su Gough, BTO book reviews
"This book is beyond excellent and there won't be a birder in Europe and beyond who won't be hoping to find this in their Xmas stocking!"
– Bo Beolens, Fat Birder
"The book looks fabulous. For me, it spans the gap between the traditional field guide with paintings and the newer guides with photographs. It is the best of both worlds. Now there's no excuse not to identify everything correctly!"
– Nick Baker, Wildlife TV Presenter and Naturalist
"[...] In summary, this is a valiant and groundbreaking effort. It will be especially valuable at the less-experienced end of the birding community, since it is restricted to the commoner species and shows the whole spectrum of plumages. It is not, and does not pretend to be, a ‘field guide’, being more a book to study in an armchair before or after a birding trip. I feel that it would have been better published in a larger format giving more space in layout. This might have reduced the cluttered appearance and enhanced what will make a brilliant supplement to most birder’s libraries."
– David T. Parkin, British Birds, 22-01-2014