Birds [antikvár]

Introduction This book is designed for the very many people who wish to identify easily and confidently the common or conspicuous birds that they se^ in their gardens, the countryside and on holiday. It covers only the more widespread and obvious species of northwest Europe, omitting those that are rare, have a very localized distribution, or are easily overlooked except by experienced ornithologists. 168 species are illustrated. The accompanying texts describe the distinctive features of their plumage, behaviour and voice, as well as summarizing when and where they are likely to be seen. In cases where two species are very similar in appearance and difficult to separate, special joint texts explain the points of difference between them. In most bird books the species are arranged in a standard scientific order based on their evolutionary origins. This is useful in several ways, but not particularly helpful to someone who is new to the problems of bird identification. Here, the pictures and texts are arranged so that as far as possible birds that may be confused with each other are portrayed on the same, or adjacent, pages. Bird indentification rapidly becomes easier with practice but at first even the common species will seem confusing. You will get a lot of help if you join a club or society and go on their outings. If you haven't the opportunity to do this, then concentrate initially on getting to know the birds that you see regularly around your home. When you know these twenty or thirty species fairly well and, given a reasonable view, can identify them quickly and confidently, they will provide a basis on which you can steadily extend your knowledge and identification skill. Equipment If you wish to identify more than the few species that you will see close to, you will need binoculars. Magnification should be by 8 or 10 times, but this is not the only factor to consider: cheap glasses with poor lenses may give poor performance. The best procedure is to go to a reputable binocular specialist and take his advice. You will be able to try out a wide variety of models and select one that best suits your requirements. Telescopes are helpful for identifying birds far out at sea or on large water bodies, but they do not function well under poor light conditions and are heavy to carry around. When and where to watch Some birds are very tame and confiding, but most are wary and should be approached with caution. In woodland, most small birds may prove very hard to watch, and the best technique is to sit quietly with your back to a tree on the edge of a clearing and wait for the birds to come to you. Another good place to watch is at water, where all birds will eventually come to drink and