Bird Book info

[Dogghound]

Does anyone know if there is a book or books which detail bird territory size, territory preference etc. And or detailed habitat/nesting site preference.

Things like linnet nesting relationship with gorse, yellowhammer liking hedgerows with prominant shrubs for singing. Song thrush preference for sites with bramble etc. These sort of things, just more detail than a standard ID book. This sort of infomation would greatly help me with HLS (Higher Level Stewardship) scheme work, when writing reports.

Thankyou for looking.

Dan.

[david156]

Hi,

are you after a field guide type or something more like a larger referance book?

David

[watsthat]

Hi Dan

I`ve been using 2 books for years now and find lots of interesting facts from them. They have different qualities and together give a reasonable species analysis. Although dated still very useful. They could not be considered field guides, being too heavy to carry around.

Photographic Guide to the Birds of Britain & Europe (Hakan Delin & Lars Svensson)

The Complete Book of British Birds (AA & RSPB)

Cheers

Pete

[Dogghound]

Probably more reference and fact based, just the details really. Im already quite competent with IDing birds. Its the information/ecology I am after particularly breeding bird info.

Cheers

[david156]

what I use is "The Birds of the Western Palearctic" as my main referance with specialist guides for the likes of Seagulls.
Another good book I have is "The Birdwatcher's handbook" which has identification of british and european birds without the illistrations discribing breifly, breeding habitat, displays, nesting, diet, etc.. It also contains, and I quote "170 lively essays on avian natural history"

Cheers David

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Probably more reference and fact based, just the details really. Im already quite competent with IDing birds. Its the information/ecology I am after particularly breeding bird info.

Cheers

You might find this site useful: BTO - Birds of Britain

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by david156

what I use is "The Birds of the Western Palearctic" as my main referance with specialist guides for the likes of Seagulls.

This is available on DVD from Bird guides.

[diggleken]

Hi Dogghound,
I think I know what you mean, more than ID guides needed!
2 major works spring to mind if you want books rather than using IT - Witherbys handbook of british birds, but thats 5 volumes, 2nd hand about £30 now but its compressed into the popular handbook, you can still get it 2nd hand for around £15, there is also the popular handbook of rarer birds. Both, and the 5 volumes, are full of info.
Even more expensive is the new atlas of breeding birds, I got mine when published at about £40!
I recommend starting off with the popular handbook (pub witherby, by PAD Hollom) and see if the others meet your needs/are available later on.
Cheers
Ken

[Gill Catton]

I would suggest that bird of the western palearctic (BWP) is the way to go (I'd also recommend the interactive DVD available from bird guides)..... its not cheap (pardon the pun) but whereas in most fieldguides you get a page or two of info for each species the BWP was originallya series of large volumes of reference material on birds with about nine pages per species detailing not only typical detail but recorded extremes of behaviour.

With the DVD you also get, plates illustrating eggs, plumage and subspecies, distribution maps, video footage of each species and soundfiles of their calls. It is the defiantive bird bible really and definately worth saving for or asking at birthdays etc... I have never looked back since I bought it!

You may be able to find the original version which was on CD ROM which may be hard to find but is likely to be cheaper having been superceded.

Hope this helps

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Does anyone know if there is a book or books which detail bird territory size, territory preference etc. And or detailed habitat/nesting site preference.

Things like linnet nesting relationship with gorse, yellowhammer liking hedgerows with prominant shrubs for singing. Song thrush preference for sites with bramble etc. These sort of things, just more detail than a standard ID book. This sort of infomation would greatly help me with HLS (Higher Level Stewardship) scheme work, when writing reports.

Thankyou for looking. Dan.

Hi Dan,

So far as 'nesting site preference' is concerned there are two books I can recommend:-

'A field guide to birds' nests' by Bruce Campbell & James Ferguson-Lees - this book is now out of print but you may be able to pick one up on the web. Having said that, this book is the bible for BTO nest recorders and has been in demand recently due it being recommended on the BTO's courses on nest recording.

'A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of British & European Birds' by Colin Harrison. This is a much more recent publication and is likely to be more readily available.

Hope that helps

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls & Avocets)