A Field Guide To The Birds Of The British Isles

by Elizabeth Balmer

New book

Genres: Animals, Nature, Reference, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting book that has some stunning colour plates. Recommended.

[AintGotTimeToRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Identifies but not exemplifies. A nice enough profile of British birds, with lovely images throughout, but the information about the birds lacks field worth, and the size of the book means you won't be stashing this in your pocket for outings.

[Prosocial Decisions · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and comprehensive book for spotting all the birds in a lovely surrounding countryside and even in the town

[Kirsten Lost 2022 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely pictures, but for a field guide it should have a quick guide to the characteristics of each bird!

[Barbara Galler-Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some lovely photos, but it needs easier/quick notes to field marks. I bought this for my first trip to the UK hoping it was as effective as a Peterson guide to Birds, but it seems should I see a bird I don't already know in flight or in dim light, I shan't be able to tell what it is.

Also, one glaring error I noticed right away: Pg 18 The photo of the Great Northern Diver Gavia immer(called Common Loon or Great Northern Loon in North America) is actually a photo of the Pacific Loon/Diver Gavia pacifica. This is a serious error and now I can't trust that other species I am not familiar with will also be misrepresented.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps not as useful as the RSPB handbooks which have better information, but pleasant to flick through with some attractive photographs.