RSPB Spotlight Crows

by Mike Unwin

RSPB Spotlight Crows is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.

In Spotlight Crows, Mike Unwin looks at the biology and ecology of all eight UK corvids and investigates why these birds have become deeply embedded in our culture, from children's rhymes and Norse mythology to Shakespeare's plays and the poems of Edgar Allen Poe.

Most of the UK's crow species--carrion crow, hooded crow, rook, jackdaw, raven, chough, magpie and jay--are very familiar birds to urban householder and countryside dweller alike. Together they make up the Corvidae family, and they have been deeply intertwined in our lives and culture since prehistoric times.

However, familiarity often breeds contempt, and crows--also known as corvids--have long attracted a bad press. Reviled as raiders of crops, feeders on carrion, thieves of jewelry and bullies of smaller birds, crows have often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun. Yet the more we learn about them, the more fascinating they become.

Behind the behavior some find objectionable lie exceptional intelligence and resourcefulness. These qualities have long captivated scientists and excited the admiration of anyone who takes the time to know crows better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2021

About the author

Mike Unwin is a celebrated wildlife and travel writer known for his books and journalism, and also a photographer, illustrator, and popular speaker.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the varieties of crows in the British Isles and also includes info on other sites of Crows and relatives. I have always loved crows so I enjoyed reading about them and their relatives - now if I could only travel to England to view the English crows and relatives - the Jay Garrulus glandarius whose coloration intrigues me. An interesting side note - during the plagues crows were part of the clean up crew and derived part of their not so great reputation from their actions.

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really like crows, aight?

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introductory book into Corvidae species found in the UK (and, by extension, Ireland). It features Ravens, Carrion Crows, Hooded Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, and Choughs.

I would've liked to have seen a table of the different sounds you may expect from the species (they mention a few, but not comparatively), and a basic skeleton with major bone identification.