RSPB British Birds of Prey by Marianne Taylor & Stig Frode Olsen : 8 August 2011
This book was recommended to me particularly for the photographs by Stig Frode Olsen and it has to be said that it is hard to imagine better photography than this. Each species has eight to ten accompanying photographs each of the highest quality. The text is equally as impressive and comprehensive. For each species there is an introductory section followed by sections on conservation ; distribution, population and habitat ; diet and hunting ; courtship and reproduction ; movement and migration; and the future prospects for the species. There is also a chapter on “rare visitors and vagrants” dealing with the lesser encountered species likely to pitch up in Britain.
Although these sections are comprehensive in themselves throughout the book Marianne Taylor takes the oppportunity to introduce a multitude of other topics such as the introduction and re-introduction of species and the successes and failures of such programmes, the impact of birds of prey on song birds, migration, game hunting, criminal persecution of birds, hybridisation, diamorphism, mobbing, cannabilism, climate change and so on in a book that matches content with illustration. I couldn’t believe that you can buy this 224 page long A4 hardback book with more than 200 top quality photographic illustrations from Amazon for £13.65p. At that price there can be no excuse for not buying one of the best and most comprehensive books available on British Birds of Prey.
“RSPB British Birds of Prey” by Marianne Taylor & Stig Frode Olsen, Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd (22 Nov 2010), Hardcover, 224 pages, ISBN-10: 1408128497, ISBN-13: 978-1408128497