RSPB British Naturefinder


Book Description

A species-by-species guide that shows you how to find and watch nearly 300 mammal, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate species in the UK. Most wildlife books are designed to help you identify the animals you have seen. This book is different. In this new, user-friendly guide one British species is highlighted per page, and each account explains in accessible text how to find it, where to find it and how to ensure you have the most rewarding wildlife-watching experiences. Within the 'How to Find' section, author Marianne Taylor explains the best time to look for each species, its preferred habitat, and offers tips to help make your search easier or more productive. In 'Watching Tips' she advises on how to get the most from your encounter, how to observe the species at length and with luck witness its most fascinating behaviour. A colour panel indicates each species' geographical distribution on a map, including 'Super Sites' where the species is particularly abundant or regular. A calendar shows when each species is present or active in the UK to help you plan your visits to nature reserves. Colour photos serve as a reminder of each species' key identification features. In total, RSPB British Naturefinder features nearly 300 species, and it includes all British mammals, reptiles and amphibians, along with a carefully chosen selection of other British animals of interest, such as butterflies, moths, dragonflies, spiders and fishes.




RSPB Nature Tracker's Handbook


Book Description

A complete guide to how to interpret the signs that animals leave behind.





Book Description




RSPB Spotlight Ducks and Geese


Book Description

RSPB Spotlight: Ducks and Geese is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. This will be a detailed 'biography' of ducks and geese that breed in or regularly visit the UK – covering 30 species in all. It will include chapters on the evolution of ducks and geese, their place in the natural world, their anatomy and physiology, various feeding methods, spectacular courtship displays and diverse breeding behaviour. Marianne Taylor will reveal their often epic migrations and examine their social interactions with their own and other species, including their unusual readiness to hybridise. She will also detail their relationships with humankind over the centuries, including their presence in folklore and literature and their role in our lives as both prey and pets. She will also explore their presence as feral and sometimes invasive species outside their natural ranges, and their current status within their native wild ranges as the group includes several species recently recognised as being of global conservation concern.




RSPB British Birdfinder


Book Description

Most bird books are designed to help you identify the birds that you've seen. This book is different. It is a species-by-species guide that shows you how to find and watch more than 250 species of birds that can be seen in Britain. Some are common; others are rare migrants or scarce breeding birds, but this book will tell you the best places to see and watch all of them. Sections include: - How to find including the best time of day, how to search the habitat and behavioural signs - Watching tips including ways to get close to the bird without disturbing it and how to attract it to your garden. - Super sites includes a short list of some of the best places to see the species. Readers will be able to see their most coveted species but also enjoy rewarding watching experiences that will enhance their understanding of the species, of bird behaviour and of key fieldcraft techniques.




Spectacular Britain


Book Description

From the Northern Lights to whirling coastal birds, and sunken villages to the annual deer rut, the UK is home to some of the world's finest natural spectacles. With this guide and a little luck, you too can experience the magic of seeing something truly extraordinary. Start planning your spectacular year with the help of this practical guide to the UK's most magical natural phenomena. This guide shows you when and where to go, and how to maximise your chances of a sighting, as well as explaining why these amazing spectacles occur in the first place. Sections cover: - Space: meteor showers, eclipses and supermoons, Northern Lights - Weather: hidden currents, mountain waves, named winds - Tides: tidal bores, tidal races, low tide walks - Land: autumn colours, wildflower displays, rutting deer - Rivers and lakes: salmon runs, sunken villages, waterfall wonders - Coast: wheeling waterbirds, seabird cities, seal pups Each spectacle is graded according to how easy it is to spot, and the author gives expert tips on achieving the best sighting. Scientific insights describe the astronomical, meteorological and ecological causes of events, which are brought to life through the stories of the people who know them best, from the glider pilots who ride mountain waves to the King's Guides who help people navigate the dangerous sands of Morecombe Bay. This is your starting point for some truly phenomenal adventures.




RSPB British Birds of Prey


Book Description

This book is a celebration of British raptors (including owls), with 200 stunning colour photographs. An authoritative text examines the biology and ecology of each species, following their fortunes as British breeding birds from historical times to the present day. This book serves as a showcase of these fabulous birds and highlights the diverse work of the RSPB in ensuring their survival.




RSPB Spotlight: Robins


Book Description

Robins is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable expert. Our most iconic bird, the Robin, is one of the most characterful and familiar of all our garden visitors. Their melodious voices, bright red breasts and cheeky attitudes always endear them to us, but how much do we really know about them? Despite their cute appearance, Robins are aggressively territorial and hold their territories all year. Their year-round presence has helped them become a beloved and instantly recognisable species. In this delightful book, Marianne Taylor provides a revealing account of their life cycle, behaviour and breeding, what they eat and how they hold their territories, and she looks into the many cultural representations of these much-loved little birds. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals.




The Pocket Book of Bird Anatomy


Book Description

What is a bird? To answer that, we must understand how birds are different from all other living things and how they fit into the diversity of life on Earth. This excellent RSPB guide to bird anatomy looks at the avian body, system by system, how it evolved, and how it functions. Chapters explore traits that are unique to birds, including their remarkable one-way breathing cycle, their trimmed-down skeleton, how feathers permit flight, provide weather-proofing and add beauty, and the avian bill – a lightweight replacement for both teeth and food-handling forelimbs. Each chapter tackles a particular body system and includes detailed anatomical illustrations, from cells and organs to skeletons and muscles, to show how birds' anatomical adaptations enable all their physical feats and fascinating behaviour. Feature spreads offer more in-depth analysis on topics like birdsong, temperature control, ornamentation, unusual diets, social behaviour, nocturnal adaptations, mutation and natural selection. Featuring more than 300 diagrams and colour photos, this fascinating new book also looks at the human impact on the avian world and reveals how behaviour and anatomy work together to produce these vibrant living beings that delight and inspire us so much.




RSPB ID Spotlight - Coastal Birds


Book Description

A reliable, attractive fold-out identification chart illustrating 50 of Britain's coastal bird species. This RSPB-licensed ID guide features 100 artworks illustrating 50 of Britain's best known coastal birds, including summer and wintering species. Artworks are printed on one side of the fold-out chart with species grouped taxonomically and helpfully labelled to assist with species identification. On the reverse of the artworks, informative and engaging text is provided on the featured species, as well as tips on the best reserves and pelagic trips for watching seabirds. Threats facing our coastal bird species are outlined with advice on what we can do to help to reduce plastic waste or overfishing in our seas. Breeding numbers are also detailed highlighting the UK's largest breeding colonies where we can see spectacular views of seabirds in summer.