6 weeks in the UK - which field guide book to get (1 Viewer)

[SteveClark]

Hello all

I'm arriving in a couple of weeks. I have the Collins Bird Guide and the iBird UK Pro apps on my phone. The first is too comprehensive (but excellent). The second is OK but is a bit limited in rarities and doesn't always depict females, juveniles.

I want to buy a book as soon as we arrive. There seem to be 4-5 UK field guides. Which is the best? I want it to be comprehensive with most rarities covered. It should have behaviour and habitat as well as plumage and call descriptions. It will have accurate ranges. It must illustrate females and juveniles. That said, I value the text as much as the illustrations. I'm leaning towards the RSPB Handbook of British Birds. Does that tick all the boxes?

Cheers
Steve Clark
Arusha, Tanzania

 

[Jos Stratford]

Collins really is the best available, albeit as you said more comprehensive than you might need for only the UK ...just rip out a few pages 😅

 

[Butty]

Collins Bird Guide . . . is too comprehensive

I want it to be comprehensive with most rarities covered. It should have behaviour and habitat as well as plumage and call descriptions. It will have accurate ranges. It must illustrate females and juveniles.

I'm confused

 

[Richard D]

I think you might find the RSPB Handbook a little limited. Collins is excellent, and if you want a photo guide Wild Guide's Britain's Birds is excellent too.

 

[SteveClark]

I'm confused

The Collins guide covers all of Europe and North Africa. It is a sensational guide but way more than I need for a birding holiday in the UK. Recommend me a Collins type guide that just covers the UK. (and I said I already have the Collins guide as an app).

 

[Jos Stratford]

The Collins guide covers all of Europe and North Africa. It is a sensational guide but way more than I need for a birding holiday in the UK. Recommend me a Collins type guide that just covers the UK. (and I said I already have the Collins guide as an app).

Possibly you already know, but you can add filters to the Collins app that will limit the species it shows to those of the chosen countries (eg can filter to show only England/Scotland/Ireland for example).

 

[SustainabilityCarmen]

Is there a Sibley's Guide To Birds for Western Europe? I like using the USA version.

 

[Butty]

Is there a Sibley's Guide To Birds for Western Europe?

He only does N America.

I like using the USA version.

Don't tell any Canadians that.

 

[James Lowther]

Recommend me a Collins type guide that just covers the UK. (and I said I already have the Collins guide as an app).

Unfortunately I don’t think there is one
Cheers
James

 

[SustainabilityCarmen]

He only does N America.

Don't tell any Canadians that.

LOL Good points. I've used both Western and Eastern books for North America. I liked both.

 

[Mike Crawley]

Collins Bird Guide - book and App.

 

[Stonefaction]

An option might be the Merlin app with the UK 'pack' installed.

 

[foresttwitcher]

I would stick with the Collins you have.

 

[SteveClark]

I

Possibly you already know, but you can add filters to the Collins app that will limit the species it shows to those of the chosen countries (eg can filter to show only England/Scotland/Ireland for example).

I didn't know that! Very helpful. Many thanks.

 

[Richard D]

I think the Wild Guide's book probably restricts it's geographical coverage in the way that you want, but it is a photo guide and not everyone like's photo guides :

Britain's Birds: An Identification Guide to the Birds of Great Britain and Ireland Second Edition, fully revised and updated: 41 (WILDGuides, 41): Amazon.co.uk: Hume, Rob: 9780691199795: Books

Buy Britain's Birds: An Identification Guide to the Birds of Great Britain and Ireland Second Edition, fully revised and updated: 41 (WILDGuides, 41) 2 by Hume, Rob (ISBN: 9780691199795) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Personally I use it with the Collins and like them both, with the Collins app my first point of reference in the field.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

I have the Princeton Field Guide -- Birds of Europe by Svenson. Is that a predecessor of the Collins guide?

Should I upgrade?

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

The Princeton guide is the US print of the same title. We are now on the 3rd edition, but the differences are not significant for birding in the U.K. unless you hit VERY lucky with a vagrant! Indeed the current version having Pheasant moved to an appendix might even be less practical to you.

 

[John Cantelo]

If identification is your priority then suggest that either of the two WIldGuides photoguides would most usefully complement the Collins Bird Guide. Britain's Birds comprehensively covers all UK species in excellent detail with useful tables outlining ID for tricky species but it's a hefty book more suited for a rucksack or glove compartment. Its stablemate, British Birds: A pocket Guide, is as slim and pocketable as its name suggests. It only covers 246 species but realistically has all the species you're likely to see (unless you go twitching after specific birds). Photo coverage remains good but less so than its 'big brother'. Both have good-sized maps of UK distribution which should help (although the maps aren't as accurate as they should be). As ID guides both (but most obviously the first) are better than the RSPB Handbook of British Birds. However, neither gives you the details of the breeding cycle, biology, etc that the RSPB book provides (which also has, in my view, better maps). So, if it's that sort of complementary info you're after it's the book to get. The new RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds by Marianne Taylor & Stephen Message (note the names to distinguish it from a book with a similar title) covers 310 species & may be worth a look too.

​

​

 

[SteveClark]

Thanks everyone.

 

[pianoman]

The book I take everywhere is the Mitchel Beazley guide, it is slim yet packed with ID illustrations. It is completely oriented to ID rather than giving much background info on the species, and uses a confusing set of icons to illustrate the rarity, migration status etc. however for portability vs. ID help I really like it. Then you can find out more from another guide that evening from your armchair...