I have finally decided to invest more time and money in my interest for birds but I have no idea which books I should get.
I'm open for everything similar to:
• heavily illustrated beginner's guides about birds in general
• books that are more specific and offer detailed information about subtopics like certain species, migration or whatever you can think of (especially interested in birds of prey, seabirds and birds in Europe/Northern Europe/Germany/Northwestern Germany)
• ornithology books that offer more complex information far beyond the beginner stage
• Bonus: if you happen to know any good novels that feature birds as a major part of the story, please recommend these too. Can be non-fiction or fiction.
by JohnShepard2033
3 Comments
The Sibley Guide to Birds is pretty much the gold standard for North American stuff but since you mentioned Europe you’ll want something more regional. Collins Bird Guide covers European birds really well and has solid illustrations
For birds of prey specifically, check out “Raptors of Europe and the Middle East” – gets into migration patterns and identification details that most general guides skip over. And if you want something that’ll make you feel smart at parties, “The Genius of Birds” by Jennifer Ackerman is accessible but still teaches you wild stuff about corvid intelligence and navigation
Your local outdoor shop will probably have a whole section of ornithology books
I highly recommend the Life of Birds by David Attenborough, especially the audiobook!
*The RSPB handbook of British Birds* by Peter Holden & Tim Cleeves (.. maybe.. in that it’s UK specific, but I imagine there’d be quite a few species in common with mainland Europe)