British Birds: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide)

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By Iain D. Campbell, Ken Behrens, Charley Hesse and Phil Chaon; Princeton University Press, 2021; reviewed in BBby Stephen Menzie ( Brit. Birds115: 537–538).

My older sister owned this and the Observer’s Book of Birds. I loved both and still do. I find myself drawn to things that are the same, but different. Birds and eggs, for instance; but there’s a greater degree of difference between birds than between their eggs. The eggs of the buzzard and the sandwich tern are much more alike than the buzzard and the sandwich tern. It’s largely a question of scale. Another release in the highly popular WILDGuides series, this title takes the approach of its predecessor Britain’s Birds but expands its cover across Europe. The panel felt that considerable work has gone into selecting a wide range of images, so that variation in plumage and different postures are shown clearly for each species. This mesmerising account of White’s determination to train a goshawk was part of the inspiration behind Helen Macdonald’s enormously popular H Is for Hawk. Indeed, Macdonald wrote a foreword to a recent reissue of The Goshawk. I take away from it a strong impression of obsession, plus the lesson behind this useful remark: “If you saw a bird … it had already seen you.”Edited by Javier Caletrío; Pelagic Publishing, 2022; reviewed in BBby Stephen Menzie ( Brit. Birds115: 745).

When casting their votes, the judges paid particular attention to the ornithological impact of the titles on the shortlist. Of course, ‘ornithological impact’ can be a rather broad concept – but there’s no doubt that this book will have a substantial impact on the world of ornithology. Accordingly, the title was awarded points from all six of the BBBY judges. When discussing thoughts on the title, the term ‘not preachy’ was used on multiple occasions –and that was one of the qualities that drew the judges to this book. The positive stories and practical inspiration for how individual birders can reduce their carbon footprint while engaging in their hobby make this a readable and meaningful title, and the judges felt that this was one of the most important books published in the past 12 months. The judges were particularly impressed by the way Vagrancy in Birds presents theories and observations in an easily accessible way. They also felt that the title communicates the importance of vagrancy to a range of ornithological phenomena, from the formation of new migration routes to speciation. An impressive amount of research is included in the family-by-family section, covering extralimital species records, and theories and observations about vagrancy in the given family. By Mark Thomas; privately published, 2022; reviewed in BBby Kieran Lawrence ( Brit. Birds115: 744). This book about vagrancy - a potentially dense and academic subject - offers something for all birders and ornithologists, from birdwatchers and rarity seekers to conservationists studying habitat loss. As a result of its wide appeal, the judges recognised this title as one of the most useful titles of 2022.The narrow geographical scope of the book (a clifftop local patch in Yorkshire) enhances rather than detracts from the author's dedication and passion. Look at him, putting his own book in. Always thought he was the type. Except I’m not. When I edited the anthology Murmurations, I included a new story, Gulls, by Nicholas Royle. Professor of English at the University of Sussex (I teach at Manchester Metropolitan University) and author of numerous works of nonfiction, Royle had published his first novel, Quilt, the year before. Gulls reappears in this, his second. At a time when rewilding and wildlife-friendly land management are rising in the public consciousness, the judges felt that this book offers a nuanced view and does not shy away from its subject's complexities. As a result, the title will be a rewarding read for many, from wildlife-sympathetic individuals to on-the-ground conservationists. This year, Hazel McCambridge, Maria Farooqi and Jenna Woodford represented BTO on the judging panel, while Paul French, Sarah Harris and Stephen Menzie represented British Birds. The very thought of a book on gulls is enough to send some folk running – so the judges were pleased to see that this guide offered a straightforward approach to gull identification.