Size Of Kestrel And Sparrowhawk

The Kestrel

Surprisingly, for one of Europe's commoner birds of prey, relatively little is known about some aspects of the Kestrel's behaviour and associations. Dr Village's book leaves us far better informed and is an inviting combination of readability and scholarship that reflects his dedication and enthusiasm for Falco tinnunculus. The author studied the Kestrel for several years in Scottish hill country and sheepwalk, then in two agricultural areas of eastern England, but his book also includes much valuable observation and data from Europe and elsewhere. Its twenty-one chapters cover all aspects of the Kestrel's life cycle, with special emphasis on breeding performance, population densities and turnover, and age and sex ratios. A section of over seventy tables of supporting data concludes the book. Keith Brockie has contributed over 30 illustrations which admirably enhance the pages.

Birds: ID Insights

Birds: ID Insights is ideal for birders of all levels. Its unique layout, comparing the plumages of similar pairs and groups of species, makes it perfect for identifying the more difficult birds found in Britain and other parts of north-west Europe. It has more images showing how to age birds than any comparable guide, and its handy compact size makes it practical for taking out into the field. The book is based on a long-running series of identification features in Bird Watching magazine. Author Dominic Couzens and artist David Nurney have spent years compiling the field notes and artworks for this series, and here their efforts are drawn together and made complete in a single volume that is easy to carry in the field and practical for birders to use. In addition they have expanded the species list from the magazine series and added many new birds, including the likes of Subalpine Warbler, Short-toed Lark, and Red-rumped Swallow. In total, the book covers more than 230 species, with easy-to-identify species such as Magpie and Kingfisher given minimal coverage so that the more difficult ID issues can be covered as fully as possible.

The Naturalist