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    Concise Garden Bird Guide
    Concise Garden Bird Guide
    Concise Garden Bird Guide
    Ebook314 pages45 minutes

    Concise Garden Bird Guide

    By Bloomsbury

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    About this ebook

    This practical field guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, provides essential information on identifying and attracting eighty-eight species of garden bird.

    Each species account contains accurate artworks that show details to help readers differentiate between similar looking species, and male and female birds. A concise written account further outlines their size, plumage, voice, habitat, food and distribution in Britain and the near Continent. The book also includes general guidelines on food, feeders, nest boxes and other items that can greatly increase the presence of birds in your garden.

    The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateOct 2, 2014
    ISBN9781472915771
    Concise Garden Bird Guide

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      Book preview

      Concise Garden Bird Guide - Bloomsbury

      There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. Together The Wildlife Trusts are the largest UK voluntary organization dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places everywhere – at land and sea. They are supported by 791,000 members, 150,000 of whom belong to their junior branch, Wildlife Watch. Every year The Wildlife Trusts work with thousands of schools, and their nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors.

      The Wildlife Trusts work in partnership with hundreds of landowners and businesses in the UK. Building on their existing network of 2,250 nature reserves, The Wildlife Trusts’ recovery plan for the UK’s wildlife and fragmented habitats, known as A Living Landscape, is being achieved through restoring, recreating and reconnecting large areas of wildlife habitat.

      The Wildlife Trusts also have a vision for the UK’s seas and sea life – Living Seas, in which wildlife thrives from the depths of the oceans to the coastal shallows. In Living Seas, wildlife and habitats are recovering, the natural environment is adapting well to a changing climate, and people are inspired by marine wildlife and value the sea for the many ways in which it supports our quality of life. As well as protecting wildlife, these projects help to safeguard the ecosystems we depend on for services like clean air and water.

      All 47 Wildlife Trusts are members of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (Registered charity number 207238). To find your local Wildlife Trust visit wildlifetrusts.org

      Contents

      Introduction

      Plants for Birds

      Drinking and Bathing

      Feeding in Flocks

      Feeding Birds

      Birdfeeders

      Bird Tables

      Nest Boxes

      Wildfowl

      Game Birds

      Herons

      Hawks & Allies

      Falcons

      Rails

      Gulls

      Pigeons

      Parrots

      Typical Owls

      Kingfishers

      Woodpeckers

      Swifts

      Swallows & Martins

      Larks

      Pipits & Wagtails

      Waxwings

      Wrens

      Accentors

      Thrushes

      Kinglets

      Warblers & Allies

      Flycatchers

      Chats

      Long-tailed Tits

      Typical Tits

      Nuthatches

      Treecreepers

      Crows

      Starlings

      Sparrows

      Finches

      Buntings

      Bird Topography

      Introduction

      The Concise Garden Bird Guide is first and foremost a garden bird identification guide containing detailed descriptions of the most commonly encountered species, as well as some rarities and birds you may only see flying overhead in gardens. It also includes general guidelines on food, feeders, nest boxes and other items that can greatly increase the presence of birds in gardens. More detailed information on the practical elements of creating a bird-friendly garden, such as making nest boxes and gardening for wildlife, is available in books devoted specifically to these purposes.

      Attracting Birds

      You can entice birds to even the smallest garden by putting out foods such as seeds, grains and kitchen scraps. They are also attracted to berry-bearing shrubs and trees, particularly in autumn and winter, and by the insects that feed on plants. Native plants are generally better food sources than introduced ones, although non-native plants such as cotoneasters and pyracanthas, which produce large amounts of fruits in autumn, are just as useful as native species. In larger gardens, plants that are particularly good for attracting birds but are considered invasive, such as Teasels and Common Nettles, can be grown in specially dedicated wilderness areas.

      Even the smallest pond attracts insects and other invertebrates, and provides birds with an additional source of food. A pond may provide a place for birds to drink and bathe if it has shallow areas at the edges; a smaller water source such as a bird bath serves this function very well.

      Dense shrubs and trees provide cover for shelter and nesting, as well as food. Shelter in the form of nest boxes attracts birds, but they will only nest if there is enough small insect food available nearby, because even the seed-eating species feed their young on insects. Birds that are nesting should not be disturbed. Bear in mind that it is illegal to approach or inspect artificial or natural nests where birds are nesting (generally early March–late August), and to carry out tree surgery where nesting birds are present.

      Identifying Birds

      The information in this book includes the size of each featured species in average length, variations in plumage colours, calls and songs, habitat details and aspects of behaviour. Many birds can be tricky to identify even for the most experienced birdwatcher. When attempting to identify a bird, check the following distinguishing characteristics:

      Flight

      This can be a major identification clue. As examples, woodland birds such as woodpeckers have an undulating flight that is particularly noticeable when they are flying across an open area; Kingfishers have a fast and direct flight, often close to the surface of water; ducks and swans fly with rapidly moving pointed wings and outstretched necks.

      Shape

      General shape and distinguishing characteristics such as the bill shape, and tail or leg length.

      Colour and plumage patterns

      Some birds, such as Mute Swans, are distinctive and relatively easy to identify. However, colour and plumage patterns are not always the best guides to identification. Male birds often differ from female birds, juveniles generally differ from their parents (and often from each other), and the plumage of many birds varies depending on the time of the year and the light conditions. Some species, such as Willow Warblers and Common Chiffchaffs, are very similar and may be particularly difficult to identify.

      Behaviour

      Many birds, such as tits, are gregarious and often likely to be seen in flocks, particularly during winter, while others are more frequently seen in pairs. It is also useful to look at the way a bird is feeding and relating to other birds.

      Noise

      Although some bird calls and

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