Birds of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: A Photographic Guide

My immediate impression was this book was much better in the hand than on the web site. The composite photos were clear, accurate and contained different plumages. The range maps and evaluation of the presence of the bird helped with identification. The written descriptions were accurate and provided field marks that could be seen on the bird in the field. Used this guide on my first European birding trip and found it very helpful. On the negative side the book included so many rarities, that at times it was hard to find the common bird present in the field. I recommend this guide.

The book came in great condition. Looking forward to using it in Europe.

I loved it. It has beautiful photos. I can identify birds better by a photo than a sketch. The printing was terrific and I think a great value for the money.

There is a trend recently towards photographic guides. There are those that like them and those that don’t but both have advantages over the other. It can be said that the photo is the true representation of the bird and others that say that the painting is composed of several images and skins and can show more of the subtleties. Either way there will be debate. So, to the guide itself. As with all guides there is a brief introduction about how to use the book and how maps etc… are arranged and how birds appear. After this short intro the plates begin. Each species is shown with several images with text and maps on the same page, getting away from the traditional plates on the right, text on the left. Maps are in color to show summer and winter ranges and the text is fairly brief. Overall the photos are very good and show the details one would be looking for. Each of the illustrations has key features named and pointed out with arrows which will be very helpful.Europe is covered by many field guides so there are loads of choices including, probably, one of the finest field guides, so there are plenty to pick from but if you prefer a photo guide this is definitely one to consider.

Covering 860 bird species with 2,200 pictures, this is THE comprehensive guide for all of Europe and adjacent regions of North Africa and the Middle East. While the introductory text is minimal - this book does not provide a how-to for novice birders, for example - the four identification diagrams on page 7 are very helpful. Species accounts include detailed pointers for key field marks (SUPER useful!), and the "confusion species" listed where necessary are a great tool for proper identification. Some accounts do not feature range maps, but that is limited mostly to rare vagrants or birds with extremely small ranges in the covered region, and geographic notes are in the text. The typeface is small but the contrast is good for easy readability. HIGHLY recommend this excellent guide!

I found with only a few pictures for a given species, and nothing of birds in flight this was a very ineffective field guide. The pictures are large and you may have several Picts of a Birg per page but it makes it challenging to compare similar birds. I far prefer the Collins Bird Guide.

The distribution maps do not show North Africa or the Middle east.Sometimes the photos are on the smaller size, as a desk resource it should be larger to allow larger photos. For a pocket guide it is a bit on the larger/heavier side.Will be useful in combination with other guides based on sketches. (example in North America using Stokes with Sibley)

I had to return the book. It was rectangular in shape, but the cover and pages were cut diagonally to the print, such that some of the print at the corners were cut off. In the back half of the book, the page numbers were cut off and not visible.

I'm a beginner birdwatcher and I find this book really good. The quality of the photographs is supreme. Really nice addition to my library.

Very pleased with this purchase

un libro buonissimo

Beautiful publication. Bought it because I'm off to Morocco and wanted a guide that was good in that area.

Book is an excellent identification guide. I little heavy for the rucksack