Europe's Birds: An Identification Guide (WILDGuides of Britain & Europe, 37)

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The Eurasian Wren is a common European bird that prefers dense vegetation, gardens, and reed beds as hiding places. As a result of domestication, they no longer pose a threat to humans and are, instead, a delightful addition to any yard. Europe's Birds: An identification guideby Rob Hume, Robert Still, Andy Swash and Hugh Harrop(Princeton University Press,New Jersey, 2021). A blanket ban, therefore, is likely to lead to a significant decline in the impact of lead on wild birds. While concerns have been raised over the costs and effectiveness of replacement ammunition, nine leading shooting and rural organisations announced they were looking to see the end of lead shot by 2025. The description of fifteen flagship farmland species that represent the threats and pressures on the ten agricultural systems and have an umbrella effect

The peculiar technique in which the Eurasian Collared Dove drinks is just another of the bird’s peculiarities. Mediterranean species such as the European bee-eater and little egret are now reaching the UK, France and the Netherlands, mainly due to milder winters. Eurasian bittern, pied avocet and red kites have also expanded their range, probably in response to better protection of habitats coupled with laws banning persecution.

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I have Collins (app), Britain’s Birds (soon to be joined by Europe’s), Helm Bird Identification, Britain’s Butterflies, Britain’s Dragonflies, Gulls, Gulls of the World, Waders by Helm, Waders of Europe - photographic. I do also have most in hard copy, but I wouldn’t be taking that lot in the field any time soon other than on my phone. The European Commission launched the Birds@Farmland initiative in 2020, to develop tools to support farmland bird conservation in the EU. The project focussed on 10 Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal), but its findings are highly relevant for all Member States. Unfortunately, the use of fertilizers and pesticides on farms is leading to a precipitous drop in European Greenfinch numbers. The list below shows approximately 350 European bird species – lots of them with video so you can easily get to know the typical looks, behaviour, songs and other sounds of our wild birds.

The female of this species will deposit her eggs in another bird’s nest so that the parent bird can take care of the young. This is a view shared by those who put the report together, who have called on European governments to work together to protect birds across the continent.

Sunflower seeds or thistle (nyger) seeds can entice this acrobatic bird into your yard to sing for you. Some Eurasian Collared Doves were accidentally released in the mid-1970s when a pet store was looted in the Bahamas. Populations of the Azores bullfinch, meanwhile, have stabilised after its range became a protected area and work was undertaken to restore the laurel forest it relies on. It is now classed as Vulnerable instead of Endangered. One of the best and the most complete [field guide] out there."—Stephen Menzie, British Birds and British Trust for Ornithology

Meanwhile, Finnish scientists and researchers from Oulu University and Metsahällitus are using innovative research methods to identify potential breeding grounds for these geese in the Finnish Lapland. Simultaneously, WWF Finland is training and expanding the goose monitoring group to new countries to enhance monitoring efforts and data collection. In Estonia, BirdLife‘s Partner, the Estonian Ornithological Society, alongside other partners, has fostered close collaboration with farmers and local communities to raise awareness and build consensus on the ground for the conservation of these species. Lithuanian and Hungarian organizations have been actively advocating for effective changes in legislation to bolster legal measures aimed at halting the decline of these geese. And experts from BirdLife Norway have been collecting crucial data on the goose‘s reproduction, providing valuable insights to experts across Europe. Lead has been used to make ammunition for hundreds of years. Its malleability and melting point make it easy to work with, while its density allows it to fly more accurately. It is a welcome addition to any garden because of its eye-catching plumage, sweet yet uncomplicated voice, and penchant for bird feeders. The latest identification guide from WildGuides and as is to be expected is of a very high standard and is the most comprehensive and ambitious one yet. . . . The best identification to Europe’s birds."—Mike King, Gloster BirderAmong the most threatened birds is the sociable lapwing, a wader of which just 11 adults are thought to be left on the continent. While the lapwings are found elsewhere, the Critically Endangered Balearic shearwater is only found in Europe and will be lost forever if it goes extinct. Its cry is loud and clear, and it is like the word “wren” being spoken. There is no simpler method to identify this species. Claire Rutherford, species conservation officer at BirdLife Europe, says, 'We can improve the plight of Europe's birds. Bird populations in Europe are dropping mainly because they are losing their habitats, and there are solutions to that.

The Birds Directive recognises the legitimacy of hunting wild birds as a form of sustainable use. It therefore allows the hunting of 84 huntable species listed in Annex II provided this is done in a sustainable manner that does not jeopardise their survival. The book begins with the obligatory introductory section, detailing anatomy, ageing, sexing and moult, as well as a 'how to use'. All of which are important aspects to birding at all levels, whether for basic identification or for those who wish to take their birding a bit more in depth. This book recognises that, and each species is complete with photos of any relevant age groups and sex-related plumage. The explanation of moult is a welcome inclusion, with terms kept simple for the reader's benefit. Unlike the Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive does not distinguish between priority and non-priority species. However, the LIFE Regulation provides a possibility to adopt a list of bird species considered as priority for funding under the LIFE programme. LIFE projects that focus on practical conservation measures for any of the species or sub-species on the list can benefit from a higher EU co-funding rate, up to 75 %. The scientists behind the research have called for faster action as a ban on lead ammunition is being considered in both the UK and the European Union (EU). The European Red List of Birds found that many of the 500 species living on the continent were creeping ever closer to being wiped out, as humanity's impacts on the environment take their toll.The European Red List of Birds was first published in 2015, building on two similar assessments carried out in 1994 and 2004. Sourcing precisely the right image to illustrate a particular point can be difficult, and the images showing the different underwing colours of Crested Galerida cristataand Thekla’s Lark G. theklaedo not really reveal what their annotations suggest. This, though, is a rare example and overall the images have been selected to show crucial –but often hard to capture – features. In some cases, small illustrations are used to depict features not clearly visible in the images, thus the tail patterns of Turtle Dove Streptopelia turturand both subspecies of Oriental Turtle Dove S. orientalisare shown, as is the pattern of the adult median coverts in Blyth’s Anthus godlewskiiand Richard’s Pipits A. richardi. Every effort seems to have been made to incorporate as much valuable identification detail as possible.