On this page

This page lists Whittles books that have a bird related subject. Other Whittles publications are not listed.

The books are arranged chronologically with the most recent at the top.

Shorebirds in Action: An Introduction to Waders and Their Behaviour

Richard Chandler

2017

"Shorebirds in Action is in two parts firstly basic behavioural information and then a photographic section that explains the specific behaviour being illustrated for that particular shorebird at the time the photo was taken. Consequently, Shorebirds in Action can be read as a general text, split into chapters that provide the basic behavioural information and also by captions which explain the details of the particular behaviour shown. Shorebirds in Action contains excellent photographs of about 180 shorebird species over three-quarters of the world's total and therefore provides a general reference for the identification of shorebird species and the recognition of their various plumages. It will be relevant to readers worldwide, including Europe, North America and Australasia. This comprehensive work can be read as a general text and also the photographs can be enjoyed separately in their own right. Detailed references to source material are provided."

A Fieldworker's Guide to the Golden Eagle

Dave Walker

2017

"The Golden Eagle is generally thought to be a well-known and well-documented species. However, much of the available literature is not necessarily in a form that can readily be used in the field. In fact, although much existing information about Golden Eagles has little supporting evidence it is still largely accepted without question. This book addresses this important issue and in doing so the author queries numerous long-held beliefs about Golden Eagles. He suggests that failure to recognise the limitations of the available evidence is not only detrimental to understanding eagle ecology but that it can undermine conservation efforts. The Fieldworker's Guide questions the reliability of existing knowledge and promotes a better understanding of the species through improved fieldwork."

Natural History of Tenerife

Philip & Myrtle Ashmole

2016

"Introductory chapters discuss the extinct mammals, birds and reptiles, the island's ecology and the impact of people. The five main types of landscape (ecosystems) are then considered; coastal and lowland shrubland; dry woodland remnants; laurel forest; pine forest and high mountain shrubland. Some special habitats are also described including the lava flows and volcanic caves, with their unique highly adapted invertebrate animals. Both vertebrates and invertebrates are treated systematically while photographs and brief descriptions of hundreds of endemic species of plants are included enabling easy identification. The island's geology is also featured, in an account that covers both the oceanic context of the Canaries archipelago and the complex history of Tenerife itself, one of the most intriguing and most studied of all volcanoes. This comprehensive text provides a readily accessible and full account of an extraordinary island, referred to by Charles Darwin as 'perhaps one of the most interesting places in the world'."

A Natural History of Lighthouses

John A Love

2015

"This is the story of lightkeepers' contributions to the natural history of lighthouses in conjunction with the history and maintenance of the manned navigation beacons. Since keepers were first engaged to maintain lighthouses around our coast they have encountered wildlife, and in some cases developed a keen interest and expertise on the subject. Towards the end of the nineteenth century keepers were encouraged to submit annual returns of bird movements enabling reports on bird migration and several authoritative books to be compiled. As a result, ornithologists began to recognise how many lighthouses were well-placed to establish bird observatories - a few were in redundant lighthouses, often on offshore islands. However, lightkeepers also recognised that in certain weather conditions and during migration times, flocks of birds were attracted to the beam, resulting in many fatalities.While the problem is now better understood and considerably reduced, the automation of all British lighthouses has resulted in there no longer being lighthouse keepers to monitor the situation and report bird, sea mammal, insect and bat movements. A Natural History of Lighthouses highlights the contribution made by lighthouse keepers over the last century or two to the study of natural history, and ornithology in particular. Much of this is discussed in the words of the keepers themselves."

The Life of Buzzards

Peter Dare

2015

"The accounts describe the life history and ecology of Buzzards mainly inhabiting the British uplands where historically they have always been most numerous. For the first time, population activities are followed through successive seasonal stages of their life cycle. These include the vital and inter-related aspects of Buzzard territories and social behaviour, diets and hunting methods, food requirements, prey abundance and breeding success, survival and life spans and how Buzzard numbers and distribution have changed, particularly in relation to the influence of Man. The book also demonstrates how well Buzzards have adapted to living in our modern and rapidly-changing landscapes, constantly adapting their habits in response to prey resources and environmental conditions.In the book's first section, The Year of the Buzzard, the sequential changes in the composition and behaviour of a Buzzard community, their seasonal patterns of food habits and hunting methods, their breeding season from courtship until fledging of broods and their subsequent dispersal are outlined. The second section, Special Topics, provides greater detail of six key aspects of their ecology which are explored within the following chapter topics: Territory; Energy and Food Needs; Predation; Food Supply and Breeding Success; Demography and Population Dynamics; and Changes in Buzzard Abundance."

Back from the Brink

Malcolm Smith

2015

"Back from the Brink is an antidote to a world that seems full of stories of wildlife doom and gloom. Amongst all the loss of habitat and the animals and plants that are in spiralling decline, it's easy to forget that there are a huge number of positive stories too; animals threatened with extinction, such as the gigantic European Bison - extinct in the wild - having their fortunes reversed and their futures secured. This is the story of some of these successes."

The book comprises fifteen chapters each covering a specific species or groups of species. There are six bird related chapters: Wild Turkey, Houbara Bustard, India's Vultures, Whooping Crane, Zino's Petrel and Mauritius Kestrel.

A Saga of Sea Eagles

John A. Love

2013

"This intimate account tells all that has happened since the reintroduction of the White-tailed Sea Eagle first began and exactly how its successes over the subsequent three and a half decades have received such worldwide recognition and acclaim. It describes the pioneering Rum releases (Phase 1) with which the author had been intimately involved, summaries of the Wester Ross (Phase 2) and East Scotland (Phase 3) releases with up-to-date information on the current Irish project in Kerry. The book includes a classification of the eagles and their folklore and information about the bird's history, distribution and biology including its breeding and feeding habits. The reader learns how the kudos of having Sea Eagles nesting locally has brought considerable economic benefit to Scottish communities, as it has in Norway and elsewhere. Sure to be of immense appeal to all birdwatchers and anyone with an interest in and appreciation of wildlife, the natural world and conservation. Since so much success was achieved since the Reintroduction Project began, A Saga of Sea Eagles will be the definitive book on this pioneering work."

Hadrian's Wildlife

John Miles

2012

"Following the author's previous successful book, Hadrian's Wildlife has been enriched and expanded with additional information on wildlife and Roman history. When standing on the WHO site of Hadrian's Wall, many visitors may wonder what the area would have looked like during Roman times. Bringing the bird remains from Roman digs into view reveals which species were living then as well as what the landscape looked like. Although some species such as White-tailed Eagle and Common Crane are no longer found here, others including Nuthatch, Hobby and Little Egret have colonized the area. Living close to Hadrian's Wall, the author has explored its many habitats from the Solway Firth across to the east coast. Many of these wildlife sites have a Roman influence from old forts to the gathering of pearls from the oysters that are found on the North Tyne. Hadrian's Wildlife will encourage visitors to the area to enjoy and appreciate the wide selection of these habitats on a year-round basis. This invaluable guide to the many and varied attractions of the area will take the reader on a voyage of discovery and will be an essential companion for visitors."

Kestrels for Company

Gordon Riddle

2011

"An appealing book that rightfully raises the profile of the kestrel. It provides an extensive picture of this delightful falcon, including its lifestyle and the factors that affect its breeding success and survival. This is based upon almost 40 years' monitoring of the kestrel in south-west Scotland and further afield by the author and colleagues, giving a flavour of the integrated approach to monitoring and conservation. As well as the wealth of factual data, there are entertaining anecdotes and stories both from the author's experiences and from the wider media coverage of this raptor over the years. The reader is taken to exotic locations such as the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Cape Verde Islands to see the endemic island kestrels which have always held a great fascination for the author. Latest figures show an alarming decline of 36% in the kestrel population in the UK, with even more dramatic falls such as 64% in Scotland. The fieldwork techniques which play such an important role are detailed in a composite breeding season. The kestrel is not portrayed in isolation and the bird's current circumstance is tied into the bigger picture of raptor conservation and the struggle against sustained persecution. The author reflects upon the political, economic and conservation issues that have dominated this field in the past few decades and through this personal and well-informed account the reader gains access to the world of the kestrel."

Life with Birds: A Story of Mutual Exploitation

Malcolm Smith

2011

"Life with Birds uncovers the fascinating story of our interdependence with birds. The author weaves an amazing web of inter-relationships, from the Parsi funeral in Mumbai where birds of prey eat the dead; to collecting eider down from nests in Iceland and standing on the once body-strewn battlefield of Agincourt where birds won the day for the English army. From the earliest days of human existence we have exploited birds; for food, for their feathers, to satisfy our blood lust, to entertain us with their beauty, to inspire our art, our advertising, classical music, popular songs and much more. Cage birds are kept for their beauty and song but this book also investigates the repugnant illegal rare bird trade, and the organised crime it has spawned involving around 1.5 million birds a year. Criminals will go to unbelievable lengths when smuggling rare birds for sale and the 1.5m birds in this annual trade threaten the survival of several exotic species. Since time immemorial birds have exploited us too. Birds can use our homes to make theirs and can ruin farmers' crops in minutes. Some of the most impressive birds have set up home on high-rise buildings, exploiting the city slicker pigeons that live off discarded fast food and much else. Life with Birds contains intriguing examples of the huge range of interactions between birds and people. How undercover law enforcement in the US is tackling a cruel and bloodthirsty 'sport'; how birds are being used to smuggle drugs into a prison and across borders; controversial practices such as bird sacrifice in religious ceremonies; and how some Kenyan tribesmen are guided by a bird to find a food they both value. Many myths, magic and religious practices involving birds are exposed such as whether they can predict deadly mining disasters; whether they have killed anyone; and whether the eerie night-time calls in the precipitous mountains of Madeira are the souls of shepherds who have fallen to their deaths. If you have ever wondered what a nest made solely of bird saliva, considered a delicacy in some countries, tastes like or whether you knew Chairman Mao's 'kill a sparrow' campaign in the 1950s resulted in many millions of Chinese dying of starvation, Life with Birds will provide enlightenment as well as a hugely enjoyable read."

Growing Barn Owls in my Garden

Paul Hackney

2011

"The barn owl is a 'flagship' species, at the top of the food chain, and its presence or absence is a good indicator of the health of the countryside. This is the enjoyable and informative story of the author's success in restoring this beautiful bird to areas of the country where its numbers had catastrophically declined. From an upbringing in the Lake District, the author developed a deep interest in natural history which became an all-consuming passion. As a 'licensed rehabilitation keeper', he cared for a wide range of injured and orphaned wildlife, giving individuals a second chance by returning them to the wild. He reveals how and why he later graduated to barn owl conservation. The author describes his many encounters with barn owls, from the acquisition of his first breeding pair; 'Barney', a completely humanised owl; to stories of the fascinating array of people involved in releasing, studying, and simply marvelling at this beautiful bird. Although there is a funny side to most situations, there are also the inevitable disasters and disappointments of conservation work, such as the accidental or deliberate sabotaging of releases or the killing of released birds. The reader shares in the author's disappointment and frustration at the sheer cost in time and money and his frequent self-doubt about the success of the whole exercise. However, there are descriptions of more enjoyable activities such as bird ringing, watching home-grown birds metamorphose from ugly pink scraps into creatures of ethereal beauty, and the seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm of countless landowners and volunteers who are totally committed to the reintroduction of the barn owl. After almost 20 years, there is now evidence of a marked increase in barn owl numbers in areas where the author has worked. During this period, he bred and released around 250 birds, put up nest boxes and advised on barn owl-friendly approaches to land management. These activities helped to reverse the decline in population as areas were repopulated and also created reservoirs of wild breeding barn owls, whose offspring colonised other under-populated parts of the country."

The Hen Harrier: In the Shadow of Slemish

Don Scott

2010

Also published by Tiercel as In the Shadow of Slemish: My Life With The Hen Harrier

" The hen harrier is one of the iconic species of the bird world and its history is a mix of controversy, persecution, and recent patchy recovery. This book, a dedicated study of the bird in N. Ireland for over two decades, provides a detailed account of the life, habits and prospects for the bird. The author presents much new information about the harrier in its continuing struggle to re-establish its hold despite high levels of persecution from man or predation by other species. Having spent thousands of hours over many years studying these birds, he was rewarded by the discovery that this ground-nesting species was nesting in tall conifers in the forests of County Antrim - the only country throughout their vast European range where this occurs annually. Other significant finds soon became apparent as did the discovery that red kites were nesting for the first time and marsh harriers had returned to nest for the first time in almost 200 years. The author's passion for the bird is obvious as he shares moments of excitement and sadness, and he speaks frankly about the maltreatment and mismanagement of this elegant raptor over the years."

Call of the Eagle

Dave Walker

2009

"This is an account of one man's 30-year involvement with England's rarest bird, the golden eagle. Initially employed by the RSPB as a senior species protection warden at a secret location in Cumbria, the author describes the intricacies of establishing a protection regime by wardens that would operate for the next 26 years and his efforts to protect and study this iconic species. The Lakeland eagles were at their most productive during his tenure, rearing six eaglets in the six years before he widened his interest to study eagles in Scotland as well as England. The author discovered and recorded many previously unknown facts about golden eagles. He began to plan and implement projects which would expand knowledge of the species as well as helping to secure their foothold in England. His project is the most detailed and complete study of a pair of golden eagles with, at its heart, the life and times of an eagle he followed from its arrival in 1982 until its death, 22 years later. A bird that would eventually show little fear of him and accept his presence rather than flee. The author recounts the hardships experienced by the eagle and eagle-watcher alike, and his record of behaviour at the nest is unparalleled. However, working with golden eagles is not without difficulties and the author's encounters with unsympathetic shepherds and poor decision-making are also described, as are his dealings with egg collectors who craved to add the rare English eagle eggs to their collections. His efforts to counter their intrusions even saw him rebuilding eagle eyries that had been so dispassionately destroyed! However, "Call of the Eagle" amply illustrates the close attachment and passion that drove the author to devote so much of his life to this magnificent raptor, famed as the King of Birds."

A Life Of Ospreys

Roy Dennis

2008

"Ospreys are one of our best known and best loved birds and the name Roy Dennis is not only synonymous with the successful return of the osprey to Scotland, but is also renowned for his international work with a variety of species. From the time he saw his first osprey, back in 1960, Roy has worked to help this magnificent raptor establish itself once more in a country where it had been hounded and persecuted to near-extinction over hundreds of years. This book tells the story not only of the osprey, but of the osprey watcher, following the bird's fortunes in Scotland, seeing its numbers rise from that single pair in the 1950s to close to 200 pairs today. From a look at its history in Scotland and the rest of the UK including the bad old days of egg thieves and the shooting of birds as specimens, it moves to the present day, with satellite radios allowing us to follow the every move of the osprey on its migration to Africa and back.Roy has pioneered the building of artificial nests for ospreys, which had been instrumental in increasing their numbers and range, as well as starting the first European trans-location taking chicks from their nests in the Highlands and releasing them at Rutland Water Nature Reserve in the Midlands. The book also covers the ecology of the osprey with many personal anecdotes and insights. Diary entries give a more immediate feel to the chapters, and the worldwide distribution of ospreys is enlivened by that sense of immediacy. Roy's writings, at a time when no one knew whether or not his lifetime's work would succeed, add a sense of history to this personal tale."

Flight of the Wild Geese

Graham Uney

2008

"The sight of strings of wild Barnacle geese flying overhead, with a noisy chorus of honking, will be a familiar sight to many. However, following their migration, little is known about the lives of these sociable geese. "Flight of the Wild Geese" tells the story of the winter wildlife of the Solway Firth, that wonderfully wild estuary set between the rugged hills of Cumbria and the rolling farmland, moors and forests of Dumfries and Galloway. It explores the links that these beautiful places share with the most remote islands of the North Atlantic, and with the stunning landscapes of the high Arctic. This is a book of birds, of people, and of places.The author's sea journey takes in a number of remote islands, beginning with the two Scottish outliers of North Rona and Sula Sgeir, then venturing ever northwards via the stunning rocky coasts of the Faroe Islands, the black-sand volcanics of Jan Mayen, and the great sea bird colonies of Bear Island before encountering pack ice in the vast sea channel of Storfjorden. Here, in Svalbard's Arctic waters, ivory gulls roamed the ice islands searching for food, while seals hunted the open flats between. Arctic wildlife filled every space, backed by an array of glistening snow peaks, their glaciers carving rivers of ice down to the sea. This was the author's first view of Svalbard - Kingdom of the Ice Bear.The author also reflects on his life as a writer, photographer and environmental surveyor. Growing up in the flatlands of East Yorkshire where his love of wildlife was instilled, he yearned to know more about where the winter-visiting birds went during the summer. He learnt a great deal about waders, ducks, geese and swans at the Humber Estury but, once these birds had migrated to cooler climes in the summer, their lives were a mystery. Later in life and with the Solway Firth on his doorstep, where some of the largest numbers of geese are to be found, he decided to find out."

Tooth and Claw: Living Alongside Britain's Predators

Peter Cairns and Mark Hamblin

2007

"Tooth & Claw is a ground-breaking photo-documentary project providing a meeting place between anecdotal evidence and scientific fact, thus nurturing a better understanding of natural predator-prey mechanisms and encouraging empathy with different points of view. Discussions over fox hunting, bird of prey poisoning and even the return of wolves are brought to life. We learn how entrenched opinion has turned some predators into political symbols, pawns in battles between different socio-economic or special interest groups. Such divisive debate often ignores biological fact and the animal itself becomes lost in the political melee. Managing predators in Britain today is really about managing people's perceptions - what they believe, what they value and how they interact with nature. Tooth & Claw ultimately asks questions of ourselves: it exposes our fears, our prejudices, our inconsistencies. We are reminded of our place in nature - as the most powerful predator of all."

Waters of the Wild Swan

Jim Crumley

2003

originally published by Jonathan Cape in 1991

"This book begins dramatically - a flight of eight mute swans occupying the entire width of the second floor level of a busy street in the centre of Edinburgh, bringing traffic to a halt. In England all mute swans belong to the Crown - in Scotland they are wild and of three varieties - the mute, the whooper swan and the Bewick swan. The author of this book has observed them all - the mute pair on a man-made pond that successfully raises eight cygnets year in and year out, the pair which valliantly tried three times to rear their young on a remote Highland loch, only to lose even the sole survivor and the gathering of 3000 whoopers on Loch Eyre in 1989 when there was unprecedented pondweed growth. The author also discusses swans in folklore and in literature and the need for severe penal legislation to outlaw the appalling things that are perpetuated on swans by certain members of the human race."

Days with the Golden Eagle

Seton Gordon

2003

"A reprint of the classic eagle book from one of the pioneers of nature writing. Seton Gordon was among the first to observe in some detail - through countless hours in his hide - the daily life of the golden eagle and to present in his books an account of their habitat, diet and behaviour. But his writing was much more than that - his books are interwoven with acute observation and his narrative possesses a clarity that ensures the reader sees as much as Seton Gordon himself saw. From life day to day on the eyrie through the different Scottish landscapes and the interaction of the eagles with other wildlife, it is all covered and in his inimitable style."