Save Our Birds: How to Bring Our Favourite Birds Back from the Brink of Extinction

by Matt Sewell

The Banksy of The Bird World shares simple wisdom to help the birds we love to thrive.

Bestselling author and illustrator, Matt Sewell, is back with his most inspirational book yet.  Save Our Birds  is a celebration of our endangered birds and call to arms for bird-lovers of all ages to help protect them.

Matt has created new, beautiful watercolour artworks of Britain's most loved birds, and their habitats, all of which are sadly on the Red List - the respected, international guide to endangered species. Sewell provides a wealth of practical advice on how we can protect them from extinction. Explore cities, coastlands, woodlands and farms, leaving no habitat unexplored around the British Isles.

From bird-friendly window boxes to community projects, discover the steps you can take, actions both big and small, to save our birds.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

Artist and illustrator Matt Sewell has been described as the Banksy of the bird world. Matt works in a variety of media including T-shirts, posters, interiors, sculptures and walls. He has illustrated for the Guardian and Barbour, amongst many others; painted underpasses for the RSPB; and exhibited in London, Manchester, New York, Tokyo and Paris, as well as being an avid ornithologist and regular contributor to the Caught by The River website (he also designed their logo).

His bird books, Our Garden Birds, Our Woodland Birds, A Charm of Goldfinches and many more, have taken the world by storm. He has also illustrated numerous children’s books including The Big Bird Spot, Dinosaurs and Forgotten Beasts. His latest book for children is Atlas of Amazing Birds.

Matt lives in Shrewsbury with his partner and two children.

Reviews

[Barbora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been a bird person, never had a bird-pet or never had a particular interest in birds. I picked up this book because the beautiful artwork caught my eye, and also because the title “Save Our Birds” sounded rather alarming and I wanted to know why they needed saving, from what and how.

Obviously, climate change, pollution, human activity and increase in population have had a massive impact on wildlife everywhere in the world. There is no place, no matter how remote, that isn’t affected by the consequences of human activity. We see programmes and articles about endangered species but they feel remote, it’s not usually animals we’d ever see around us in our geographical area. So sometimes it’s hard to imagine the scale and the imminence of the threat. But I remember clearly the moment when it really hit me for the first time – when I realised that sparrows, which used to be so common when I was little disappeared from my area and one day I realised I didn’t see a single sparrow in years! It made me really sad. So picking up the book made me remember that moment and want to read about these little animals and how we can help protect them.

The book is divided into sections based on locations: woodland, urban, wetland, farmland, coastal etc. In each location we are introduced to birds that are or used to be common in that area. The beautiful artwork is accompanied by the information about each bird and their unique characteristics. We learn where they migrate to/from and how the climate change and human activity are affecting their migration patterns as well as their numbers. It describes their prospects based on the current trends and the efforts to increase their numbers – in some cases successful, in others less so. And finally it offers advice on how we can stop the decline and help protect them so that one day they don’t become just entries in textbooks and encyclopaedias.

[Kalilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have read Matt Sewell's other bird books, as I have done, this is very much more of the same so on that basis alone I wouldn't recommend it. But if you haven't read his other bird books, then I would highly recommend it because the artwork alone is worth it .
The information on wildlife endangerment is very pared back, and the tips and tricks on how to save birds is minimalistic to say the least, and both are oft-repeated -- so don't expect to come away from it with eyes aglow with enlightenment. But, you know; it's a cute book and probably a good place to start for children who will no doubt adore the pictures. I myself plan to gift my copy to a nephew who is a budding bird-watcher.

[Tom McGlynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important index of the birds we’re looking at losing in Britain, complete with the reasons behind the declines and tips on what the everyday person can do to combat them.

An inspiring, easy read for any budding conservationist or nature fan in the UK.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, with sharply-observed and humorous descriptions of birds in danger - and advice on how to help them.

[Steph Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are so beautiful in this book. A fun way to learn about our endangered bird species and what we can do to help them.