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RSPB Pocket Birds
Get your binoculars ready! This bird watching guide covers over 300 bird species, yet it is small enough to fit in your pocket.
Whether you're a novice birdwatcher or an experienced birder, this is your complete photographic guide to all the birds of Britain and Europe. It is the perfect pocket companion for nature enthusiasts.
All the facts and illustrations included in this fascinating field guide have been authenticated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Inside, you will find:
- Profiles and crystal clear photographs of over 300 most commonly seen birds in Britain and Europe
- Detailed illustrations showing typical plumage and posture in flight
- Clear and concise formatting to ensure quick and easy identification
- Maps that accurately locate where the bird can be seen in summer, in winter, all year round, and on migration
- Links to a website that provides audio for 60 bird sounds
Compact and easy-to-use, RSPB Pocket Birds is a comprehensive reference book for bird-watching enthusiasts. It shows you how to identify bird species, what sounds to listen for, and which birds are indigenous to the UK and Europe - and which are visiting. Read about their different behaviours and habits, such as mating, nursing, and migration patterns.
Stunning, high-quality photographs bring the birds on the page to life, capturing their beauty. Notes on distinguishing features in plumage variation help make identifying different species quick and effortless, wherever you spot them! This revised and updated 4th edition also includes a link to a website where common songs and calls can be heard.
This is the perfect gift for birdwatchers or anyone wanting to put a name to the birds in their garden, local area or countryside.
Look out for more RSPB books from DK:
Discover the simplest, clearest guide to identifying common European birds ever in RSPB What's the Bird? Or get out into your garden and get bird spotting with the RSPB Pocket Garden Birdwatch.
Whether you're a novice birdwatcher or an experienced birder, this is your complete photographic guide to all the birds of Britain and Europe. It is the perfect pocket companion for nature enthusiasts.
All the facts and illustrations included in this fascinating field guide have been authenticated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Inside, you will find:
- Profiles and crystal clear photographs of over 300 most commonly seen birds in Britain and Europe
- Detailed illustrations showing typical plumage and posture in flight
- Clear and concise formatting to ensure quick and easy identification
- Maps that accurately locate where the bird can be seen in summer, in winter, all year round, and on migration
- Links to a website that provides audio for 60 bird sounds
Compact and easy-to-use, RSPB Pocket Birds is a comprehensive reference book for bird-watching enthusiasts. It shows you how to identify bird species, what sounds to listen for, and which birds are indigenous to the UK and Europe - and which are visiting. Read about their different behaviours and habits, such as mating, nursing, and migration patterns.
Stunning, high-quality photographs bring the birds on the page to life, capturing their beauty. Notes on distinguishing features in plumage variation help make identifying different species quick and effortless, wherever you spot them! This revised and updated 4th edition also includes a link to a website where common songs and calls can be heard.
This is the perfect gift for birdwatchers or anyone wanting to put a name to the birds in their garden, local area or countryside.
Look out for more RSPB books from DK:
Discover the simplest, clearest guide to identifying common European birds ever in RSPB What's the Bird? Or get out into your garden and get bird spotting with the RSPB Pocket Garden Birdwatch.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Desmond Seward
59 books61 followersDesmond Seward was an Anglo-Irish popular historian and the author of over two dozen books. He was educated at Ampleforth and St, Catherine's College, Cambridge. He was a specialist in England and France in the Middle Ages and the author of some thirty books, including biographies of Eleanor of Aquitane, Henry V, Richard III, Marie Antoinette and Metternich.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 6, 2023
17th January, 2013. As I write this there is a female Great Spotted Woodpecker on the bird feeder, hammering away at the fat balls.
I don’t hear it early morning now as it taps the bark on the dying Scots pine outside – maybe there’s no live food available, or maybe I’m not waking early enough – but it’s got bolder and no longer flies away in fright when we appear at the window, as the occasional shy jay does. The woodpecker is a sight to swell the heart, with its striking pied plumage and the bold splash of red under its tail clearly visible as it feeds.
As it’s winter now, with the first appearances of sleet and snow, it’s vital to keep the feeders replenished with mixed seed and fat balls to provide fuel for wild birds.
The fat balls are loved not just by the woodpecker but also by the odd starling, and particularly by the various tits – Great, Blue, Coal and even the occasional Long-tailed or Willow Tit – which cluster greedily on them. Irritatingly, some of the tits, especially the Coal Tits, and a pair of nuthatches go for the seed feeder, seeking out the black sunflower seeds and spitting out the other seeds to carpet the ground. That’s great for the ground feeders such as solitary robins and thrushes and the cowardly magpies, but it’s a messy sight and we worry about it attracting vermin – rats, grey squirrels and so on – even though we know they’re part of nature too.
Of the other common birds attracted by the never-ending feast we regularly see sparrows (who, hereabouts don’t seem to have realised that their species is in decline) and finches (especially chaffinches). There are often over ten birds on the feeders, with almost that number waiting their turn in nearby branches, such as on the small oak that sits potted up on the decking. Blackbirds hop around or flit from beech hedge to buddleia, the males asserting territorial dominance and ownership of the bashful female lurking quietly in the shadows. Collared doves and, in the winter, flocks of starlings also put in an appearance.
We catch glimpses of other avians in the sky, some gliding around such as the ubiquitous buzzards and the occasional Red Kite, some passing overhead like the pair of ravens announcing their presence by a distinctive ‘cronk’ or, in season, the Canada geese who visit a neighbour’s lake and take a morning or evening turn in their pairs, calling exultantly to each other. High up we often see gulls wheeling or returning to the sea, and once we were lucky to see a flock of lapwings alight in a nearby field en route from or to somewhere exotic.
If it wasn’t for the various mini-guides we wouldn’t know even half the species that fly around our neck of the woods. The RSPB Pocket Birds guide is our usual first port of call, with its wealth of concise information, photos and distribution maps contained in half-page or full-page entries, though we supplement that with the Collins Complete British Birds photo guide,¹ where the photos are in a little more detail.
Every day, whether it’s grey and misty or less frequently sunny, when we go for a constitutional or just stare out the windows, we wonderingly repeat the mantra “We’re so lucky!” Thanks to guides like these we can appreciate just how lucky we are.
February, 2023. And now, nearly a decade after a move from West Wales to near the English border in southeast Wales, we continue to stock a bird feeder, this time with sunflower seed hearts as well as mealworms and fatballs. We again get a whole bunch of finches (Fringillidae, principally goldfinches but also of course greenfinches and chaffinches), the usual range of titmice or Paridae (blue tits, great tits, coal tits and, occasionally, long-tailed tits), house sparrows (Passeridae), and European robins (Erithacus rubecula).
Dunnocks, blackbirds, woodpigeons and occasionally collared doves root around on the terrace below the feeders; occasionally jackdaws from the roost in the churchyard’s copper beech take an interest; and at least three times a sparrowhawk has darted in and nabbled a tiny or medium-sized bird from the vicinity, swooping low at fence-height, on one occasion even settling on the terrace and getting started on its prey, all this in full view from our sitting-room. Buzzards, kites and the odd heron fly overhead, in summer competing with paragliders for air space beneath the Black Mountains.
I don’t know how much our efforts contribute to the health of the local avian population but we do know the news continues to be bad: so many species have had drastic percentage falls, while bird flu is currently more than decimating coastal and migrating birds. We all can only do what we can do in the face of a threatened ecological collapse, and enjoy nature while it’s still around to enjoy.
__________
¹ Paul Sterry’s Collins Complete British Birds (Ted Smart, 2004).
I don’t hear it early morning now as it taps the bark on the dying Scots pine outside – maybe there’s no live food available, or maybe I’m not waking early enough – but it’s got bolder and no longer flies away in fright when we appear at the window, as the occasional shy jay does. The woodpecker is a sight to swell the heart, with its striking pied plumage and the bold splash of red under its tail clearly visible as it feeds.
As it’s winter now, with the first appearances of sleet and snow, it’s vital to keep the feeders replenished with mixed seed and fat balls to provide fuel for wild birds.
The fat balls are loved not just by the woodpecker but also by the odd starling, and particularly by the various tits – Great, Blue, Coal and even the occasional Long-tailed or Willow Tit – which cluster greedily on them. Irritatingly, some of the tits, especially the Coal Tits, and a pair of nuthatches go for the seed feeder, seeking out the black sunflower seeds and spitting out the other seeds to carpet the ground. That’s great for the ground feeders such as solitary robins and thrushes and the cowardly magpies, but it’s a messy sight and we worry about it attracting vermin – rats, grey squirrels and so on – even though we know they’re part of nature too.
Of the other common birds attracted by the never-ending feast we regularly see sparrows (who, hereabouts don’t seem to have realised that their species is in decline) and finches (especially chaffinches). There are often over ten birds on the feeders, with almost that number waiting their turn in nearby branches, such as on the small oak that sits potted up on the decking. Blackbirds hop around or flit from beech hedge to buddleia, the males asserting territorial dominance and ownership of the bashful female lurking quietly in the shadows. Collared doves and, in the winter, flocks of starlings also put in an appearance.
We catch glimpses of other avians in the sky, some gliding around such as the ubiquitous buzzards and the occasional Red Kite, some passing overhead like the pair of ravens announcing their presence by a distinctive ‘cronk’ or, in season, the Canada geese who visit a neighbour’s lake and take a morning or evening turn in their pairs, calling exultantly to each other. High up we often see gulls wheeling or returning to the sea, and once we were lucky to see a flock of lapwings alight in a nearby field en route from or to somewhere exotic.
If it wasn’t for the various mini-guides we wouldn’t know even half the species that fly around our neck of the woods. The RSPB Pocket Birds guide is our usual first port of call, with its wealth of concise information, photos and distribution maps contained in half-page or full-page entries, though we supplement that with the Collins Complete British Birds photo guide,¹ where the photos are in a little more detail.
Every day, whether it’s grey and misty or less frequently sunny, when we go for a constitutional or just stare out the windows, we wonderingly repeat the mantra “We’re so lucky!” Thanks to guides like these we can appreciate just how lucky we are.
February, 2023. And now, nearly a decade after a move from West Wales to near the English border in southeast Wales, we continue to stock a bird feeder, this time with sunflower seed hearts as well as mealworms and fatballs. We again get a whole bunch of finches (Fringillidae, principally goldfinches but also of course greenfinches and chaffinches), the usual range of titmice or Paridae (blue tits, great tits, coal tits and, occasionally, long-tailed tits), house sparrows (Passeridae), and European robins (Erithacus rubecula).
Dunnocks, blackbirds, woodpigeons and occasionally collared doves root around on the terrace below the feeders; occasionally jackdaws from the roost in the churchyard’s copper beech take an interest; and at least three times a sparrowhawk has darted in and nabbled a tiny or medium-sized bird from the vicinity, swooping low at fence-height, on one occasion even settling on the terrace and getting started on its prey, all this in full view from our sitting-room. Buzzards, kites and the odd heron fly overhead, in summer competing with paragliders for air space beneath the Black Mountains.
I don’t know how much our efforts contribute to the health of the local avian population but we do know the news continues to be bad: so many species have had drastic percentage falls, while bird flu is currently more than decimating coastal and migrating birds. We all can only do what we can do in the face of a threatened ecological collapse, and enjoy nature while it’s still around to enjoy.
__________
¹ Paul Sterry’s Collins Complete British Birds (Ted Smart, 2004).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2021
A great guide to all birds present in the Netherlands.
It teaches you a lot about the different species and where to find them.
Living in the south, I was unaware of all the additional species found in coastal and northern areas.
Being compact as it is, the guide leaves out some crucial details such as the head-tail length of species. There's also a few of those cases that makes one think biologists have gone too far in determining new species where it's actually a local variant, especially when they interbreed (zilvermeeuw vs. geelpootmeeuw, wulp vs. regenwulp). But overall a fun and wonderfully illustrated guide, extracted from the British compendium on birds of Europe.
It teaches you a lot about the different species and where to find them.
Living in the south, I was unaware of all the additional species found in coastal and northern areas.
Being compact as it is, the guide leaves out some crucial details such as the head-tail length of species. There's also a few of those cases that makes one think biologists have gone too far in determining new species where it's actually a local variant, especially when they interbreed (zilvermeeuw vs. geelpootmeeuw, wulp vs. regenwulp). But overall a fun and wonderfully illustrated guide, extracted from the British compendium on birds of Europe.
January 19, 2023
Ik wil graag een oriolus en een wulpje zien dit jaar
January 13, 2024
? Ik ben zeker geen vogelaar, maar dit was een mooi boek dat ik vooral veel rond moest brengen als postbezorger voor de Nationale Postcodeloterij
🤔 Veel interessante informatie over de vogels die in Nederland voorkomen en handig voor als ik dit jaar wel ga meedoen aan de nationale Tuinvogeltelling. Ik wilde dat vorig jaar ook, maar het kwam er dat weekend ( laatste weekend januari) niet van, terwijl ik eerder wel aan de nationale bijentelling meegedaan heb.
MW 17/1/22
🤔 Veel interessante informatie over de vogels die in Nederland voorkomen en handig voor als ik dit jaar wel ga meedoen aan de nationale Tuinvogeltelling. Ik wilde dat vorig jaar ook, maar het kwam er dat weekend ( laatste weekend januari) niet van, terwijl ik eerder wel aan de nationale bijentelling meegedaan heb.
MW 17/1/22
May 6, 2021
Very, very good!
January 21, 2018
Interesting study of birds.
July 11, 2022
Leuk er leerzaam vogelboek.
February 7, 2024
A great little book and very pocketable to enable one to help identify the birds in the area
October 20, 2025
I love this handy little pocket book (5th edition) on the different species of birds. it's really comprehensive and has some useful tips on differentiating similar-looking birds
April 5, 2020
En los entornos urbanos solemos convivir con unas 5 o 6 especies de aves y si estamos próximos a algún parque con árboles viejos puede aumentar a unas 15 o 20. Esta guía nos ayudará a conocer y reconocer a estos bellos animales que conviven con nosotros y nos sobrevuelan mientras paseamos por los parques o miramos por nuestros balcones.
September 12, 2022
Useful book that I bought during my holiday in Ireland this year. The first thing that I like about it is the fact that it is really pocket-size and fits perfectly even in the bag in which I carry my Reflex Camera.
This guide helped me to identify the birds I have seen or taken shots of.
There are lots of species divided in 6 main categories, each ordered by size & likeliness so it's quite simple to find what you're looking for.
The details given for every bird are essential and usually give the main facts to recognize that bird. Some even have a link to a website where the call can be heard.
It was really worth the money (2,99£!)
This guide helped me to identify the birds I have seen or taken shots of.
There are lots of species divided in 6 main categories, each ordered by size & likeliness so it's quite simple to find what you're looking for.
The details given for every bird are essential and usually give the main facts to recognize that bird. Some even have a link to a website where the call can be heard.
It was really worth the money (2,99£!)
January 25, 2026
A useful pocket sized guide that is easy to carry and easy to use, with clear descriptions and photographs of each bird. Although it may not have every bird species found in the Britain and Europe it has enough to make identification relatively straight forward. The description of bird calls is also of use (and quite amusing to try and mimic) although some prior knowledge of these does help. Overall a very useful field guide that fits nicely into the back pocket of a pair of jeans.
September 23, 2017
Not sure what to say about this book. It’s a good guide for identifying the common and not so common by birds in Europe. The pictures are clear and the descriptions easy to understand. Take it whenever I’m visiting a nature reserve, or on holiday and it lives in the kitchen in case I need to ID a garden visitor.
January 3, 2013
Got my wife and I into bird spotting on our many walks. Not the bible, but very useful.
February 16, 2013
Most useful bird id book I have found, compact size, excellent illustrations
July 10, 2021
A super informative guide of (almost) all the birds of the Netherlands with beautiful illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews