A Colour Guide to Familiar Garden and Field Birds Eggs and Nests

by Jiří Felix

English, Czech (translation)

Genres: Reference

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose books like this one have become irrelevant when all the information you could ever need - and plenty more besides - is available on the Internet with the touch of a button. However, back in the 1970s, this kind of field guide was invaluable to both birders and hobbyists. Felix's book is a European-wide reference to birds that favour gardens and fields as their home; three other books in the series cover mountains and forests, marshlands and waterways, and coastal birds.

A mid-length text section introduces the topic and discusses migratory habits and physiology before the main part features a long list of selected birds accompanied by colour illustrations of each species. Illustrations of the eggs of each species perhaps reveal this book's half-century age, as does some very old-fashioned advice (such as female blackbirds being so tame that they can sometimes be petted while brooding their eggs - don't try this at home, folks!). A brief conclusion has advice on feeding garden birds over winter. It's a guide that nowadays shows its age, although once it would have been a popular choice for bird lovers.