Collins Bird Guide (Britain and Europe), K Mullarney, and Svensson L et al (Collins 2001)

I’m often asked by colleagues in the US, “Charlie, which field-guide should I get for a trip to Europe?”. If they’d asked me this in the 1990s, chances are I’d have had to list a number of then current Guides - each was good in their own way, but none were “complete”. When they ask now, there is only book I need to recommend: the Collins Bird Guide.

Since its launch (in Swedish, for those who insist on factual accuracy) this has been THE guide to own. In much the same way that the Sibley Guide has come to dominate the US birding-book market, the Collins Guide has been hailed as the one absolutely essential field-guide to own for any birder either living in Europe or planning a visit: it really is that good.

There are many elements that go to make up a truly great field-guide.The text has be to up to date, concise, and comprehensive. The illustrations have to be accurate, well-laid out, and to have that authentic feel of being “drawn from life” rather than pieced together from a number of museum visits. It has to be packaged and presented well too - which of course is the publishers job. On all counts this Guide succeeds. Collins has a long history of publishing natural history books, and as the blurb on the jacket of this remarkable Guide says, “Written by Lars Svensson [and the late Peter Grant], illustrated by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, and translated by David Christie, this is the strongest team ever to produce a field guide”. It’s a heck of a bold claim to make given how many Guides are available, but once you get this book in your hands and have a look through it you’ll have to admit that whoever wrote those words had a point…

In the opening pages of the “Collins Bird Guide” there is a short section entitled “The making of a book”, where the principal author, Lars Svenson, recounts the genesis of his magnum opus. Remarkably, the “dream to create a perfect field guide” began way back in 1982. In other words it took more than fifteen years of intense effort to create this book - and it shows.

Open any page and read what’s written there. The text is exceptionally detailed. Over 700 species are described - and some truly ground-breaking identification pointers were given for some truly “difficult” groups: phylloscopus and acrocephalus warblers for example, or flying buteos. Whilst taxonomic changes have taken place in the last few years, the way a bird looks and calls hasn’t changed of course - and all of the information here is still relevant and extremely useful. Beautifully laid-out, “clean” to the eye, packed with the necessary facts - this is the standard that other Guides should aim at, though few will get even close.

Take a look at the illustrations too. There’s virtually not a single one you’d fault - amazing considering that 3500 original paintings were produced. They’re exceptionally life-like and detailed, far beyond the standards most other Guides could even aspire to: consequently, if you can’t identify a bird you see it’s more likely to be your failings rather than the artist’s. This Guide set new levels for illustrations of Gulls, Raptors, Warblers, and Buntings when it was published - and no-one (so far) has bettered them. I’ve used this Guide all over the northern hemisphere, and if the bird I’m looking at is in this Guide I’m absolutely confident there’ll be an accurate illustration of it. And I can’t say that very often…

This book really is a remarkable achievement. I’m sure there one or two minor points that might undermine the “perfect field guide” dream that Svennson had - but you’d have to look long and hard (and be exceptionally curmudgeonly) to find them. I remember the first time my friends and I saw this book. We were amazed at just how good it was. And - if you’re coming across it for the first time - so will you be…

What others have said:

Winner of the British Birds/British Trust for Ornithology Bird Book of the Year and Birdwatch Book of the Year

Our standard guide for many years to come - BBC Wildlife

As essential as binoculars - New Scientist

it really is a very good book - RSPB Birds

The richest and most comprehensive of the current guides - The Times

Summary:
Hardback, 412 pages, 3500 original paintings, 722 species described. The Collins Bird Guide has to be the most comprehensive field guide ever published. It provides all the information you need to identify any species within Britain and Europe (including many vagrants), with detailed text on size, habitat, range, identification and voice. Accompanying each species entry is a distribution map and illustrations showing all the major plumages. The text is on facing pages to the plates, for easy reference. Beautifully-produced this is THE essential field-guide for visiting the region - and beyond.