The landscape of Britain has been irreversibly changed over the last century. Modern agriculture, urban expansion, industry and transport have all left their mark, altering the face of the countryside forever. Shifting with the changing scene, the fortunes of Britain and Ireland's bird populations have fluctuated dramatically over the years. As current farming practices have evolved, the natural habitats and breeding patterns of many species have been disrupted. Urban and industrial growth has brought with it the pressures of new land use, pesticides, pollution and human interference. The activities of sportsmen, collectors and farmers have also taken their toll over the years. The new Poyser title The Historical Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1875-1900 is a fascinating book resulting form years of meticulous research by the author, Simon Holloway, who provides an absorbing account of the distribution changes of Britain and Ireland's birds over the last quarter of a century. Large colour distribution maps and their accompanying text paint a species-by-species picture of a period which completely transformed the landscape of this country. It is, says Natural World magazine, "a classic case of 'why did no one write this book before?'...The experienced birder, using a knowledge of species requirements, can only marvel at what the long-vanished landscapes were then like." Birdwatch praises Simon Holloway's achievement, saying: "This book brings together so much information from disparate sources, and its status maps present such a clear picture of our late Victorian avifauna, that it should take its place beside the BTO atlases on the bookshelf." While Birdwatching adds: "If you are interested in the historical side of birds and their populations this book will be an endless source of fascination." As with all Poyser publications, the attention to detail, the lovingly produced illustrations and the sheer breadth of knowledge demonstrated by the autho

The Atlas plots the results of the survey organised by the BTO and the IWC during the years 1968-72. Over 250 maps show the distribution of 218 species. This companion volume to The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland is derived from yearly surveys of breeding birds in Britain and Ireland during 1968-72, organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and the Irish Wildbird Conservancy. Each of the 3,862 10-km squares of Britain and Ireland was visited during the five years and the resulting records (over 285,000) are summarised in the maps. The full-page maps plot the known distribution of all but 11 of the 229 breeding species located during the survey period. Each map has an accompanying text which describes the species' habitat, the problems involved in proving breeding, the historical background to the species' range and any changes in its numbers. The probable reasons for these changes are discussed and an attempt made to assess the total number of birds for each species. Jacket design by Robert Gillmor.

Table of contents

This is an ornithological bibliography for the counties of England, Wales, and Scotland and for the Isle of Man. It includes all known books, pamphlets and papers which contain substantial studies of the birds of local areas, from a county down to a back garden or a gravel pit. Each county has an introduction on its boundaries and the history of its ornithology. There has been no comprehensive national publication of this kind since Mullens, Swann and Jourdain's Geographical Bibliography in 1920. The volume also provides a detailed record of the many county and local bird reports and of the ever-increasing number of area surveys produced by statutory and voluntary bodies. The material is arranged by the pre-1974 counties and takes the record up to 1995. There are maps to show the many changes in county boundaries since 1800.The book will be a standard reference work for libraries and collectors, and for anyone interested in the rich and diverse development of local ornithology in its homeland.

'Jeff Martin explores the Tawny Owl's natural history in the greatest detail. Where controversy has arisen in the literature, he has put forward all points of view so the reader can make his or her own judgements. There seems nothing concerning the biology of this owl that Jeff has not researched.' - Derek Bunn, author of The Barn Owl The haunting calls of the Tawny Owl can be heard from Scandinavia in the north of its range to North Africa in the south. Most people would consider it to be a common and widespread species throughout Europe, but populations in Britain at least are declining, and we need to understand more about the behaviour and ecology of this magnificent woodland bird if its future is to be secured. Jeff Martin has been studying owls for decades, and in this timely book he combines his personal observations together with those of other ornithologists and a comprehensive review of the literature, resulting in some surprising revelations. It was not long ago, for example, that the Tawny Owl was considered to be one of the most nocturnal of all owl species, but in recent years it has been observed sunbathing, calling and even hunting in broad daylight. The Tawny Owl begins by exploring the research that has been undertaken over the last two centuries, and the gaps that remain in our knowledge. Subsequent chapters detail the evolution and classification of this relatively young species, its status and distribution across Europe, its feeding, breeding and behavioural ecology, why numbers are falling, and what we can do about it. Interestingly, this silent hunter appears to be increasingly preying on passerine birds, as forest degradation and destruction have had a negative impact on small mammal numbers. The book concludes by looking at the role that Tawny Owls have played in British culture, and whether the changes in behaviour and plumage among the British population could mean we have a new subspecies evolving on our island.