BFCSBy Martin Garner Birding Frontiers, 2014; pbk, 132pp; many colour photographs and illustrations ISBN 978-0-9929757-0-8  Subbuteo code M24349 £14.99 Positioning itself at the cutting edge of bird identification, this book tackles eighteen problem pairs and groups. The species and subspecies covered have been chosen from a British-based birder's perspective; most of the challenges are, however, also relevant elsewhere in Europe. The 'Challenge' in the title conveys not only the difficulty involved in separating certain taxa but also the author's plea for readers to go out into the field, really study birds and thereby test the more tentative of the book's identification criteria and make their own discoveries. And he 'Series: Autumn' in the title signals an intent to produce further seasonal volumes. The book begins with a short introduction and ends with acknowledgements and references. The remaining 122 pages are devoted to the 18 identification chapters. Each chapter starts with a two-page spread containing its title and a full-page photo on the left and, on the right, an introduction to the challenge, a list of the taxa covered, a QR code, sections on fieldcraft and ageing and sexing and a list of everyone who contributed significantly to the chapter. Usually, each taxa has been given a two-page spread with, on the left, a brief introduction, notes on vagrancy potential, occurrence patterns and taxonomy, a main section concentrating largely on structure, autumn plumages and, where relevant, calls and a distribution map. On the right are four or more photos covering the main plumage types encountered in autumn, annotated artwork by Ray Scally illustrating the key features and, where appropriate, a sonogram. Through a smartphone or tablet, the QR code leads the reader to a web-space for further text and photos plus videos and sound recordings. The chapter headings (Harriers, Sparrowhawks, Buzzards, Snipes, Skuas, Terns, Swifts, Woodpeckers, Shrikes, Asian Leaf Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Lesser Whitethroats, Subalpine Warblers, Asian Tree Warblers, Reed Warblers, Treecreepers, Flycatchers and Stonechats) are mostly general, rather than particular, even in a British context. For example, 'Harriers' includes only Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus cyaneus and 'Northern Harrier' C. c. hudsonicus; 'Skuas' refers to just Great Stercorarius skua and South Polar Skuas S. maccormicki; and 'Flycatchers' covers merely Taiga Ficedula albicilla and Red-breasted Flycatchers F. parva. Only two chapters deal in depth with more than three taxa: 'Reed Warblers', with four taxa, and 'Stonechats', with six. Martin Garner is clearly enthusiastic about birds in general and identification in particular; he urges everyone to cultivate more of an enquiring mind, watch birds extra closely in the field, make discoveries, share knowledge and ideas and increase learning through such co-operation. This passion is evident throughout the book, from the main introduction to the acknowledgements and references. Birding Frontiers Challenge Series: Autumn is nicely designed and produced, extremely informative and inexpensive. Its drawback is its limited scope, although we are given to understand that further volumes will follow. The 'frontiers' concept is far from new in birding and its application to pairs and groups of confusion species has been evident in books and journals, including BB, for a long time. It is, nevertheless, a tried and tested formula that remains popular. With continually improving optics and photographic equipment, and the increasing use of cameras and the internet by birders, coupled with taxonomic evolution and the insatiable appetite for rolling back identification boundaries, there will always be a market for an up-to-date publication such as this. Peter Lansdown Buy this book from the British Birds bookshop, which is run by Subbuteo Natural History Books This means that 5% of all sales generated by British Birds subscribers, whether it is books reviewed in the journal, featured on its book page or listed on the Subbuteo website, will be paid to British Birds - and will directly support the production of the journal.
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Issue 12
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