A Field Guide to the Raptors of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa

The birds of prey must rank among the most imposing birds to be found anywhere in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. In this guide, the author presents the latest information on tried and tested field marks for identifying the diurnal raptors, both perched and in flight. Forty-eight colour plates, especially painted for this volume by artist N. John Schmitt, depict all the plumages for every raptor found in the Western Palearctic region, both regularly occurring and vagrant. The plates are augmented by a forty-page colour photograph section. The accompanying text provides the essential clues to identification. These include detailed plumage descriptions for each age, sex, and colour morph, as well as sections describing flight, moult, behaviour, and distribution for every species. The text also contains useful sections on similar species, notoriously difficult to identify, and how to distinguish them.