Birds of Europe: Third Edition

Svensson Lars (text), Killian Mullarney & Dan Zetterstrom, plates & captions. 

Princeton U. Pr.  2023.  476p.  flexbound.  $35.00.

Many consider the previous editions the best field guides ever written.  Over 100 species here are also found in North America, especially waterfowl, shorebirds, and larids.  Birds of Europe also treats completely birds of North Africa and the near Middle East, that might have been indicated in the book’s title..  Outstanding is the extensive text, that so many field guides skim on.

The illustrations depict all phases and forms and young birds recently fledged or otherwise.  Many feature birds in their habitat with charming vignettes of landscapes.  For instance, the snowy owl plate has 8 birds, including a female chasing an Arctic Fox and an adult male perched on a large rock with caribou and distant mountains in the background.

It is hard to believe that earlier editions could be improved.  Best is to quote changes described in the preface on p. 7: “With the addition of 32 more pages several groups have been afforded more space and completely or partly new plates with more descriptive text: grouse, loons, several groups of raptors, terns, owls, swifts, woodpeckers, swallows, redstarts and some other relatives to the flycatchers (formerly often called ‘small thrushes’), tits and a few finches and buntings are some of these.  More than 50 plates are either new or have been repainted, completely or partly. … The section with vagrants has been expanded to accommodate more images and longer texts for several species.  The entire text and all maps have of course also been revised.”

There are also extensive lists of references including 34 citations to sound resources.  The portrait of an Arctic Tern on the cover is very evocative, but does not properly emphasize the dark trailing edge of the primaries and the grayish cast of the underparts of an adult breeding bird.  But turn to p. 209 and there are 9 excellent paintings of this species, 5 in flight and 4 at rest.

The marvelous range maps do not show political boundaries.  They don’t have to since such maps are intended to be suggestive of where birds occur with the expected differing colors for the seasons.  They also include Iceland.

For certain complex groups, such as gulls, birds of prey, and “waders” (shorebirds) there are wordy essays accompanied by rich illustrative matter.

Separate sections detail vagrants (well-illustrated) and accidentals (tabular summary), in both cases with locations and dates (usually years, sometimes seasons, too) indicated.  There is also a section on introduced and escaped species, well-illustrated with substantial text, and locations are cited.

This fine guide cannot be too highly praised in this reviewer’s opinion.  With several thousand quality paintings and such an expert and discursive text, at $35 Birds of Europe is an outstanding bargain.

- Henry t. Armistead