Waders of Europe: A Photographic Guide
Lars Gejl
International and Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation
Waders rank high on the ‘favourites’ list of many birdwatchers, and for good reason. With their multiple intricate plumages, affecting calls, globe-spanning migrations and association with wild open places, they are a special group of birds indeed. Many, however, find them a little inaccessible, ‘too difficult’ to identify.
This new book from Helm is both a celebration of waders and a guide to their identification. It covers all the 82 species recorded in Europe, including the rarest vagrants and Slender-billed Curlew, so a great number of Nearctic and Siberian species are included too.
Introductory sections cover wader ecology, migration, breeding biology, taxonomy, wader topography (including a glossary), moult and plumages, feather patterning and some illustrative jizz silhouettes. The sections on topography and moult are admirably comprehensive and provide a sound basis for the correct identification and fullest possible enjoyment of waders.
After these preliminaries comes an identification section comprising small side-by-side images of closely similar species with detailed captions relating to numbered pointers. Covering 26 pages, this is a really useful resource. Though the content is accessible to newcomers to waders, there is much useful reminder material here too for the more experienced.
Next comes a ten-page section of landscape format images of waders in flocks, just as you see them. Six of these pages show wader flocks in flight and contain some wonderful renderings of, for example, Snipes, Bar-tailed Godwits and Marsh Sandpipers. The remaining four pages show groups of waders on the ground, including some fabulous densely-packed Purple Sandpipers on Norwegian ice.
Finally come the main species accounts, each following a standard format covering etymology (a nice touch), jizz, plumage and identification, subspecies (where appropriate), voice, habitat, breeding biology, migration and distribution. These texts are woven into the main component of the book - its photographs. Each species is illustrated with multiple images, the overall standard of which is exceptionally high. These range from exquisite pin-sharp close-ups in which every individual feather can be studied (Little Stint) to more typical ‘in the field’ images (Pacific Golden Plover amogst Golden Plovers).
Published: Jun 2017 - Bloomsbury Publishing
Hardback: 368 pages, 670 colour photos, 189 b/w illustrations
ISBN: 9781472947055
RRP: hardback £39.99
SPECIAL OFFER:
£33.99 Quote discount code RBABOTW
Offer ends: 4 Jul 2017
There are some truly special photographs here - a Spur-winged Lapwing chasing a Black-winged Stilt, a flock of beautifully-lit Collared Pratincoles, a group of migrant Whimbrels alighting on moorland and a sitting Woodcock on a leaf-covered forest floor. Such images are predominantly aesthetic in their appeal but the rarity-hunter will find much of value here too. The wonderful pictures of, for example, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers and Red-necked Stint will repay the closest study.
This is an excellent introduction to Europe’s waders - comprehensive, authoritative and, above all, beautifully illustrated. Both beginners and seasoned wader watchers will find much of value here.
Andy Stoddart
18 July 2017
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Rare Bird Alert does not profit from the sale of books through Wildsounds. Instead we are part of their Commission for Conservation programme where a percentage of every sale made through RBA helps supports BirdLife's Spoon-billed Sandpiper Fund.
