Useful references    

Looking for general ornithological information?

• BirdLife International, 2000, Threatened Birds of the World, Lynx Edicions & BirdLife International.
• M. Brooke & T. Birkhead (editors), 1991, The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Birds. Cambridge University Press.
• B. Campbell & E. Lack, 1985, Dictionary of Birds. T & A D Poyser.
• J. Forshaw (editor), 1998. Encyclopedia of Birds (Second Ed.). Academic Press.
• B. P. Martin, 1987. World Birds. Guinness Books. (Information on bird record-holders).
• C. Wernham et al. (editors), 2002. The Migration Atlas – Movements of the Birds of Britain and Ireland. T & A D Poyser.

Need to check a name?

• E. Dickinson (editor), 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Revised and enlarged 3rd Edition. Christopher Helm.
• J. A. Jobling, 1991. A Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Oxford University Press.
• M. G. Wells, 1998. World Bird Species Checklist: with Alternative English and Scientific Names. Worldlist.

Looking for information on a particular family or species?

• S. Cramp et al., 1977-1994. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: the Birds of the Western Palaearctic, Volumes 1-9. Oxford University Press. (Widely known as BWP.) (Also available: D. W. Snow & C. M. Perrins (editors), 1998. The Birds of the Western Palaearctic, Concise Edition. Volumes 1-2. Oxford University Press.)
• J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (editors), 1992 onwards. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volumes 1-15 (continuing). Lynx Edicions. (Widely known as HBW.)
• C. M. Perrins (consultant-in-chief), 1990. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Birds: the Definitive Guide to Birds of the World. Headline.

Trying to identify what you've seen?

• R. Brown, J. Ferguson, M. Lawrence & D. Lees, 2003.Tracks and Signs of the Birds of Britain and Europe. 2nd Edition. Christopher Helm.
• I. Lewington, P. Alstrom & P. Colston, 1991.A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. Harper Collins Publishers.
• L. Svensson, K. Mullarney, D. Zetterstrom & P. J. Grant, 1999. Collins Bird Guide. Harper Collins. (This one covers Britain and Europe, but there are many other field guides for other areas of the world.)

Interested in bird anatomy?

• N. S. Proctor & P. J. Lynch, 1993. Manual of Ornithology: Avian Structure and Function. Yale University Press. (General anatomical information is also available in HBW Vol. 1, Forshaw’s Encyclopaedia and the Cambridge Encyclopaedia details listed above).

Fascinated by extinct birds and evolution?

• E. Fuller, 2001. Extinct Birds, Revised Edition. Comstock Publishing Associates.
• A. Feduccia, 1996. The Origin and Evolution of Birds. Yale University Press.

Interested in the history of ornithology?

• B. Mearns & R. Mearns, 1998. The Bird Collectors. Academic Press.
• M. Walters, 2003. A Concise History of Ornithology. Christopher Helm.