The Bird Book: Top 100 Birding Sites of the World

“My first response after reading this book was to reach for the phone and start booking tours to go see birds. This book’s combination of dynamic photography and scope of coverage makes for a truly compelling exploration.” — John T. Rotenberry, University of California, Riverside

fascinating facts and delightful revelations about the lives of birds, in a readable and stimulating style  — The Guardian.

‘…one of the loveliest ‘dip-into’ books I have read in a long while.’  — BBC Wildlife

not only does it inform and delight, but it also makes you think about the choices and join the debate  — Birdwatch, April 2009

“A dream of a book, gorgeous to look at, with quick vivid descriptions of incredible places.”—Terrain Magazine

“Flipping through the pages, packed with superb photos of great birds, we can’t argue with his selections.”

“For pre-trip planning (and excitement building) and post-trip remembrance. . . Gorgeous color photographs.”

“There is real reading here. . . . Loaded with information about the places it visits.”

“Spectacular color photographs and an authoritative text. . . . This stimulating, attractive book should stir the wanderlust of anyone interested in nature.”

Official description of Top 100 Birding Sites of the World
If you have ever dreamt of seeing King Penguins in Antarctica, cassowaries in Queensland or cocks-of-the-rock in Peru, then this book is for you. “Top 100 Birding Sites of the World” features detailed accounts of the best birdwatching sites in the world, giving background and first-hand experience of what you can find there. Each is ranked from one to 100.The expertly written and very readable text is backed up by lavish photos of the birds and scenery at each of the chosen hot-spots, including rare images of amazing species and some of the world’s best avian spectacles such as the Snow Goose ‘blizzard’ at Bosque del Apache and the swarms of Lesser Flamingos on Africa’s Rift Valley Lakes. Coverage is global, with sites from across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, North and South America and Antarctica. Whether you want to use it to plan your holidays for years to come, or just as an inspirational book to dip into, “Top 100 Birding Sites of the World” will have a wide appeal for all those with an interest in birds.

The book
320 pages 320mm x270mm. 400 colour photographs and 101 maps.

About Dominic Couzens the Author of Top 100 Birding Sites of the World
Dominic Couzens is based in Dorset and is a full-time ornithologist, leading birdwatching trips at home and abroad. He is co-author of the best selling CD series Teach Yourself Bird Sounds and has written a number of books including Bird Migration for New Holland and The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Garden Birds, Birds of Britain and Ireland and The Secret Lives of Garden Birds. He has regular columns in BBC Wildlife and Bird Watching magazines.

Top 100 Birding Sites of the World by Dominic Couzens is for sure a very attractive book for the bird watcher whatever you are only occasional spending time going bird watching or birding is your life’s obsession. From television programmes and videos you might have seen reports from some of the birding sites covered in this big book, but several bird sites might be unknown to you, even many of the most well-known bird watching locations are included.

If you have had the good fortune to have been travelling extensively in your search for special bird species and bird scenery you will enjoy refreshing your highlights and bird observations.

On the other hand it is an impossible task to select the 100 top birding sites without having to sacrifice being neutral. This is obvious just from a view on the world map of the selected birding locations. There is the obvious tendency to cover the countries with most bird watchers more dense then other parts of the world. For example is Asia – and South East Asia – not very well covered.

The world is still so intriguing and amazing and even if the task was to select the 1.000 top birding sites of the World we couldn’t agree completely all of us who love going birdwatching. Our individual experience, preferences and ideas will always interfere with our choices.

When that is said I think all interested in nature, and not ‘just’ birds, will enjoy this attractive and informative birdbook. The selected world locations for birdwatching will be helpful for all travelling birdwatchers.

The bird photography covered in the book is a joy in itself.

Soren Breiting

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