The hardback edition titled “Bald Coot and Screaming Loon” was published in 2009. This paperback edition has been updated and includes a new foreword from the author.

You don’t have to be a dedicated birdwatcher to be a bird lover. Millions of us love the sight and sound of them. And yet most of us know very little about their remarkable behaviour, incredible diversity and the story of their evolution.

How do migrating birds know where to go?

Are birds really descended from dinosaurs?

How do birds have sex?

This handbook sets about answering every interesting question there is to ask about birds. There are over 10,000 species in the world, including over 500 in Britain, some rare and endangered, some bizarre and beautiful, others common and familiar. As this captivating and often humorous handbook reveals, all of them are fascinating.