IDENTIFY EARLY BIRDSONG

Fly head-on into the avian world with our favourite books about birds

Learn the first singers of spring.

HIS FOR HAWK by Helen Macdonald

A triumph of nature writing focusing on Macdonald’s battles to train a goshawk but also elegantly exploring family dynamics and grief.

THE BIRDLIFE OF BRITAIN by Peter Hayman and Philip Burton

A forgotten classic bird-ID guide. Lovingly written with stunning illustrations – not just of bird portraits but flight patterns and other behaviour.

THE PEREGRINE by John Alec Baker

Vivid and potent tales of tracking falcons in the lonely winter coastlands of Essex, first published in 1967. Regarded as one of the most influential works of nature writing ever penned.

CROW COUNTRY by Mark Cocker

Exploring the marvels of rooks in Britain’s natural and cultural landscapes. A beautiful blend of the scientific, philosophic and poetic.