Joseph Kren

Basics: 2000, hardcover, 336 pages, 20+ b&w sketches, 394 species discussed, distribution maps, 46 site maps

This book is neither a field guide nor an identification guide. It is a reference for the birds' general distribution, their status, and general review of their natural history. About 24 black-and-white line drawings of birds are randomly placed throughout the book, but these are simply for decoration and not for field use.

Each of the Czech Republic’s 394 bird species receives 1/3 to 2/3 of a page of text. This text covers two primary topics: Habitat and distribution. Good detail is given for the types of environments in which the bird is typically found along with references – sometimes lengthy - to the geographic areas. Additional breeding and population notes are included. Other brief information is given for the bird’s status during the seasons, population trends, and timing of migration.

No information is supplied to describe or identify the bird, reaffirming this book is not a field guide and more of an atlas or status reference.

Each bird is given a 1 x 2 inch map of the country. The boundaries of all the many counties are drawn in, which contain a dot to represent the bird’s recorded status within that county.

Two nice additions to this book are (1) 46 maps of recommended birding sites and (2) 43 b&w photos of the various habitats in the Czech Republic.

This book will appeal to those birders who are able to spend more time in the country and who have a greater interest for detailed avian data. Short-term birders who visit the country probably won’t be as interested or benefitted by this book and will probably want only one of the several very good field guides available for Europe.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic by Harrison
2) Birds of Europe by Mullarney et al.
3) Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East by Jonsson
4) Breeding Birds of Europe; Volumes 1&2 by Pforr/Limbrunner
5) Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe by Flegg
6) The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic by Beaman/Madge… (mehr)