As I write it is nearly spring and each morning I am woken by either a song thrush or a blackbird singing close by. The past winter has been harder than of late and groups of redwings and fieldfares have come into my garden to peck at fallen apples on the lawn. Sometimes, in wet and windy weather, a mistle thrush sings a wild song from the very top of an ash tree overlooking the garden. Thrushes are deeply familiar birds to most of us in this country and are woven into our poetry and culture, so it is surprising to read that this is the first book on the group for almost a century. Since then 12 new species have been described and, of course, much new information has been gathered, and is now presented in this pleasing volume.
First, this is not a field guide. It is an identification guide following on from the first one on shorebirds published in 1986. These books deal with families, or groups, of birds in a fairly detailed manner and their aim is not just to allow the user to identify the species but to present detailed information on all aspects of the birds including life history, habitat, vocalisation, range, movement and breeding behaviour. Thus, the books tend to be stouter and heavier than the average field guide and are at home in the reference collection rather than the pocket.
The arrangement of the book is in the usual format for the series with introductory material on thrush classification, names, voice, behaviour, conservation and threats to species preceding the 60 colour plates all in one block. A total of 162 species are illustrated in over 500 individual images. Each species is then discussed in detail followed by a comprehensive reading list and index.
The plates are mostly by Ren Hathway with others by Clive Byers and Jan Wilczur. This is Mr Hathway’s first major guide and, in my view, it won’t be his last as his plates are artistically pleasing whilst also being scientifically accurate, always a difficult thing to achieve. I have seen some of his original work for this book and, in general, the reproduction is adequate although I understand the first printing was withdrawn and reprinted. It shows that the publishers are jealous of the standards of their books.
The text accounts are comprehensive and deal with identification (including full description and geographical variation), voice, status and distribution, movements, habitat, behaviour and breeding, with accurate measurements of the birds given. I cannot, however, find any mention of the sad drop in numbers of song thrushes in Britain in recent years but this is a world of treatment and cannot include everything. The maps, printed opposite the plates, are small and use colours to indicate breeding ranges, wintering areas etc.
I have no hesitation in recommending this work although I wish the print was rather larger than it is. It is pricey, but, as it is the first book on world thrushes for a century, I suppose £35.00 isn’t too much for what is after all now the standard work.
