Birds Britannia

Birds and bird lore provide a fascinating window onto our social and cultural history, and can tell us much about our changing relationship with the British landscape, our people and society.

We Brits love our birds. They hold a special place in our hearts – whether it's the sound of birdsong on a spring morning, the sight of a Barn Owl hunting on a summer's evening, or a Robin perched on our garden spade. In this book, Stephen Moss focusses on some of our most beloved and charismatic birds. He explores their fascinating biology, and their place in the evolving culture and history of the British people.

The author delves into the worlds of Sea Birds (Puffin, Sea Eagle and Gannet), Water Birds (Kingfisher, Swan and Avocet), Countryside Birds (Red Grouse, Nightingale and Skylark ) and Town & Garden Birds (Robin, House Sparrow and Magpie), weaving their stories together to tell four very different stories about the changing face of Britain.

Reviews

‘This absorbing, chattily informative book of avian-human social history sets out the challenge ahead, in our ever-changing relationship with our feathered friends, to prevent another species of bird going the way of the auk.’
The Daily Mail

‘The book is a riot of fact and information, familiar to seasoned twitchers but fascinating to the beginner. […] The message of the book is one of hope: the future of birds looks rosier now than it has done for some time. But we must not get complacent, and reading this book reminds us that bird-watching is a small act of revolution.’
The Mail on Sunday

More praise for Stephen Moss’s previous work:
‘Chatty, genuine, sincere and often quite funny.’
British Wildlife

‘Full of good stuff if you want to settle down for a good read.’
Bird Watching

‘Delightful’
Harper’s Bazaar

About the author

Stephen Moss is a television producer, writer and broadcaster specialising in British wildlife, especially birds. He has worked for the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol and been responsible for many successful series, including Birding with Bill Oddie, Big Cat Diary, Springwatch, Autumnwatch and The Nature of Britain. He writes a monthly column on birdwatching for the Guardian, and also regularly contributes to BBC Wildlife, Gardener’s World, and Countryfile magazines. His books include A Bird in the Bush: A Social History of Birdwatching, A Sky Full of Starlings and The Bumper Book of Nature.