This entirely new and authoritative work of reference contains descriptions of over 770 species. The crows, jays, ravens, starlings, sparrows, weavers and finches of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa are included, with sections on field characters, habitat, distribution, mortality,population (with maps showing breeding and watering areas), movements, food, social pattern and behaviour, breeding, voice, plumages, moults, measurements, weight, structure, and geographical variation. Specially commissioned colour plates illustrate each species, and there are also colour plates ofeggs, plus many black and white illustrations and text-figures. Regular migrants and accidental species are also covered.For many years the Handbook of British Birds (published in 1938-41), provided the basis on which UK ornithological research was built. This new book has been planned to cover the great advances that have been made in ornithological knowledge since then, and in particular takes account of the factthat ornithologists now work on a wider geographical basis. All Europe is included, together with the Middle East to Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, and Africa south to approximately 19 N. is refl