Synopsis
Since the 1980s the bird life of the Cotswolds has seen significant changes, many of them subtle but some spectacular. This beautifully illustrated and extensively researched book, the product of five years' field work by the North Cotswold Ornithological Society, exposes these changes with the aid of simple and clear coloured dot maps which give not only a detailed but easily understood picture of the breeding distributions of bird species in the area today, but also a comparison with the situation when the society published its previous atlas 20 years ago. The maps are accompanied by descriptive accounts for each species, often containing fascinating local information.

Reliable detection of changes in bird distribution is of vital importance for conservation in the Cotswolds as elsewhere. That such a comprehensive picture of the area has been achieved for so many species is a tribute to the decades of detailed bird study by the society's members.

The book discusses the relative difficulties of surveying the different species, which will be of help to others undertaking the same task elsewhere. It is richly illustrated by colour photographs of the birds and their habitats. Its easy style and clarity will make this book of great interest not only to ornithologists, but to everyone with a concern for the natural environment of the Cotswolds, and to anyone planning a visit to this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

248 x 172mm, 248pp, cased

100 colour photographs and 280 colour maps

Published 15 June 2009