Review by Choice Review
The first of a six-volume series covering major bird habitats in Great Britain. Written from a habitat-ecology perspective, the book treats the major birds expected in open habitats of the British highlands. Introductory chapters cover climate, geologic history, and human impacts on bird habitats, followed by detailed chapters on the smooth highlands managed as sheep pastures, the heather-covered grouse moors, the red deer "forests" (many without trees), open peatlands and bogs, the open hills influenced by salt spray, and the bare rocky mountain tops. Each of these chapters emphasizes the general ecology of each type mentioned and uses the characteristic birds breeding in those regions to emphasize ecological relationships. The book closes with a chapter on general ecological principles applicable to these areas and a chapter on conservation problems. Not a guide to either the birds or their habitats, but an excellent account of merging the natural history of the birds with the ecology of the habitats. Community-college students and up.-S. W. Harris, Humboldt State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
