Bird Life of Mountain and Upland

Illustrated with twenty-five full-page line drawings of birds in their natural habitats, as well as two dozen photographs, this book describes the bird life of the various upland regions of the British Isles. Unlike other books that present upland birds, this is the first to present the various species from an ecological standpoint. The book relates the bird distribution and abundance to the various environmental influences of climate, topography, geology, soil type and human land use. The book initially sets the scene by describing and examining the changes and bird fauna following the major climatic shifts since the end of the Ice Age. The uplands are grouped into several main types: sheepwalks, grouse moors, deer forests, flows (peat bogs), maritime hills and high tops and the distinctive bird assemblages are described together with details of the natural history of the more important species. The final chapter deals with the issues involved in the conservation of upland birds.