• The geographical area embraced by the field guide
• How to identify birds
• The ornithological societies.

For nearly 40 years, the Paterson Guide has been the standard field guide to British and European birds. No other book provides such a simple, concise guide to the essential features of bird recognition, enabling precise identification based on comparisons with other species and on distinctive field marks. The Fifth Edition has been completely reconstructed. Roger Tory Paterson has revised many of the color plates and has painted 32 new color plates, for a total of 96.
All the species accounts have been rewritten, and the 364 range maps have been updated. Although this book will be used by expert birders, in the words of Roger Tory Peterson, known throughout the world for his classic guides, "the purpose of this field guide is to make it easier for 999 out of 1,000 readers to identify birds."