THE HERONS OF EUROPE. By Claire Voisin. Illustrated by G. Brusewitz, P.L. Suiro and F. Desbordes.

1991 1st edition. 8vo (160 x 240mm). Ppxii,364. Colour plates, b/w illustrations, graphs and tables, extensive bibliography. Dark blue boards, spine titled in gilt.

"Dr Voisin begins her book with a general description of the family before going on to treat each species in more detail. The species accounts summarize such topics as field characters, distribution, population size, breeding and feeding ecology and behaviour. Numerous figures and tables are accompanied by fine drawings of behaviour by P.L. Suiro and colour and black and white pictures of each species by Gunnar Brusewitz". Chapters include: The classification of herons; The origin of herons; The general appearance and special features of herons; Breeding behaviour and biology; Habitat, resource partitioning and species diversity; Feeding behaviour; The food of herons; The Bittern, Botaurus stellaris; The Little Bittern, Ixobrychus minutus; The Black-Crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax; The Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides; The Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis; The world-wide extension in the range of the cattle Egret; The Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea; The Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea; The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta; The Great White Egret, Egretta alba; Protection of herons in Europe.