Grant, and it is illustrated by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterström (with two plates of North American passerines contributed by Larry McQueen in the first edition).

[1] It has been described as "undoubtedly the finest field guide that has ever been produced", and "the last great bird book of the 20th century".

The first edition was translated to 14 European languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch and German.

Accompanying most species accounts is a small colour map showing breeding, wintering and migrant range.

[11] Additional data can be bought separately; the first such package being a set of distribution maps for 271 species, from the British Trust for Ornithology's Bird Atlas 2007–11.