Thought I'd stick a list together of fauna & flora identification guides which I either own or have seen copies of. Some have a lot more information about habitats, distribution, etc. All those listed below are recommended. Some are cheap; some are expensive but the choice is there.
I have refrained from listing more specialised works of the less 'popular' groups but if you do want to know what the best identification guide is, say for snails, beetles, orchids, etc., leave a message and I'll respond (although maybe not immediately!).
Hope it helps!
Scrubbity
THE LIST
BIRDS
Collins Bird Guide
Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom and Peter J Grant
392 pages
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
Sbk £14.95
[The best bird guide in the world!!! Covers Britain and Europe.]
MAMMALS
Mammals of the British Isles
Handbook, 4th edition
Edited by Stephen Harris and Derek W Yalden
800 pages, colour figures, colour photos, tables, distribution maps.
Mammal Society
Hbk £70
[Expensive but has eveything you need to know about British Mammals]
Collins Field Guide to the Mammals of Britain and Europe
David MacDonald
384 pages
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.99
[Still good but needs an update]
PLANTS
The Wild Flower Key
How to identify wild flowers, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
Francis Rose and Clare O'Reilly
480 pages.
Frederick Warne Books
Sbk £19.99
[Well illsutrated and covers most species and regarded as one of the best along with the following]
The Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland
The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora
Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alastair Fitter
512 pages
A & C Black
Sbk £16.99
[comments as above]
Collins Tree Guide
Owen Johnson and David More
464 pages
Harper Collins
Sbk £16.99
Hbk £24.99
Sedges of the British Isles
AC Jermy, DA Simpson, MJY Foley and MS Porter
554 pages
Botanical Society of the British Isles
Sbk £17.50
[It's specialised but I included it as it's relevant to Bush food, black & white illustartions]
Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and North-Western Europe
Francis Rose
204 pages
Viking Books
Hbk £50
[colour photo's]
The Fern Guide
A Field Guide to the Ferns, Clubmosses, Quillworts and Horsetails of the British Isles
James Merryweather and Michael Hill
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
New Flora of the British Isles
Edited by Clive Stace
1130 pages
Cambridge University Press
Sbk £53
[Covers everything but is heavy-going.]
Field Flora of the British Isles
Clive Stace
736 pages, 16 b/w illus, 12 figs.
Cambridge University Press
Sbk £25.99
[Abridged version of the above.]
INVERTBRATES
Insects of Britain and Western Europe
Michael Chinery
320 pages.
A & C Black
Sbk £14.99
[Discusses the various families of insects and is also illustrated.]
Collins Field Guide to the Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Michael Chinery
448 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
[More of a general identification guide than Chinerys other publication.]
A Key to the Major Groups of British Terrestrial Invertebrates
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 187
SM Tilling
71 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
[All AIDGAP keys are written for the beginner and professional alike - easy to understand]
A Key to the Major Groups of British Freshwater Invertebrates
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 181
PS Croft
48 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
Paul Waring and Martin Townsend
432 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £29.95 Hbk £44.99
[The best field guide to macro-moths. Doesn't cover micro-moths which are generally more difficult to identify]
Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Steve Brooks
160 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £18.95
Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe
Klaas-Douwe B Dijkstra
320 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £21.95
Hbk £30.00
[As good as the above but covers Europe as well]
Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland
Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner
108 pages.
Ocelli Limited
Sbk £9.95
[A good guide, better than others in this price range. Bear in mind some species are difficult to identify]
Pocket Guide to Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Richard Lewington
144 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £9.95
Collins Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe
Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington
320 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
Keys to the Families of British Spiders
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 197
L Jones-Walters
78 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
FISH
Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes
Maurice Kottelat and J Freyhof
646 pages.
Hbk £69.99
Freshwater Fishes in Britain - The Species and their Distribution
Edited by Paul Harding et al
176 pages.
Harley Books
Hbk £35
Key to the Freshwater Fish of Britain and Ireland, With Notes on their Distribution and Ecology
Series: Freshwater Biological Association Scientific Publications 62
Peter S Maitland
248 pages.
Freshwater Biological Association
Sbk £23.50
A Field Key to the Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of the British Isles
Alwyne Wheeler
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £4.99
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
Collins Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe
Nick Arnold
288 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.99
[Excellent all round guide, recently updated]
I have refrained from listing more specialised works of the less 'popular' groups but if you do want to know what the best identification guide is, say for snails, beetles, orchids, etc., leave a message and I'll respond (although maybe not immediately!).
Hope it helps!
Scrubbity
THE LIST
BIRDS
Collins Bird Guide
Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom and Peter J Grant
392 pages
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
Sbk £14.95
[The best bird guide in the world!!! Covers Britain and Europe.]
MAMMALS
Mammals of the British Isles
Handbook, 4th edition
Edited by Stephen Harris and Derek W Yalden
800 pages, colour figures, colour photos, tables, distribution maps.
Mammal Society
Hbk £70
[Expensive but has eveything you need to know about British Mammals]
Collins Field Guide to the Mammals of Britain and Europe
David MacDonald
384 pages
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.99
[Still good but needs an update]
PLANTS
The Wild Flower Key
How to identify wild flowers, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
Francis Rose and Clare O'Reilly
480 pages.
Frederick Warne Books
Sbk £19.99
[Well illsutrated and covers most species and regarded as one of the best along with the following]
The Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland
The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora
Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alastair Fitter
512 pages
A & C Black
Sbk £16.99
[comments as above]
Collins Tree Guide
Owen Johnson and David More
464 pages
Harper Collins
Sbk £16.99
Hbk £24.99
Sedges of the British Isles
AC Jermy, DA Simpson, MJY Foley and MS Porter
554 pages
Botanical Society of the British Isles
Sbk £17.50
[It's specialised but I included it as it's relevant to Bush food, black & white illustartions]
Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and North-Western Europe
Francis Rose
204 pages
Viking Books
Hbk £50
[colour photo's]
The Fern Guide
A Field Guide to the Ferns, Clubmosses, Quillworts and Horsetails of the British Isles
James Merryweather and Michael Hill
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
New Flora of the British Isles
Edited by Clive Stace
1130 pages
Cambridge University Press
Sbk £53
[Covers everything but is heavy-going.]
Field Flora of the British Isles
Clive Stace
736 pages, 16 b/w illus, 12 figs.
Cambridge University Press
Sbk £25.99
[Abridged version of the above.]
INVERTBRATES
Insects of Britain and Western Europe
Michael Chinery
320 pages.
A & C Black
Sbk £14.99
[Discusses the various families of insects and is also illustrated.]
Collins Field Guide to the Insects of Britain and Northern Europe
Michael Chinery
448 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
[More of a general identification guide than Chinerys other publication.]
A Key to the Major Groups of British Terrestrial Invertebrates
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 187
SM Tilling
71 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
[All AIDGAP keys are written for the beginner and professional alike - easy to understand]
A Key to the Major Groups of British Freshwater Invertebrates
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 181
PS Croft
48 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
Paul Waring and Martin Townsend
432 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £29.95 Hbk £44.99
[The best field guide to macro-moths. Doesn't cover micro-moths which are generally more difficult to identify]
Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Steve Brooks
160 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £18.95
Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe
Klaas-Douwe B Dijkstra
320 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £21.95
Hbk £30.00
[As good as the above but covers Europe as well]
Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland
Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner
108 pages.
Ocelli Limited
Sbk £9.95
[A good guide, better than others in this price range. Bear in mind some species are difficult to identify]
Pocket Guide to Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Richard Lewington
144 pages.
British Wildlife Publishing
Sbk £9.95
Collins Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe
Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington
320 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.95
Keys to the Families of British Spiders
Series: Field Studies Council Aidgap Guides 197
L Jones-Walters
78 pages.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £6.95
FISH
Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes
Maurice Kottelat and J Freyhof
646 pages.
Hbk £69.99
Freshwater Fishes in Britain - The Species and their Distribution
Edited by Paul Harding et al
176 pages.
Harley Books
Hbk £35
Key to the Freshwater Fish of Britain and Ireland, With Notes on their Distribution and Ecology
Series: Freshwater Biological Association Scientific Publications 62
Peter S Maitland
248 pages.
Freshwater Biological Association
Sbk £23.50
A Field Key to the Freshwater Fishes and Lampreys of the British Isles
Alwyne Wheeler
Field Studies Council (FSC)
Sbk £4.99
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
Collins Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe
Nick Arnold
288 pages.
Harper Collins
Hbk £24.99
[Excellent all round guide, recently updated]
