Books by Marianne Taylor

Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species looks in detail at the more than 1,300 species known today.

A lavish celebration of seabirds with outstanding depth of coverage and stunning photography, illustrating all aspects of seabird life and behavior.

Discover the fascinating world of British birds with the 'RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds' by Marianne Taylor. This comprehensive guide, published in 2022, is a must-have for any birdwatching enthusiast or nature lover. The book delves into the diverse bird species found across the British Isles, providing insightful information on their habits, habitats, and distinctive features. Taylor's engaging writing style brings these creatures to life, making it easy for readers to identify and learn about these feathered friends. This book falls under the genre of nature and wildlife, appealing to those with a keen interest in these fields. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, a reputable name in the publishing industry, this book promises quality content and reliable information. The 'RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds' is a valuable resource for anyone looking to explore the avian life of Britain.

A beautifully illustrated exploration of the ways birds cohabitFeaturing dramatic and delightful wild bird colonies and communities, How Birds Live Together offers a broad overview of social living in the avian world. From long-established seabird colonies that use the same cliffs for generations to the fast-shifting dynamics of flock formation, leading wildlife writer Marianne Taylor explores the different ways birds choose to dwell together.Through fascinating text, color photos, maps, and other graphics, Taylor examines the advantages of avian sociality and social breeding. Chapters provide detailed information on diverse types of bird colonies, including those species that construct single-family nests close together in trees; those that share large, communal nests housing multiple families; those that nest in tunnels dug into the earth; those that form exposed colonies on open ground and defend them collectively, relying on ferocious aggression; those that live communally on human-made structures in towns and cities; and more. Taylor discusses the challenges, benefits, hazards, and social dynamics of each style of living, and features a wealth of species as examples.Showcasing colonies from the edge of Scotland and the tropical delta of the Everglades to the Namib Desert in Africa, How Birds Live Together gives bird enthusiasts a vivid understanding of avian social communities.

An illustrated guide to the wonders of the animal kingdom.

An exploration of the key aspects of life on Earth - now and in the future - through the study of 10 and a half species.

Packed with fun, incredible and often downright disgusting facts about the animal world, this is a book that will both entertain and educate.

Insects live alongside us in great profusion - sometimes even in intimate proximity. Their importance to the ecosystems of our world, and to our own survival, cannot be overstated. But it can be challenging to relate to them as fellow living beings when their bodies' structure and function are so dramatically different from our own. This excellent RSPB guide to insect anatomy aims to demystify the way that insects live, from the fine detail of their internal processes to the way they co-exist with all other forms of life. Insects exhibit dizzying diversity across their millions of species. Among them are mighty hunters, voracious plant defoliators, deep divers, high-fliers, master builders and devoted parents. Within the vast nests of honey-bees, ants and termites, we see them come together to form a huge, complex, multifaceted living machine. All this variation and potential has come about through evolved modification of a simple but perfectly elegant body plan. Each chapter of this book tackles a particular body system or aspect of insect biology, from respiration to digestion, movement to metamorphosis. Using a step-by-step approach, the book breaks down structures and processes and explores the myriad ways these are expressed in different insect groups. Separate pages delve into particular aspects of insect biology and ecology, such as how their colours are formed and the biology behind their remarkable migratory behaviour. Featuring numerous diagrams and more than 200 colour photos, this user-friendly guide is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about these extraordinary animals that - in terms of numbers, if not size - dominate our planet today.

From urban rooftops to open meadows, the incredible diversity of gardens in the British Isles can provide refuge and feeding opportunities for a vast array of birds. Even the smallest gardens can attract some birdlife and watching garden birds is a great joy for all nature lovers, brightening each day and providing an immediate connection with the wider and wilder world beyond the fence. Nature is facing challenges throughout the world, including right here in the UK, and the changing fortunes of our garden birds are strong indicators of the overall health of our wildlife. With information on how to encourage birds to visit our gardens and boost their survival and breeding success, and how to identify them, this book describes the small steps we can all take to help these birds survive the hardships of winter and bring forth a healthy new generation that we can recognise, appreciate and enjoy for decades to come.RSPB Garden Birds is a lavish celebration of 47 of our most frequent and familiar garden birds, and the final chapter looks at some of the less regular - but equally welcome - visitors. Detailed biographies outline each species' life history, distribution, behaviour and breeding habits, and an extensive introduction provides guidance on the general practicalities of garden birdwatching and managing a wildlife garden. Featuring more than 200 spectacular photographs revealing every detail of our garden birds' appearance and behaviour, this book will appeal to anyone who has discovered their love of wildlife through watching the birds in their garden.

This easy-to-use identification guide to 280 wildlife species most commonly seen in the gardens of Britain and northern Europe is perfect for amateur naturalists. High quality photographs from Britain's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include common and scientific name.

A species-by-species guide that shows you how to find and watch more than 250 species of birds that can be seen in Britain. Some are common; others are rare migrants or scarce breeding books, but this book will tell you the best places to see and watch all of them.

"Robins" is packed with eye-catching, informative color photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable expert.

Most wildlife books are designed to help you identify the animals you have seen. This book is different. In this new, user-friendly guide one British species is highlighted per page, and each account explains in accessible text how to find it, where to find it and how to ensure you have the most rewarding wildlife-watching experiences.Within the 'How to Find' section, author Marianne Taylor explains the best time to look for each species, its preferred habitat, and offers tips to help make your search easier or more productive. In 'Watching Tips' she advises on how to get the most from your encounter, how to observe the species at length and with luck witness its most fascinating behaviour. A colour panel indicates each species' geographical distribution on a map, including 'Super Sites' where the species is particularly abundant or regular. A calendar shows when each species is present or active in the UK to help you plan your visits to nature reserves. Colour photos serve as a reminder of each species' key identification features.In total, RSPB British Naturefinder features nearly 300 species, and it includes all British mammals, reptiles and amphibians, along with a carefully chosen selection of other British animals of interest, such as butterflies, moths, dragonflies, spiders and fishes.