A Complete Guide to the Birds of Malta

The word ‘complete’ is well applied to this unusual book. The expected systematic listing occupies its second half, whereas the first 200 pages are a detailed and profusely illustrated essay on the relationships between man and birds in the Maltese islands. The author grew up in a hunting family and is able to explain the motivations of those who still trap and shoot birds in large numbers on the islands, often unsustainably and in direct contravention of local and European laws. From this perspective, he is able to identify some realistic and pragmatic ways forward for bird conservation.