Book excerpt: The book describes all the main habitat types, the structure and composition of bird communities, and reviews bird sites and their distribution throughout Britain. Rob Fuller's book would not have been possible but for the nationwide cooperative endeavour by amateur and professional ornithologists, naturalists and conservationists which led to the British Trust for Ornithology's Register of Ornithological Sites, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy Council. Hitherto, few books have dealt primarily with bird habitats but the subject is of urgent importance now that exploitation of the environment has left few corners of Britain untouched or unthreatened. Even so, the book is much more than timely, it also extends the reader's interest to an area of bird study that has, perhaps, been too little considered. The text is supported by more than 100 diagrams and maps, and over 50 photographs; in addition there are 53 superbly evocative drawings by Donald Watson. For the birdwatcher and all involved with conservation, this is stimulating reading and an essential reference.