Where to Watch Birds in France

The ultimate birding site guide to France – the 312 sites covered by the authors enable the reader to see the widest possible species diversity and largest range of local specialities in a reasonable time. An introduction to France for anyone visiting with birds in mind, from casual birdwatchers checking a bird that flies over the terrace during a family holiday to addict birders who would sell their souls for a dream species or a record-breaking checklist. Some may have just a few spare hours to get their binoculars out between business meetings or museum visits, others will be out in the field for two weeks or more, from sunrise to sunset. The authors wrote this book for all bird lovers, birdwatchers and birders, whatever the duration of their stay, the number of kilometres they are prepared to travel and how they enjoy birds. With over 400 regularly occurring species, of which 357 normally breed or winter, France has one of the most diverse avifaunas of the whole of Europe, spanning an incredible range from colourful Mediterranean flagship species such as roller, bee-eater or black-winged kite to secretive cold-climate or mountain specialists like three-toed woodpecker and Tengmalm’s owl. The Birdfinder section provides targeted details for 30 species which often rank in the top wish-list of birders visiting France. Dividing the country into 14 regions, the authors highlight 312 representative sites, chosen for their bird species composition and ease of access. The selected sites enable the reader to see the widest possible species diversity and largest range of local specialities in a reasonable time, while respecting the basic ethical rules obvious to all birdwatchers. Whenever possible, sites are arranged in clusters or itineraries that can be covered in two to three days without hurrying. To supplement the use of the book in the field, all the sites described are geolocated in a file that can be downloaded from the publisher’s website and loaded onto any GPS device.

France is a superb country for birds and birdwatching. It offers perhaps the greatest diversity of habitats of any European country, with the peaks and foothills of the Alps and Pyrenees, the spectacular expansive wetlands of the Camargue, important seabird colonies on cliffs and offshore islands in the northwest, and large areas of low-intensity farmland and unspoilt forest in the interior. This guide opens up the best of birding in France to birders living in or visiting any part of the country. The site accounts are arranged in a formula which will be familiar to readers of the series - each is described in terms of key habitats, the species to be found there, details of access, and advice on when best to time a visit. There are detailed maps for many sites, and the book is enlivened with many attractive line drawings.