Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola by Sean Dooley

Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola: A Whole Lot of Stuff About Birdwatching by Sean Dooley is an entertaining, irreverent and surprisingly informative journey through the peculiar world of birdwatching. Published by Allen & Unwin in 2007, this engaging A-to-Z guide is written for everyone from casual backyard bird observers to committed twitchers who organise their lives around the possibility of adding another species to their lists.

Dooley, also the author of The Big Twitch, approaches birding with the enthusiasm of a dedicated birdwatcher combined with the sharp humour of a professional comedy writer. Rather than functioning as a conventional identification guide, Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola explores the language, traditions, personalities, habits and occasional absurdities surrounding birdwatching. Topics range across ornithology, conservation and environmental issues as well as literature, sociology and the culture that has developed around serious birding.

Arranged alphabetically, Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola can be read from beginning to end or dipped into for individual entries. Dooley examines everything from bird lists and binocular etiquette to the more eccentric terminology and behaviour encountered among dedicated birders. Matt Clare’s illustrations complement the author’s light-hearted approach.

Condition – Very Good

Light general shelf and handling wear. The binding appears sound and the pages clean overall.