Collected works

摘要

Books written by enthusiasts are always the best, which is why Jeff Watson's The Golden Eagle (T. and A. D. Poyser, £29.95, ISBN 0 85661 099 2) is such a fine work. Watson, the son of bird artist Donald Watson, has lived in eagle country for much of his life, and his field studies form the basis for this wide-ranging treatment. Virtually every aspect of the biology and behaviour of the golden eagle is covered, ranging from how long the birds live to what they live on. Their diet is remarkably diverse, and while Scottish eagles feed on a broad range of prey, eagles on the Swedish island of Gotland specialise in hedgehogs, and those in Macedonia dine principally on tortoises.