From the bestselling author of The Robin: A Biography, Stephan Moss:

The wren is a paradox of a bird.

They are Britain's most common bird, with 8.5 million breeding pairs and have by far the loudest song in proportion to their size. They also thrive up and down Britain and Ireland: from the smallest city garden to remote offshore islands, blustery moors to chilly mountains. Yet many people are not sure if they have ever seen a wren. Perhaps because the wren is so tiny, weighing just as much as two A4 sheets of paper, and so busy, always on the move, more mouse than bird.

However if we cast our eyes back to recent history wrens were a mainstay of literary, cultural and popular history. The wren was on postage stamps and the farthing, it featured in nursery rhymes and greetings cards, poems and rural 'wren hunts', still a recent memory in Ireland particularly.

With beautiful illustrations throughout, this captivating year-in-the-life biography reveals the hidden secrets of this fascinating bird that lives right on our doorstep.

A captivating year-in-the-life biography of Britain's most common, yet most intriguingly secretive, bird

About the Author
STEPHEN MOSS is a naturalist, author and broadcaster. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain. He is the president of the Somerset Wildlife Trust and a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Originally from London, he now lives with his wife and children on the Somerset Levels. His books include The Robin, The Wren, The Twelve Birds of Christmas, The Swallow, The Swan and The Owl.

Reviews
An enjoyable and constantly informative read -- Rob Hume * Birdwatch *
[A] sweetly illustrated book packed with information and insights... A little bird tells me that this is a winner * Saga *
[A] wide-ranging, absorbing account... [Stephen Moss] narrows focus on one tiny bird yet still manages to offer a wealth of stories from the past, anecdotes and literary allusions * Daily Mail *
A remarkably good, beautifully written and absolutely fascinating little book. Every birder...should read it, enjoy it and learn from it * British Birds *
This fascinating biography . . . A perfect Christmas present for any birder * Birdwatching *



Book Information
ISBN 9781910931936
Author Stephen Moss
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Square Peg
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 461g
Dimensions(mm) 206mm * 142mm * 24mm