My latest book, The Everyday Guide To British Birds, published by Bloomsbury and an RSPB title, is an illustrated guide which aims to help birdwatching beginners and nature enthusiasts identify our most common and widespread species, and learn more about their lives. It describes those birds one is most likely to come across in the garden and beyond, from woodland and farmland to rivers and coasts, and the fascinating qualities that make each of them unique. Keeping identification simple by focussing on probabilities, rather than innumerable possibilities, it also flags up species, some scarcer, that could cause confusion and features hundreds of photos.
     The title went into a second edition, published in Spring 2024, with a range of new photos and features. A companion RSPB/ Bloomsbury book, The Everyday Guide To British Wildlife, is due out in Spring 2025.

'It's written in an accessible and authoritative style, making it a good starting place for anyone just starting to branch out from watching the birds in their garden... As a way of getting yourself familiar with core species it does an excellent job' - Bird Watching magazine
'This book does exactly what it says on the cover: helps people identify common species and learn more about their lives. ...The book contains good identification text with useful descriptions that don't just repeat over-used clichés... Charlie Elder uses excellent analogies and lively descriptions. All in all, a useful and attractive book' - Rob Hume, Birdwatch magazine
'It fills a niche perfectly and it is well produced as well as being well written and illustrated ... If you keep this book in your rucksack or lounge you might not just learn a little, you might get hooked!' - Fatbirder website
'The Everyday Guide to British Birds majors on clarity of description and image. Clearly designed, with stacks of colour photographs, I'm tempted to chuck away all my other bird ID guides in favour of this; it will definitely be carried in the rucksack from now on' - Simon Parker


Few And Far Between, published by Bloomsbury, describes my search for Britain's rarest and most endangered animals. Travelling around the UK, and meeting experts along the way, I tracked down secretive and scarce species living on the brink - ranging from the iconic Scottish wildcat and surreal spiny seahorse to the striking golden oriole, outlandish wart-biter cricket and sinister black rat. The book celebrates the diversity on our doorstep and highlights the natural treasures we risk losing. Trying to find a single rare species is a daunting enough challenge, however I set myself the task of finding twenty-five in all, over the course of a year - five of our rarest mammals, five birds, five reptiles/amphibians, five fish and five invertebrates. Despite being an exhausting undertaking, given it was on top of a full-time job, it was extremely fulfilling, with plenty of thrilling encounters - some caught on camera. I would gladly start out all over again!

'Entertaining... fascinating tales of decline and hope... laced with humour this book celebrates the struggle to save Britain's most threatened species' - Brett Westwood, BBC Wildlife magazine, Book of the Month, April 2015.
'A terrific book that's very easy to love... his adventures are as strange and engaging as the wonderful  creatures he sees... this delightful book is a triumph' - Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, May 22.
'Elder takes readers on an evocative quest to find some of the amazing wildlife that we are lucky enough to have sharing our islands with us. You might read it in an armchair, but it'll make you want to get your boots on' - Tony Juniper, president of The Wildlife Trusts.
'An engaging, thoroughly researched and informative study of contemporary conservation' - Times Literary Supplement, July 31.
'It's a fantasy, a dream, to stalk, scour and scout out the UK's greatest natural treasures - and find them!' - Chris Packham, naturalist and TV presenter.
'Entertaining' - Stephen Moss, The Guardian, Best Nature Books of 2015.
'This book recounts Elder's experiences scouring the UK, coming face-to-face with all things secretive and scarce. From the wildcat to the black rat to the golden oriole, he reveals a cast of furred, feathered and cold-blooded characters that most of us would pay good money to meet' - RSPB, Nature's Home, Pick of new nature books.
'Thoroughly entertaining and informative from page one, Few And Far Between presents a delightful adventure for the reader. Elder writes with flair, imagination and clarity. Both forensic and familiar, he presents  an examination of 25 creatures without recourse to sensationalism in order to share his - and their - story' - Simon Parker, Western Morning News.
'Potentially a bleak tome chronicling the catastrophic decline of our wildlife, this is in fact full of verve, wit and optimism' - James Fair, BBC Countryfile, Book of  the Month, June 2015.
'In Charlie Elder's quest to seek out endangered species, now almost invisible nationwide, he brings back travellers' tales of wild places, feral landscapes and creatures of legend. Added to which, he is a cheerful, gregarious companion and guide' - Iain Finlayson, Saga.
'His enthusiasm and good humour are infectious' - Daily Mail 'Must Reads', April 2016.
'Elder's engaging writing ensures that each of his quests brings with it a new sense of excitement and anticipation... The book acts as a reminder and a celebration of the astonishing variety of habitats and animals which can still be found in these islands' - Andrew Stoddart, Rare Bird Alert.
 'The text is anything but contrived and mushy. He writes with purpose, clarity and humility... What distinguishes the book is the sense of thrill and wonder captured by the author' - British Association of Nature Conservationists, Ecos.

While Flocks Last was published by Transworld (Random House) in 2009 in hardback and paperback, and as an audio book narrated by former EastEnders actor Michael Tudor Barnes. It describes my travels to track down Britain's birds of highest conservation concern - our national 'red list' - finding out why species are in trouble and meeting experts endeavouring to save them from extinction in the UK. It involved visiting the remotest corners of the country to search for the then 40 species on the list. While some of the birds were relatively widespread but in decline, others were extremely rare or elusive. The book was a search for both birds and answers - asking the question: why does it matter whether we lose species? While Flocks Last was Highly Commended in the national IVCA Clarion Awards, recognising contributions to  ethical, social or environmental debate.

'Joyous... totally compelling... very funny... This book is a classic of its kind' - Sunday Telegraph
'Elder is a stylish writer and his ornithological travelogue takes him on entertaining adventures' - Stephen Moss, The Guardian
'A funny, enduring chronicle of a man who has rediscovered a childhood passion for birds' - BBC Countryfile
 'One of those rare books where, though you may not care about the subject at the first page, you will by the last' - The Observer
'A companionable tale of birdwatching adventures... his joyous account will delight twitchers and novices alike' - Daily Telegraph
'An entertaining, often funny and always thought-provoking odyssey' - Sue Arnold, the Guardian (audio book review)
'A joy to read... Despite the subject of endangered birds this is an uplifting book, not a depressing one' - RSPB

 

 

 

Chosen by The Guardian
as one of its
Best Nature Books of  2015

 

 

    Links:
    Bloomsbury Natural History  
    www.bloomsbury.com/uk/special-
        interest/natural-history/
    MBA Literary Agents
    www.mbalit.co.uk/
    Transworld publishing
    www.transworldbooks.co.uk/
    RSPB  
    www.rspb.org.uk/

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My wildlife writing features in two books published in 2024: the BBC title Countryfile: A Year in the Countryside, published in April 2024 and edited by John Craven and Fergus Collins; and Under the Changing Skies - The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary 2018-2024, due for publication in September 2024.