The Archaeology of Wild Birds in Britain and Ireland tells the story of human engagement with birds from the end of the last Ice Age to about AD 1650. It is based on archaeological bird remains integrated with ethnography and the history of birds and avian biology. In addition to their food value, the book examines birds in ritual activities and their capture and role in falconry and as companion animals. It is an essential guide for archaeologists and zooarchaeologists and will interest historians and naturalists concerned with the history and former distribution of birds.

• Cover page
• Title page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Plates
• List of figures and tables
• Acknowledgements
• 1. People and birds
  • Sources used for former distributions
  • Geographical and temporal scope: where and when
  • Wild, domestic and feral status of birds
  • The archaeological material
  • Anthropological and historical background
  • Recent studies of birds and people
  • Methods of study of the archaeological data
  • Conventions used in this book
  • Organisation of chapters
  • Final comments
• 2. Crow family
  • Biology and behaviour
  • Beliefs about ravens and crows before Christianity
  • Identification of corvid bones
  • The crow family in prehistoric and Roman times
  • The crow family in the Middle Ages
  • Past distributions
  • Changing interpretations
• 3. Eagles, owls and other raptors
  • Eagles
  • Buzzards
  • Red kite
  • Ospreys and harriers
  • Owls
  • Discussion of eagles, owls and other raptors
• 4. Fenland birds
  • Dalmatian pelican
  • Crane
  • Grey heron
  • Bittern
  • White stork
  • Spoonbill
  • Night heron and little egret
  • Grebes
  • Moorhen and coot
  • Crakes and rails
  • Discussion of fenland birds
• 5. Game birds
  • Identification
  • Capercaillie
  • Black grouse
  • Ptarmigan and red grouse
  • Grey and red-legged partridge
  • Quail
  • Pheasant
  • Great bustard
  • Discussion of game birds
• 6. Waders
  • General introduction to waders
  • Golden and grey plovers
  • Lapwing, curlew and whimbrel
  • Woodcock
  • Snipe
  • Jack snipe
  • Other waders
  • Discussion of waders
• 7. Songbirds
  • Medieval knowledge of songbirds
  • Keeping tame songbirds
  • Eating songbirds
  • Catching songbirds
  • Preparing, cooking, serving and eating small birds
  • Archaeology of songbirds
  • Discussion of songbirds
• 8. Swans, geese, ducks and divers
  • Swans
  • Geese
  • Domestic geese
  • Ducks
  • Divers
  • Discussion of swans, geese, ducks and divers
• 9. Pigeons
  • Historic confusion of pigeon species
  • Symbolism of the dove
  • Identification of archaeological pigeon remains
  • Wild pigeons
  • Woodpigeon
  • Turtle doves
  • Catching wild pigeons
  • Eating pigeons
  • Domestic pigeons
  • Discussion of domestic pigeons
  • Feral pigeons
  • Discussion of pigeons
• 10. Seabirds: fulmars, shearwaters and petrels
  • Seabird exploitation
  • Archaeology of seabirds
  • Fulmar
  • Manx shearwater
  • Other shearwaters
  • Fea’s petrel and storm petrels
  • Discussion of fulmars, shearwaters and petrels
• 11. Seabirds: gannets, cormorants and shags
  • Gannets
  • Cormorants and shags
  • Pygmy cormorant
  • Discussion of gannets, cormorants and shags
• 12. Seabirds: auks and gulls
  • Guillemot and razorbill
  • Great auk
  • Puffin
  • Smaller auks
  • Gulls
  • Terns and skuas
  • Discussion of seabirds
• 13. Hawks and hawking
  • Biology and behaviour of hawks
  • Capturing, training and flying hawks
  • Early history of hawking in Ireland and Britain
  • Medieval hawking
  • Archaeological evidence of hawking
  • Discussion of hawking
• 14. Changing perceptions
  • Prehistoric Britain and Ireland
  • Roman Britain
  • Early medieval
  • Later medieval
  • Post-medieval and modern times
  • Conclusions
• Appendix 1. Database and database protocols
• Appendix 2. Bibliographic reference for archaeological bird bone assemblages included in the database and referred to in the text
• Bibliography
• Index