Men with Birds on Their Heads : An illustrated guide to British birds and the men they perch on

Author: Jonny Fox

Wildlife: birds & birdwatching

Published on 24 September 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 160 pages
155 x 216 x 20 | 452g

'Exactly my sort of thing' - Alex Horne.

'I do hope Jonny's book finds its people (and their birds)!' - Rob Macfarlane.

It is a little known fact that most men, at some point in their lives, will have a bird on their head. Think of statues, wildlife documentary presenters, tourists in Trafalgar Square....

This delightfully eccentric book is both an informative field guide to our native birds, and a beautifully hand-illustrated collection of paintings. Funny and charming, wistful and unique, Men with Birds on Their Heads celebrates our native wildlife as well as our native people. From a butcher with a turkey perched on his head, to a Beefeater with a raven gripping his Tudor bonnet, the painted pairings and the (often fanciful) stories that accompany them champions everyday people who, like so many of our birds, fly under the radar.

It also shines a light on the wonderful work that many nature enthusiasts are doing in various rewilding projects, and offers tips on simple changes people can do at home to keep declining species of birds alive.

You will never look at a bird in the same way again - or a man with one on his head.