This companion volume to The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Britain and Ireland is derived from surveys of birds present in Britain and Ireland during the three winters, 1981/82, 1982/83 and 1983/84. The surveys were organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, as were the earlier breeding birds surveys. The Winter Atlas maps 200 species, 192 of which have full-page two-colour maps faced by a page of text. The texts (written by over 100 specialists) comment on the survey results, the species generally and the distribution and abundance as mapped. In addition there are introductory chapters on the maps, the weather in the three winters, bird patterns and movements; and appendices describing the planning, organisation, field methods, and processing of the survey data from record cards to computer output and maps. A team of 23 artists, led by Robert Gillmor, has provided the line drawings which head the species accounts.

Peter Lack is the author of The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland and Birds on Lowland Farms.

Foreword by James Ferguson-Lees

Introduction and Acknowledgements
The maps
The weather in the three winters
Birds in winter: patterns and movements
Main species accounts
Brief species accounts
List of other birds recorded
Names of plants mentioned in the text
Names of animals mentioned in the text

Appendices:
Planning and Pilot Survey
Organisation in the field
Field methods and recording cards
Computing, checking and data storage
Producing the maps