本书介绍了上海市湿地和以湿地为主要生活环境的水鸟资源，共涉及8目24科164种，其中夏候鸟21种，旅鸟64种，冬候鸟73种，留鸟4种，迷鸟2种。基本上包涵了我国东部地区较为常见水鸟资源。 本书就这些水鸟的识别特征、生态习性、在上海的主要分布区域、出现时间等相关生物学特点作为详细介绍，并对水鸟的野外识别技巧和观鸟方法也作了介绍。 本书共收集了来自两岸三地60多位摄鸟爱好者的作品430多幅，其中大量图片是第一次面对广大读者。 中国鸟类学会名誉理事长、中国科学院院士郑光美教授专门为本书作序。

Written by one Europe's leading ornithologists and illustrated by two of the world's finest bird illustrators - Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom (with a translation by David Christie). Covering Britain and Europe, the book provides all the information needed to identify any species at any time of year, with detailed text on size, habitat, range, identification and voice. Accompanying every species entry is a distribution map and colour illustrations (over 3500 in all) to show the species in all the major plumages (male, female, immature, in flight, at rest, feeding). The book is fully integrated, so that all this information appears on one spread, the ideal structure for use in the field. Each group of birds has an introduction, which covers the major problems involved in identifying or seeing them: how to organise a sea watching trip, how to separate birds of prey in flight, which duck hybrids can be confused with which species etc. The second edition will have expanded text and additional colour illustrations.