BOOKS: The words on our birds at Sanctuary Lakes

Birdwatchers can use a new online guide to learn more about the 117 types of birds that call Sanctuary Lakes home.

The Sanctuary Lakes Residents Bird Watching Handbook, by resident Bob Winters and publicist Ron Smith, includes photographs and information about birds and tips on how to watch them.

Mr Smith says migratory birds – including Japan’s Latham’s snipe, the red-necked stint from Siberia and Alaska and the whiskered tern from Indonesia and the Northern Territory – fly thousands of kilometres every year to visit Sanctuary Lakes.

Apart from teaching birdwatchers about the birds, the handbook’s author aims to make people aware of the importance of protecting the environment.

It can be downloaded at sanctuarylakesbirds.com.au