A stunning debut in the tradition of Robert Macfarlane and Helen Macdonald.

Raptor: A Journey Through Birds is a remarkable exploration of the fifteen birds of prey that breed in the British Isles, taking readers from the storm-swept Hen Harriers of Orkney to the ghostly Sparrowhawks of Devon and Warwickshire.

James Macdonald Lockhart brings both humility and deep expertise to his travels, tracing landscapes, moors, mountains and coastlines in search of raptors in their natural environments. His writing is precise, vivid and quietly powerful, the kind that places you right beside him in a hedgerow or on an exposed ridge, watching a Golden Eagle rise or a Kestrel hover over a field.

Drawing on the legacy of 19th-century naturalist William MacGillivray, Lockhart follows aspects of his north–south journey, weaving history, fieldcraft and personal discovery into a narrative that reads as much like a travelogue as it does a natural history.

Whether he’s writing about the heavily persecuted Hen Harrier, the elusive Goshawk, or the everyday brilliance of the Kestrel, each chapter offers insight, empathy and a deep respect for the lives of these extraordinary birds.

This is a book that will change the way readers look at the skies, a captivating celebration of raptors and the wild places they depend on.