I used to have my bird-watcher's bible - the Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. Each time (over the last 40 years+) I used it whereever I lived when in Australia, noting on pages the species that I saw at that specific place. I find it a perfect book - the photos so much better than the "illustrations" found in most other works. But my copy eventually fell foul (pardon the pun) of my over-use, and literally (another pun) disintegrated.
It is my wife's birthday in a few weeks. We live with a rainforest at the back fence - an amazing array of birds give joy to us every day, and my wife loves that. I decided to find a new copy of that book for her, which was not easy - none of the usual booksellers seems to carry it. But I persevered, and now have, hidden under my wine collection under the study desk, a pristine copy of this. I am sure that she will like it