AN author and bird expert has found himself off to a flying start, being one of six authors shortlisted for a £40,000 prize.

Jeremy Mynott, from Colchester, is an ornithologist and a historian.

His passion for nature has landed him a place on the shortlist for the Wolfson History Prize - the most prestigious history prize in the UK.

His latest book, Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words, explores the representation of birds in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

He said birds played many different roles in ancient culture as indicators of time, weather and the seasons as well as a resource for hunting, eating, medicine and farming.

Birds also played a role as domestic pets and entertainment, and as omens and intermediaries between the gods and humankind.

Mr Mynott said: “I wrote this book to bring together two long-standing interests of mine - the classical world and natural history, in particular birds.

“I use birds as a prism through which to explore the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome.”

He added: “Birds pervaded their world, imposing their physical presence on people’s daily experience.

“They figure in almost every genre of literature and art, provide a source of symbols and motifs in myth, magic and folklore, and were central to the ancient rituals of augury and divination.”

Jeremy has an advantage with his extensive background and knowledge being the former chief executive of Cambridge University Press and an Emeritus Fellow at the university.

He is also the author of Birdscapes: Birds in Our Imagination and Experience.

Jeremy has featured on radio and television, is a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement and wildlife magazines, and a founding member of heritage group New Networks for Nature.

Judges said his latest book was “charming, quirky, and lavishly detailed”.

He said he was thrilled to have been shortlisted for the prestigious prize.

Talking about his research for the book, he said: “I explore this body of material through extensive translated quotation from 120 classical authors and over 100 images from paintings, pottery, coins and mosaics.”

He added: “I am delighted the Wolfson judges have given such recognition to this unusual combination of cultural and natural history.

“It comes at a time when we so urgently need to better understand the evolution of human responses and responsibilities to the natural world and its place in human flourishing more generally.”

The winner of the Wolfson History Prize 2019 will be named at a ceremony at Claridge’s Hotel, London, on June 11.

The winner will be awarded £40,000, with each shortlisted author receiving £4,000.

The Wolfson History Prize is run and awarded by the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity which awards grants in the fields of science, health, education, arts and humanities.