New Titles

 

1) Hurben, Michael. The Physics of Birds and Birding: The Sounds, Colors and Movements of Birds, and Our Tools for Watching Them. 2025. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 246 pages. Price: $42.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Birding has become one of the world’s most popular pastimes for good reason. The vibrant colors, aerial finesse, and vocal talents of birds draw us to nature, stimulate our admiration and pique our curiosity. We cannot help but have questions as we encounter these elegant creatures. How do iridescent feathers seemingly glow? What must a hummingbird do to hover? How does a tiny animal produce all that music? By what means do some birds sense Earth’s magnetic field and use it for navigation? Why is it that peering through a few pieces of glass can make a distant bird seem so close? Such inquiry brings us to the realm of physics.

     The Physics of Birds and Birding sets out to blaze the best possible trail through this landscape. It steers clear complex technical specialization, while avoiding overused paths that lead to unsatisfying, facile explanations. It is a guide not just to the fascinating science of birds and birding, but to the deeper connections that tie all of nature together. Birders and naturalists from all backgrounds will find much of interest here – both in terms of mysteries they’ve long wondered about, as well as some surprising linkages among what is seemingly unrelated. This unique and remarkable book is an invitation to appreciate what you might not have been seeing all along.

 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for those with an interest in this topic. 

 

 

2) Leckie, Seabrooke. Moths of Western North America. 2026. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 682 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The first photographic field guide to present the moths of western North America as they are found in nature, making it easy to use for novices and experts alike

     Western North America is home to a surprising array of moth species that come in a variety of colors and sizes. This richly illustrated field guide covers 1,900 of the most commonly occurring species in the region, from the United States–Mexico border north to Edmonton, Alberta, and central British Columbia. Images on the full-color plates are marked with arrows to help users quickly know the most important features to look for, while facing-page species accounts highlight these features and, when applicable, how they differ from those of similar species. Whether you are a beginning moth enthusiast or a seasoned observer in the field, Moths of Western North America is the ultimate photographic guide to these marvelous insects.

• Covers 1,900 of the most common species in western North America
• Features more than 2,000 spectacular color photos of live specimens, at rest, including examples of variations and sexual dimorphism where present
• Species accounts describe key identification features and include information on caterpillar host plants, the time of year in which adults may be found, and the probability of encountering each species
• Includes a range map for each species
• Provides invaluable tips for newcomers on how to get started observing moths

 RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for western moth-ers!

 

3) Forbes, Dale et al.. Habitats of Europe: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists. 2026. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 432 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Europe is a place of natural wonders, from the icy expanses of the tundra to the arid beauty of deserts and the lush vibrancy of rainforests. This illustrated guide covers all the continent’s major habitats, providing an invaluable resource for understanding and preserving its breathtaking landscapes, ecosystems, and wildlife. Unlike standard habitat classification systems that focus solely on plant communities, Habitats of Europe offers a unique approach to understanding habitats by combining animal assemblages with descriptions of habitat structure, climate, soils, and vegetation. Perfect for nature lovers and ecologists. Whether you’re a seasoned ecologist or a curious nature lover, this one-of-a-kind field guide will inspire you to explore and protect the rich biodiversity of Europe.

• Features engaging, fact-filled descriptions of 56 major habitats
• Includes a wealth of climate graphs, silhouettes, and breathtaking color photos
• Presents an easy-to-use system for assessing and understanding habitats—developed in collaboration with experts in conservation, birding, and tour guiding
• Encourages the reader to look beyond individual species and understand the intricate interactions that define each ecosystem
• Makes habitat science accessible to a wider audience, enticing the reader to discover more about the continent and its ecology
• An ideal travel companion for birders, naturalists, and wildlife enthusiasts
• The go-to reference for conservation organizations, ecologists, and policymakers

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for those with an interest in the region's habitats!

 

4) Smallshire, Dave and Andy Swash. Dragonflies of Britain and Ireland. Fifth Edition: Fully revised and updated. 2025. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 240 pages. Price: $25.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Dragonflies of Britain and Ireland is the only comprehensive photographic field guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of the region. Written by two of Britain’s foremost  dragonfly experts, this fully revised and updated fifth edition features hundreds of stunning images and identification charts covering all 58 resident, migrant and former breeding species, and seven potential vagrants. The book focuses on the identification of both adults and larvae, highlighting the key features. Detailed species profiles provide concise information on identification, status and trend, distribution, flight period, behaviour, breeding habitat, and population and conservation. Other sections cover biology and ecology; watching, photographing, recording and monitoring dragonflies; conservation status and legislation; and introduced exotic species.

     This redesigned, updated and expanded edition features:

• Beautiful colour plates showing males, females, immatures and all colour forms for every species, annotated to highlight key identification features
• More than 600 stunning photographs (100 more than in the previous edition), 353 of which are new, and 550 illustrations
• Up-to-date species profiles, distribution maps and status information
• Detailed, easy-to-use identification charts for adults and larvae
• An annotated checklist of the 58 species recorded to date 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for those with an interest in the region's dragonflies and damselflies.

 

 

BEST BIRD BOOKS OF 2025

 

The following are my picks for the best bird books of 2025:

BEST BOOK:

 

1) Cheke, Robert A. and Clive F. Mann. Sunbirds of the World: Sunbirds, Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds, Second Edition. 2025. Helm. Hardbound: 608 pages. Price: $100.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Sunbirds are among the most striking of all bird groups; their dazzling iridescent plumage and long curved bills are conspicuous when the birds visit garden flowers on sunny days to feed on nectar. Some species - especially the females - are duller in appearance and harder to spot, feeding mostly on insects high up in forest canopies. Spiderhunters, as their name suggests, feed extensively on spiders, while sunbirds' other close relatives, the flowerpeckers, are especially partial to mistletoe berries.

     This book is the last word on sunbird identification, ecology and behaviour. Now in its second edition, it has been fully revised and updated to reflect the many developments that have occurred in sunbird taxonomy, as well as the new research that has been published on their biology. It covers all 218 currently recognised species, providing details of key identification features, voice, habitat, distribution, conservation status, movements, food and behaviour. New colour art by award-winning artist Richard Allen has been added, and hundreds of high-quality colour photographs beautifully capture every species. Maps accurately depict geographical distributions of each taxon to subspecies level.

     This beautiful book is the definitive reference to the sunbirds, flowerpeckers, spiderhunters and sugarbirds of the world, and is essential reading for researchers, birders and conservationists alike.

RECOMMENDATION: The page count has increased from 384 to 608.The number of color plates has increased from 48 to 58. This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in Sunbirds and related birds and/or collects bird family monographs. 

 

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS: 

 

1) Lambert, Frank. Pittas, Broadbills and Asities: Second Edition. 2025. Helm. Hardbound: 480 pages. Price: $85.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Inhabiting tropical and subtropical forests of the Old World, pittas, broadbills and asities include some of the most beautiful, elusive and sought-after birds on the planet. Pittas are medium-sized, insectivorous terrestrial birds that are rather thrushlike in their behaviour. Most are brilliantly coloured, generally solitary, and have a well-deserved reputation for secretive, skulking habits, adding to the challenge of seeing them in their often dark environment. The 52 species of pitta largely occur from Asia through Wallacea to New Guinea and Australia, with two (perhaps three) species in Africa.

     Broadbills are very different to pittas, being typically chunky birds with large heads, broad flattened beaks and short legs. The majority are colourful and sociable, but none are terrestrial. Three are highly frugivorous, but the others are largely insectivorous. They form a diverse group of 18 species in nine genera, of which four species are confined to Africa, with the rest in Asia.

     The four species of asities form an endemic Madagascan family. Two species are similar to broadbills, but the other two resemble sunbirds, even in their feeding habits. Breeding males have facial wattles (as do two broadbill species).

     The first monograph of these three groups was published in 1996; this book, by the same author, is its follow-up. Completely revised and updated, it draws together a wealth of material from the literature and from online and unpublished sources to provide the ultimate reference to these fascinating birds, from taxonomy and identification to habitat requirements, biology and ecology, accompanied by a stunning photographic selection, and the art of Martin Woodcock.

RECOMMENDATION: The page count has increased from 271 to 480. This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in these birds!

 

 

2) Birkhead,Tim. The Great Auk: Its Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife. 2025. Bloomsbury Sigma. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $28.00 U.S. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Great Auk was a flightless, goose-sized bird superbly adapted for life at sea. Fat, flush with feathers and easy to capture, the birds were in trouble whenever sailors visited their once-remote breeding colonies. Places like Funk Island, off north-east Newfoundland, became scenes of unimaginable slaughter, with birds killed in their millions. By 1800 the auks of Funk Island were gone. A scramble by private collectors for specimens of the final few birds then began, a bloody, unthinking destruction of one of the world's most extraordinary species.

     But their extinction in 1844 wasn't the end of the Great Auk story, as the bird went on to have a remarkable afterlife; skins, eggs and skeletons became the focus for dozens of collectors in a story of pathological craving and unscrupulous dealings that goes on to this day.

     In a book rich with insight and packed with tales of birds and of people, Tim Birkhead reveals previously unimagined aspects of the bird's life before humanity, its death on the killing shores of the North Atlantic, and the unrelenting subsequent quest for its remains.

     The Great Auk remains a symbol of human folly and the necessity of conservation. This book tells its story.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-READ for anyone with an interest in the Great Auk and/or enjoys Birkhead's writing! 

 

3) Beehler, Bruce M.. Flight of the Godwit: Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations. 2025. Smithsonian Books. Hardbound: 264 pages. Price: $27.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY:  Flying more than 8,000 miles from Alaska to eastern Australia without stopping to eat or rest, the Bar-tailed Godwit holds the record for the longest nonstop migration of any land bird in the world. Flight of the Godwit invites readers on ornithologist Bruce M. Beehler's awe-inspiring journey in search of North America's largest and farthest-flying shorebirds. Driving 35,000 miles between 2019 to 2023, Beehler sought birds he dubs the "Magnificent Seven":

• Hudsonian Godwit
• Bar-tailed Godwit
• Marbled Godwit
• Whimbrel
• Long-billed Curlew
• Bristle-thighed Curlew
• Upland Sandpiper

     Beehler interweaves colorful fieldwork stories and rich details on local culture with the natural history and biology of shorebirds—including evolution, the physics of migration, orientation, homing, foraging, diet, nesting, parental care, wintering, staging, elusive "super-migrators," and the importance of conservation efforts.

     With authoritative prose and 30 beautiful black-and-white illustrations from artist Alan T. Messer, the book journeys through 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces from Texas to Alaska to Canada's High Arctic. Flight of the Godwit is a captivating adventure and a tribute to remarkable birds and birding itself.

RECOMMENDATION: If you enjoyed Hall's A Gathering of Shore Birds and/or Matthiessen's The Wind Birds, you should like this book! 

 

 

4) Sweeney, Chris. The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne. 2025. Avid Reader Press. Hardbound: 320 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The fascinating and remarkable true story of the world’s first forensic ornithologist—Roxie Laybourne, who broke down barriers for women, solved murders, and investigated deadly airplane crashes with nothing more than a microscope and a few fragments of feathers.

     In 1960, an Eastern Airlines flight had no sooner lifted from the runway at Boston Logan Airport when it struck a flock of birds and took a nosedive into the shallow waters of the Boston Harbor, killing sixty-two people. This was the golden age of commercial airflight—luxury in the skies—and safety was essential to the precarious future of air travel. So the FAA instructed the bird remains be sent to the Smithsonian Institution for examination, where they would land on the desk of the only person in the world equipped to make sense of it all.

     Her name was Roxie Laybourne, a diminutive but singular woman with thick glasses, a heavy Carolina drawl, and a passion for birds. Roxie didn’t know it at the time, but that box full of dead birds marked the start of a remarkable scientific journey. She became the world’s first forensic ornithologist, investigating a range of crimes and calamities on behalf of the FBI, the US Air Force, and even NASA.

     The Feather Detective takes readers deep within the vaunted backrooms of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to tell the story of a burgeoning science and the enigmatic woman who pioneered it. While her male colleagues in taxidermy embarked on expeditions around the world and got plum promotions, Roxie stayed with her birds. Using nothing more than her microscope and bits of feathers, she helped prosecute murderers, kidnappers, and poachers. When she wasn’t testifying in court or studying evidence from capital crimes, she was helping aerospace engineers and Air Force crews as they raced to bird-proof their airplanes before disaster struck again.

     In The Feather Detective, award-winning journalist Chris Sweeney charts the astonishing life and work of this overlooked pioneer. Once divorced, once widowed, and sometimes surly, Roxie shattered stereotypes and pushed boundaries. Her story is one of persistence and grit, obsession and ingenuity. Drawing on reams of archival material, court documents, and exclusive interviews, Sweeney delivers a moving and amusing portrait of a woman who overcame cultural and scientific obstacles at every turn, forever changing our understanding of birds—and the feathers they leave behind.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in this aspect of ornithological history.

 

 

 

New Titles

 

1) Best, Troy L. and John L. Hunt. Mammals of the Southwestern United States: Biology of Native and Some Extirpated, Extinct, and Introduced Species. 2025. Lynx Nature Books. Hardbound: 622 pages. Price: $76.67 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Mammals of the Southwestern United States is the definitive reference to the mammals of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Written by Troy L. Best and John L. Hunt, this comprehensive work compiles decades of research into the biology, taxonomy, and conservation of the region’s mammalian fauna. Inside you’ll find: · Detailed accounts of 246 species, including extant, extirpated, extinct, and introduced mammals. · More than 500 photographs and illustrations, along with maps of current and historical ranges. · Insights into habitats, reproduction, diets, behaviors, and conservation status. · Summaries of threats to mammals, from habitat loss and fragmentation to invasive species and climate change. · Appendices, glossary, and a complete reference list for deeper study. With its combination of scientific depth and accessible style, this volume is essential for students, educators, naturalists, wildlife managers, and professional mammalogists―as well as anyone interested in the remarkable diversity of mammals in the Southwest.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for those with an interest in the region's mammals!

 

2) Jørgensen, Dolly. Ghosts Behind Glass: Encountering Extinction in Museums. 2025. University of Chicago Press. Paperback: 264 pages. Price: $20.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: While it’s no longer possible to encounter a dodo in the wild, we can still come face-to-face with them in museums. The remains of extinct species—whether taxidermied, skeletal, drawn, or sculpted—stare back at us from display cases.
 
     In this moving meditation on what’s lost and what endures, environmental historian Dolly Jørgensen visits natural history collections worldwide—from Shanghai to Philadelphia, from Edinburgh to Hobart, Australia—to understand the many ways that museums tell stories about extinction. She encounters extinct animals that are framed as cultural artifacts and as rare valuables, that are memorialized with lists, and that are brought to life through augmented reality. She draws our attention to creatures with prominent afterlives—passenger pigeons, giant moas, thylacines—as well as those that are less likely to be discussed or displayed. Throughout, Jørgensen examines the relationship between museums and the natural world, so readers can look more closely at exhibits about extinction, studying the displays for what is there, as well as what is missing. During a period of rapid species loss driven by humanity’s environmental impact, Ghosts Behind Glass asks what we can learn about our world from the presence of the extinct.

RECOMMENDATION: A readable overview of the subject. 

 

 

3) Lomax, Dean R.. The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs: Unearthing the Real Behaviors of Prehistoric Animals. 2025. Columbia University Press. Hardbound: 340 pages. Price: $38.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Buried within a lost world, astonishing evidence reveals the behavior of extinct animals, giving us a glimpse at both everyday and epic events. If we look at these discoveries carefully, the untold stories of these magnificent creatures come into view, breathing new life into the prehistoric past.

     The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs tells the remarkable tales of ancient animals through some of the most distinctive and unusual fossils ever found, offering an intimate, behind-the-scenes look into the story of life in deep time. Venturing hundreds of millions of years into the past, Dean R. Lomax takes us on a journey through the grand cycle of life, infused with anecdotes from his own adventures and sprinkled with a touch of dinosaur humor.

     These fossils tell real-world stories of prehistoric parenting, the quest for survival, and the endless struggle between predator and prey. Unbelievable moments are captured: saber-toothed cats clashing, mega-millipedes mating, dinosaurs swimming. From ammonite eggs to mosasaur mealtimes, and from a pregnant ichthyosaur that chowed down on a bird to the mammal that took down a dinosaur, these behaviors challenge what we thought we knew about the prehistoric world.

     This book looks into the private moments of long-extinct creatures as never before, letting us see them not just as fossils in a museum but as living, breathing animals with personalities and emotions. Vivid illustrations by Bob Nicholls bring these incredible stories to life in full color. 

RECOMMENDATION: A readable and well-illustrated overview of the subject. 

 

 

 

4) Arens, Nan Crystal. The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants. 2025. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 208 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Mesozoic was dominated by a spectacular array of flora, from ferns, conifers, and cycads to ginkgos and flowering plants, as well as some enigmatic species with no modern-day descendants. This wide-ranging illustrated guide provides an unparalleled, in-depth look at the era’s extraordinary plant life, exploring its natural history, biology, and evolution over a span of 185 million years. Blending the latest discoveries in paleontology with informative profiles of extinct species and their living descendants, The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants is a one-of-a-kind reference to the botanical wonders of the prehistoric world.

• Features hundreds of breathtaking illustrations, from life studies and scenic landscapes to detailed sketches of representative species
• Introduces the history of plant paleontology and the dating, geography, and extinction of Mesozoic flora
• Profiles hundreds of Mesozoic species, tracing the evolutionary relationships of fossil plants with living ones
• Discusses photosynthesis, reproduction, growth, climate, plant communication, partnerships with fungi and animals, and conservation
• Reveals how Mesozoic plants evolved in response to predation and changing environmental conditions
• Journeys through the forests of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods
• A must-have guide for anyone interested in the lost world of the dinosaurs

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for those with an interest in fossil plants!

 

 

5) Ropa, Anastasija. The Medieval Horse. 2025. Reaktion Books. Hardbound: 215 pages. Price: $25.00 U.S. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This book explores the role of horses across the global medieval world. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, Anastasija Ropa examines how horses shaped societies, warfare, and culture as well as how their legacy persists in equestrian sports today.
 
     Drawing on little-known primary sources, artifacts, and the author’s own experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between medieval people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for those with an interest in Medieval history and/or horses.

 

 

 

6) Telford, Max. The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle. 2025. W. W. Norton & Company. Hardbound: 320 pages.  Price: $29.99 U.S. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Are humans really fish? Why are we the only animals with chins? How much of our DNA do we share with the trillions of bacteria in our bodies? For centuries, scientists have chased the secrets of how life on our planet arose, how it assumed its dazzling diversity of forms, and how we humans are related to everything else on earth. With increasingly sophisticated genetic methods now bringing us ever closer to answers, leading evolutionary biologist Max Telford takes us inside one of science’s greatest quests. In the intellectually thrilling The Tree of Life, Telford shows how reconstructing the web of relationships between all our planet’s species, from birds and butterflies to mushrooms and moose, allows us to unravel the epic history of life on our planet.

     In Telford’s hands, the many-branched evolutionary trees that biologists assemble―from Charles Darwin’s first sketches to the vast computer-generated diagrams scientists are building today―become time machines that take us on a vivid journey through four billion years of life’s history. We meet long-lost ancestors, picturing them in the environment of a much younger earth, and discover where we first acquired our backbones and nipples and, conversely, where we lost our tails. We learn how insects are “actually” crustaceans, and how dogs and wolves are more closely related to whales than to the recently extinct Tasmanian wolves they so resemble. Far from a dry representation of the dead, the tree of life is a living, shifting thing that constantly alters our perspective on the past, present, and future of life on earth.

     For any reader fascinated by evolution and natural history, The Tree of Life is an essential portal to the distant past and a window onto our collective origins.

RECOMMENDATION: A readable overview of the history of life on Earth.