New Titles

 

 

1) Scherzinger, Wolfgang and Theodor Mebs. Owls of Europe: Biology, Identification and Conservation. 2025. Helm. Hardbound: 416 pages. Price: $80.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An essential compendium on the biology, identification, distribution and conservation of Europe's 13 species of owls.

     Owls are fascinating birds, with remarkable adaptations for their lives as nocturnal hunters. Covering the 13 species of owls that occur across the continent, Owls of Europe features detailed drawings of typical positions, behaviours and facial expressions, alongside more than 300 photos selected to demonstrate age and subspecific variation, colour phases and the birds in flight.

     This book includes up-to-date distribution maps and the latest European population estimates, along with detailed text on behaviour, voice, brood biology and juvenile development, life strategies, hunting techniques, choice of prey and habitat requirements for each species. It also explores human interactions with owls, from the threats posed to determined conservation efforts.

     Owls of Europe is an essential book for birdwatchers, professional ornithologists and those who simply love owls.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in European Owls!

 

 

2) Ridley, Matt. Birds, Sex and Beauty: The Extraordinary Implications of Charles Darwin's Strangest Idea. 2025. Harper. Hardbound: 352 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The New York Times bestselling author of Genome and The Evolution of Everything revisits Darwin’s revelatory theory of mate choice through the close study of the peculiar rituals of birds, and considers how this mating process complicates our own view of human evolution.

     In all animals, mating is a deal. But few creatures behave as if sex is a simple, even mutually beneficial, transaction. Many more treat it with reverence, suspicion, angst, and violence. In the case of the Black Grouse, the bird at the center of Matt Ridley’s investigation, the males dance and sing for hours a day, for several exhausting months, in an arduous and even deadly ritual called a “lek.” To prepare for the ordeal, they grow, preen and display fancy, twisted, bold-colored feathers. When achieved, consummation with a female takes seconds. So why the months of practice and preparation that is elaborate, extravagant, exhausting and elegant?

     The full answer remains a mystery. Evolutionary biologists can explain why males are generally the eager sellers, females the discriminating buyers. But they struggle to explain why, in some species, this extravagance goes beyond the mere gaudy, taking on bizarre shapes, postures, and behavior. And further, why these bird displays seem beautiful to us humans, a species with seemingly no skin in the game.

     Using an early morning “lek" as his starting point, Ridley explores the scientific research into the evolution of bright colors, exotic ornaments, and elaborate displays in birds around the world. Charles Darwin thought the purpose of such displays was to "charm" females. Though Darwin’s theory was initially dismissed and buried for decades, recent scientific research has proven him newly right—there is a powerful evolutionary force quite distinct from natural selection: mate choice. In Birds, Sex and Beauty, Ridley reopens the history of Darwin’s vexed theory, laying bare a century of disagreement about an idea so powerful, so weird, and so wonderful, we may have yet to fully understand its implications. 

RECOMMENDATION: If you enjoyed Richard Prum's The Evolution of Beauty, you should like this book too!

 

3) Rüppell, Georg and Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell. Dragonfly Behavior: Discovering the Dynamic Life of an Ancient Order of Insects. 2024. ‎ Springer. Hardbound: 229 pages. Price: $39.99 U.S.

 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This book is the first to allow you to experience the details of the ultra-fast lives of dragonflies, these large, beautiful flying insects, through an abundance of unique snapshots and image sequences. Dragonflies are world champions of flight, bionic wonders; they reveal much about the mysteries of evolution. We witness their social interaction, and appreciate their success over three hundred million years. Dragonflies - what an evocative name! - are easy to observe, even for beginners. About 80 species live in Germany, and every body of water is home to a few. They are not shy, do not sting and often come very close. Perhaps you will fall in love with dragonflies - just like the two authors who have been studying them for over 30 years. With the knowledge in this book, you will look at dragonflies in a completely novel way. 

 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a well illustrated overview of dragonfly behavior.

4) Williams, David B.. Wild in Seattle: Stories at the Crossroads of People and Nature. 2025.  Mountaineers Books. Paperback: 222 pages. Price: $22.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: For award-winning natural history writer David B. Williams, to be connected to a place you need to pause and look deeply at it. Wild in Seattle is Williams’ delightful journey of discovery in this city where not only is nature all around, it’s also written in the stones of the urban landscape. Explore the geologic history of glaciers, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes as well as the ways humans shape the Seattle topography. From backyards to downtown, watch for coyotes, crows, seals, otters, owls, and so much more wildlife who also call the region home. Look up at the buildings to find terra cotta eagles, stone that traveled over millions of years from Asia to the San Juan Islands, and clues to the horses who used to power the city’s transportation network. Wrap your arms around a giant Douglas-fir, appreciate the unsung yet remarkable skunk cabbage, stop and listen to the spring chorus of frogs.

      This book features:

• More than 40 essays dive into the geology, animals, plants, and architecture that shape Seattle
• Fully illustrated by celebrated local artist Elizabeth Person
• Fun and fascinating sidebars explore regional vocabulary, scientific terms, and Indigenous language phrases

RECOMMENDATION: If you like the author's The Street-Smart Naturalist (2005), you should like this book. 

New Titles

 

 

1-2) Floyd, Ted. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada―East, and West (2nd Editions). 2025. National Geographic. Flexibound: 447 and 495 pages respectively. Price: $24.99 U.S. each.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARIES: An entirely updated edition of the classic bestselling regional bird field guide from National Geographic, covering the U.S. and Canada east of the Rockies.

     Provides ID information, data-driven maps, and annotated illustrations of more than 800 bird species.

     Backyard beginners and dedicated life-listers alike will love the expanded new edition of this trusted guide to the birds of eastern United States and Canada. With new text, revised art, and data-derived range maps, this valuable resource complements the apps and online resources used by birders today.

     Groundbreaking new features join tried-and-true traditions. This field guide offers:

• More pages, more species than the first edition
• More than 800 species, including 586 likely to be observed and 240 that occur more rarely
• Organized according to current taxonomy
• Informative notes explaining evolution, etymology, and more
• User-friendly format with explanatory text on the left and matching annotated art on the right
• Easy-to-carry paperback with thumb tabs and a visual index
• All-new maps based on crowd-sourced data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird, the world's top database of bird observations

     All told, this second edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada—East is a must-have guide for birders young and old, avid and beginner.

     An entirely updated edition of the classic bestselling regional bird field guide from National Geographic, covering the western U.S. and Canada, including Hawaii.

     Birdwatchers from the Rockies west will find nearly 1,000 species in this user-friendly guide, with all new text, updated art, and data-driven maps

     Backyard beginners and dedicated life-listers alike will love the expanded new edition of this trusted guide to the birds of western United States and Canada, including Hawaii. With new text, revised art, and data–derived range maps, this valuable resource complements the apps and online resources used by birders today.

     With groundbreaking new features plus tried-and-true traditions, this field guide offers:

• More pages, more species, than the earlier edition
• Nearly 1,000 species, 717 likely to be observed and 253 that appear more rarely
• Organized according to current taxonomy
• User-friendly format with explanatory text on the left and matching annotated illustrations on the right
• Easy-to-carry paperback with thumb tabs and a visual index for easy navigation
• All-new maps based on crowd-sourced data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird, the world’s top database of bird observations

All told, this second edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada—West is a must-have guide for birders young and old, avid and beginner.

RECOMMENDATION: The page counts have increased from 431 to 447 (East) and 447 to 495 (West). Physically the books are about the same size as the first edition ones. Hawaiian birds have been added to the West guide. Most of the artwork has been recycled from the first edition. With the new range maps, the colors are dull especially the yellow and the political boundaries are faint and hard to see, but this should be corrected in later printings. The gray text font can also be hard to see. These books are probably best for more experienced beginning/intermediate birders.

 

 

3-4) Campbell, Iain et al.. Habitats of North America, and Africa: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists (Habitats of the World). 2025. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 376 and 448 pages respectively. Price: $35.00 U.S. each.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARIES: A richly illustrated field guide to all of North America’s major habitats—packed with invaluable information to help you get the most out of your outdoor adventures

     Whether you’re a birder, naturalist, outdoor enthusiast, or ecologist, knowing the surrounding habitat is essential to getting the most out of your experiences in the field. This compact, easy-to-use guide provides an unparalleled treatment of the wonderfully diverse habitats of North America. Incisive and up-to-date descriptions cover the unique features of each habitat, from geology and climate to soil and hydrology. Requiring no scientific background, Habitats of North America offers quick and reliable information for anyone who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of the habitats around them.

• Covers 81 major North American habitats, including wetlands and oceanic habitats
• Features hundreds of color photos of habitats and their wildlife, a wealth of helpful diagrams and illustrations, and a detailed distribution map for each land habitat
• Concise text provides all the information you need to identify and understand habitats anywhere in North America quickly and accurately
• Discusses iconic and indicator species of birds, mammals, and plants
• Includes an in-depth section on habitat classification—invaluable for ecologists
• Representative habitat accounts describe what you can expect to see and experience there
• Formatted like a field guide for easy reference

 

     A richly illustrated field guide to all of Africa’s major habitats—packed with invaluable information to help you understand these habitats and their wildlife

     With breathtaking wildlife and stunningly beautiful locales, Africa is a premier destination for birders, conservationists, ecotourists, and ecologists. This compact, easy-to-use guide provides an unparalleled treatment of the continent’s wonderfully diverse habitats. Incisive and up-to-date descriptions cover the unique features of each habitat, from geology and climate to soil and hydrology, and require no scientific background. Knowing the surrounding environment is essential to getting the most out of your travel experiences. Habitats of Africa offers quick and reliable information for anyone who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of the habitats around them.

• Covers 73 major African habitats, including oceanic habitats
• Features hundreds of color photos of habitats and their wildlife, a wealth of helpful diagrams and illustrations, and a detailed distribution map for each land habitat
• Concise text provides all the information you need to identify and understand habitats anywhere in Africa quickly and accurately
• Discusses iconic and indicator species of birds, mammals, and plants
• Includes an in-depth section on habitat classification—invaluable for ecologists
• Representative habitat accounts include a feature describing what you can expect to see and experience there
• Formatted like a field guide for easy reference

RECOMMENDATION: These books are a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the natural history of North America and/or Africa!  

 

 

5) Pasquier, Roger F.. Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep. 2025. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 338 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Birds at Rest is the first book to give a full picture of how birds rest, roost, and sleep, a vital part of their lives. It features new science that can measure what is happening in a bird’s brain over the course of a night or when it has flown to another hemisphere, as well as still-valuable observations by legendary naturalists such as John James Audubon, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Theodore Roosevelt. Much of what they saw and what ornithologists are studying today can be observed and enjoyed by any birder.

     From the poles to the tropics, how, when, and where birds sleep reflect the ecology and behavior of each species, as well as their evolution from dinosaur ancestors. Some sleep briefly, their brain half awake, others spend long cold nights in torpor, and a few can sleep while flying. Their roosting habits are also varied. Most birds sleep alone, some in pairs or families, while others in flocks of millions. Birds at Rest explains how each strategy works over the course of a season, a year, or a lifetime by providing protection, mating opportunities, information about food, and other survival benefits.

     With evocative drawings by artist and illustrator Margaret La Farge, Birds at Rest discusses how environmental challenges such as artificial lights and noise, invasive species, and climate change are disrupting avian sleep and proposes solutions to ensure that birds get the rest they need.

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

 

6) Eipper, Tie and Scott. Snakes of Australia. 2025. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 368 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A comprehensive and user-friendly photographic field guide

     With more than 1,000 photographs, Snakes of Australia illustrates and describes in detail all 240 of the continent’s species and subspecies—from file snakes, pythons, colubrids, and natricids to elapids, marine elapids, homalopsids, and blind snakes.

• Features introductions to each family, species descriptions, type locations, distribution maps, and quick-identification keys to each family and genera
• Covers English and scientific names, appearance, range, ecology, disposition, danger level, and IUCN Red List Category
• Illustrates every species and has multiple images for some species to show variation
• Presents information on habitat types, snakes in the environment, and snake-bite prevention and first aid
• Includes a checklist of all the snakes, a glossary, and a table of venom toxicity

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the snakes of Australia.

 

 

 

 

7) Nentwig, Wolfgang et al.. House Spiders - Worldwide. 2024. ‎ Springer. Paperback: ‎ 223 pages. Price: $32.99 U.S.

 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: To avoid any misunderstandings: this book is not about spiders as pets, but about those spiders that live in our houses and apartments as lodgers. Mostly ignored and sometimes (wrongly) feared, there is hardly a building in the world that does not harbour some species of spider. What is fascinating is that we always find the same species. These spiders must have special adaptations, because the humidity in our homes is far too low, they are too clean, and the food supply is usually scarce. However, those spiders that have made the leap into our four walls are rewarded with a worldwide right to stay. This, in turn, is due to people's eagerness to trade and migrate worldwide: Humans tirelessly transport their belongings and an endless stream of goods around the world in sacks, parcels and containers. And our domestic spiders, as stowaways, travel just as tirelessly and unrecognized. It is therefore possible to present domestic spiders found throughout the world in a single book, as they are essentially the same everywhere. The 50 or so most important species and species groups are presented here in a generally understandable way, with a detailed profile, photos and distribution maps.

     The authors of this book are experts who work at museums, universities and in administration in Europe and North America. They are not only recognized scientists, but have also been avowed spider fans for decades.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in domestic spiders!

 

 

 

New Titles

 

 

 

1) Menkhorst, Peter et al.. The Australian Bird Guide: Revised Edition. 2024. Helm. Flexibound: 566 pages. Price: $55.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Australia's avifauna is large, diverse and spectacular, reflecting the continent's wide range of habitats and evolutionary history. The book covers every regularly occurring species in Australia, including subspecies and rarities. Illustrations of more than 900 species on almost 250 plates, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages, make The Australian Bird Guide the most comprehensive guide to Australian birds ever published.

     This revised edition includes updated maps and artwork, reflecting advances in our knowledge of the biology and distribution of Australia's birds, plus fully updated text to ensure identification, distribution and status details are current and accurate, along with an improved index.

     This book sets the standard for coverage of Australia's remarkable avifauna. It is truly indispensable for anyone looking to explore Australia's magnificent and unique birdlife.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone birding Australia!

 

 

2) Boon, Richard. Clinging to the Edge: A Year in the Life of a Little Tern Colony. 2024. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 134 pages. Price: $36.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A summer migrant to Europe from West Africa, the Little Tern is one of our most threatened and most captivating seabirds. This book is the story of one breeding season at the Beacon Lagoons colony on the North Sea coast, near Spurn Point in East Yorkshire. In elegant and evocative prose it offers an intimate portrait of these endangered birds, covering everything from foraging and breeding to predators and conservation.

     The colony's small size means that it can be monitored, protected and documented in an unusual level of detail. Close observation of the birds' behaviour and an in-depth knowledge of the natural history of their environment raise important questions about how and why we seek to preserve and protect species for whose decline we are ourselves largely responsible. A tight focus on the spectacular natural, geographical and cultural headland that is Spurn Point also provides new insights into the ecology of Little Terns. Covering the progress of the colony month by month, through an eventful spring and summer, Clinging to the Edge brings these charismatic and endearing birds vividly to life.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Little Terns.

 

3) Hansen, Robert and Jackson D. Shedd. California Amphibians and Reptiles. 2025. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 520 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: California is home to more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians that can be found in an extraordinary array of habitats, from coastal temperate rainforests with giant redwoods to southeastern deserts offering dazzling wildflower displays each spring. California Amphibians and Reptiles covers every species and subspecies in this biodiverse region of the United States, with outstanding color photography and in-depth species accounts that draw on the latest findings on taxonomy and distribution. Setting a new standard for regional field guides, this state-of-the-art guide will serve as the definitive reference for California’s amphibian and reptile fauna for many years to come.

• Covers all 209 species of amphibians and reptiles found in California
• Features hundreds of stunning photos that illustrate geographic and within-species variation as well as differences among males, females, and young
• Includes first-ever color images and species accounts for newly discovered species
• Shows every species and subspecies in full color on a white background
• Depicts all amphibian larvae in breathtaking color
• Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, similar species, habitat, range and elevation, activity and behavior, diet, reproduction, and conservation
• Provides updated status of all threatened, endangered, nonnative, and special concern species
• Accurate range maps reflect contemporary and, where applicable, historical distributions in light of significant habitat loss across the state
• An invaluable resource for amateur naturalists, resource managers, and professional herpetologists

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in California's amphibians and reptiles! 

 

 

 

4) Harris, Stephen A.. Catesby's Natural History. 2024. Bodleian Library. Hardbound: 304 pages. Price: $75.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A beautiful reproduction of naturalist Mark Catesby’s flora and fauna illustrations of North America and the Caribbean.

      Mark Catesby was an eighteenth-century naturalist and artist whose work on the natural history of North America and the Caribbean still resonates today. During several perilous trips, Catesby collected specimens and made extensive observations in the field, gathering material that would eventually become The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, which featured 220 elaborate, distinctive hand-colored illustrations.

      With their striking combinations of animals and plants paired together with the first-hand observations he made, Catesby’s stunning illustrations were widely appreciated in their time and catalyzed interest in the natural history of Colonial America. Ultimately, his work was established as a key reference for the scientific understanding of natural history. As an artist, Catesby meticulously recorded the environment, sifting fact from fiction about the lives of the plants and animals he observed. As a collector, he introduced many living plants to Britain, thereby changing European gardens forever.

     Catesby’s Natural History reproduces all the original plates and shows how Catesby’s practical field experience shaped his work in all areas. Whether through the now-extinct species he recorded or the cultural changes he witnessed, his research continues to be relevant, demonstrating the vulnerability and fragility of the natural world. 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the natural history history of North America.