New Titles

 

1) Edwards, Scott V., and J. Michael Reed (Editors). New Perspectives in Ornithology: 21st Century Dispatches across the World of Birds. 2025. Oxford University Press. Hardbound: 576 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: People have been long-fascinated with birds, and their scientific study has been central to advances in evolution, animal behavior, biogeography, population dynamics, and community ecology. Research questions in these fields have been driven in part by innovations in technology. Ornithologists even 20 years ago could scarcely imagine the detail and precision with which we can now monitor bird populations on a global scale, whether through digital tools like eBird, indirectly through remote sensing satellites, or at closer range via drones.

     Highlighting these advances, New Perspectives in Ornithology brings together leading and rising professionals across ornithology, spanning behavior and ecology to genomics and conservation. Organized thematically into five sections - ecology, evolution, behavior, citizen science, and conservation - the volume reflects the major swaths of modern ornithology.

     Its contributions offer diverse perspectives on some of the most pressing challenges facing birds today, including climate change, habitat loss, and effects of urbanization. New Perspectives in Ornithology also showcases extraordinary and inspiring new insights into how birds work, their amazing colors and songs, movements around the globe, and their deep-time evolution.

     Approachable and conversational in style, yet scientifically rigorous, this volume is essential reading for graduate students, early career researchers, and senior academics, and anyone else who will need to be aware of key approaches and conceptual domains in ornithology today.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for all ornithologists!

 

2) McClure, Christopher JW. How to Count Birds: A Guide for Monitoring Avian Populations. 2026. Johns Hopkins University Press. Paperback: 228 pages. Price: $49.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Counting birds may sound simple―just step outside and start tallying. But in reality, it's a complex and essential endeavor at the core of modern wildlife conservation. In How to Count Birds, conservation biologist Christopher JW McClure offers a practical guide to designing effective bird monitoring programs that inform real-world management and conservation strategies.

     As species vanish at unprecedented rates, having accurate population data is more urgent than ever. Yet too often, flawed study designs and outdated techniques lead to wasted time, ill-used resources, and misleading conclusions. McClure equips researchers, students, and birders with the tools to design efficient studies that avoid common pitfalls and capture what's truly happening in bird populations. This guide explains the biological, statistical, and philosophical principles behind good monitoring and explores study designs for estimating key demographic rates like survival and reproduction. McClure surveys the techniques used to estimate populations and highlights methods prone to error. Throughout, he advocates for a shift away from traditional approaches toward more precise techniques available today, such as acoustic monitoring and occupancy modeling.

     Effective study design requires collaboration among wildlife managers, field biologists, and statisticians from the start, as well as flexibility for field conditions and methodological adaptability. Whether you're just beginning or reevaluating a long-standing program, How to Count Birds is a timely reminder that precision and planning are just as critical as passion in the work of conservation.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for those with a serious interest in avian population monitoring.

3-5) Jones, Bryce. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods, Sauropods, and Ornithischians. 2026. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 519, 392, and 422 pages (respectively). Prices: $55.00 U.S., $45.00 U.S., and $49.95 U.S. (respectively).

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARIES: The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods brings together every species of predatory dinosaur known to have roamed the prehistoric world, with a dedicated entry for each species describing its key characteristics, taxonomic classification, location, and known remains along with a concise history of its discovery. Each species is beautifully brought to life with vivid illustrations and is supported by meticulously detailed diagrams of all known fossils. These visual aids enable readers to explore how scientists reconstruct these incredible creatures from fossilized remains. Whether you’re curious about Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, or the multitude of less familiar theropod species, this encyclopedia covers them all.

     The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods brings together every species of long-necked dinosaur known to have roamed the prehistoric world, with a dedicated entry for each species describing its key characteristics, taxonomic classification, location, and known remains along with a concise history of its discovery. Each species is beautifully brought to life with vivid illustrations and is supported by meticulously detailed diagrams of all known fossils. These visual aids enable readers to explore how scientists reconstruct these incredible creatures from fossilized remains. Whether you’re curious about Brachiosaurus, Titanosaurus, or the multitude of less familiar sauropod species, this encyclopedia covers them all.

     The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians brings together every species of armored and horn-faced dinosaur known to have roamed the prehistoric world, with a dedicated entry for each species describing its key characteristics, taxonomic classification, location, and known remains along with a concise history of its discovery. Each species is beautifully brought to life with vivid illustrations and is supported by meticulously detailed diagrams of all known fossils. These visual aids enable readers to explore how scientists reconstruct these incredible creatures from fossilized remains. Whether you’re curious about Stegosaurus, Triceratops, or the multitude of less familiar ornithischian species, this encyclopedia covers them all.

     The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is a comprehensive three-volume resource for anyone who is fascinated by dinosaurs. Packed with engaging dino facts and original, full-color reconstructions, drawings, and graphics, this one-of-a-kind encyclopedia strikes a perfect balance between depth and accessibility—detailed enough to captivate professionals yet clear and exciting enough for beginners eager to dive into the amazing lost world of the dinosaurs. The three volumes, available individually, are Theropods, Sauropods, and Ornithischians. Organized for easy reference, these books are perfect for casual browsing or in-depth study. Together, this encyclopedia invites dinosaur lovers of all ages to walk among the wondrous beasts of the Mesozoic era.

RECOMMENDATION: These books are a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in dinosaurs!

 

6) Carwardine, Mark. Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of North America. 2026. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 208 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This outstanding field guide covers all 54 species and every subspecies of whale, dolphin, and porpoise that occur off the coasts of North America. It is packed with more than 450 illustrations featuring detailed annotations pointing out important field marks. It also features up-to-date distribution maps and concise text that includes helpful identification tips and information about everything from dive sequences to population sizes. Beautifully designed to ensure quick access to essential identification information, this is a must-have guide for every whale watcher in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

• Covers all 54 species and every subspecies of whale, dolphin, and porpoise
• Features more than 450 illustrations with detailed annotations pointing out important field marks
• Includes concise text, distribution maps, and other information to aid quick, reliable identification 

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

 

 

7) Bainbridge, David. Geology: An Illustrated History. 2026. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 256 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The geological processes that underlie all life on Earth can seem intimidatingly vast, ancient, and sometimes even alien. Our planet’s dynamics have fascinated humans for millennia, yet only recently have we developed a clear picture of how they work. This book presents the discoveries and critical scientific advances that inform our understanding of Earth’s origins and the forces driving geological change. Each chapter tells a key piece of the story, focusing on a major aspect of geology that shapes how we experience our world—time, energy, processes, use, and the interplay between geology and life. Geology: An Illustrated History takes readers from antiquity to the Anthropocene, providing an essential introduction to the subject.

• Discusses how the ancient Greeks, medieval Islamic thinkers, and figures of the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution conceptualized geological time
• Profiles leading figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolas Steno, James Hutton, Lord Kelvin, Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, Louis Agassiz, and Inge Lehmann
• Covers topics ranging from the Santorini and Tambora eruptions to seismology, tectonics, erosion, mineralogy, and crystallography
• Looks at geology in art and its role in Chinese history, the Industrial Revolution, and the atomic age
• Explores how geology is guiding us to an understanding of life’s origins and whether there might be life elsewhere in the universe

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a well illustrated introduction to the history of geology. 

 

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.