New Titles

 

1) Pearman, Mark et al.. Birds of Argentina and the South-west Atlantic. 2021. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 480 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Argentina is one of South America’s premier birding destinations, encompassing a wide range of habitats―from lush rainforests and vast pampas grasslands to the extensive wetlands of the Pantanal and the windswept wilderness of Tierra del Fuego. Surprisingly, despite the strong interest in Argentina’s rich avian population, the country has until now lacked a credible, modern field guide to its birds. Authoritative and up-to-date, Birds of Argentina and the South-west Atlantic provides detailed species accounts, a plethora of maps, and more than 170 stunning color plates illustrating every species and subspecies, and all major plumages for males, females, and many juveniles. This essential book will satisfy all birders, from newcomers to the most serious enthusiasts.

• The only up-to-date English-language guide to the birds of Argentina
• Beautifully illustrated with more than 170 color plates
• Depictions of all species and subspecies
• Detailed and authoritative species accounts
• Plentiful maps

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone birding Argentina!

 

2) Vickery, Peter et al.. Birds of Maine. 2020. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 642 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The first comprehensive overview of Maine’s incredibly rich birdlife in more than seven decades, Birds of Maine is a detailed account of all 464 species recorded in the Pine Tree State. It is also a thoroughly researched, accessible portrait of a region undergoing rapid changes, with southern birds pushing north, northern birds expanding south, and once-absent natives like Atlantic Puffins brought back by innovative conservation techniques pioneered in Maine.

     Written by the late Peter Vickery in cooperation with a team of leading ornithologists, this guide offers a detailed look at the state’s dynamic avifauna―from the Wild Turkey to the Arctic Tern―with information on migration patterns and timing, current status and changes in bird abundance and distribution, and how Maine's geography and shifting climate mold its birdlife. It delves into the conservation status for Maine's birds, as well as the state's unusually textured ornithological history, involving such famous names as John James Audubon and Theodore Roosevelt, and home-grown experts like Cordelia Stanwood and Ralph Palmer. Sidebars explore diverse topics, including the Old Sow whirlpool that draws multitudes of seabirds and the famed Monhegan Island, a mecca for migrant birds.

     Gorgeously illustrated with watercolors by Lars Jonsson and scores of line drawings by Barry Van Dusen, Birds of Maine is a remarkable guide that birders will rely on for decades to come. 

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with a serious interest in the birds of Maine!

 

 

3) McKnight, Karl B. et al.. Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America, Second Edition. 2021. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Paperback: 411 pages. Price: $23.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A new approach to identifying mushrooms based on five key features that can be observed while in the field. 

     Toadstools, truffles, boletes and morels, witches’ butter, conks, corals, puffballs and earthstars: mushrooms are both mysterious and ecologically essential. They can also be either delicious or deadly.
 
      Thousands of different species of mushrooms appear across North America in the woods, backyards, and in unexpected corners. Learning to distinguish them is a rewarding challenge for a naturalist or chef. Covering most of the common edible and poisonous species readers are likely to encounter, this portable-sized field guide takes a new, simple approach to the method of mushroom identification based on key features that do not require a microscope or technical vocabulary.
 
      In addition to the watercolors from the original edition, hundreds more illustrations have been added. These paintings make use of the limited space available in a field guide and focus on the distinguishing details of each species, thereby serving as an ideal tool for beginner and intermediate mycologists alike.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in North American mushrooms!