1) Bartley, Glenn and Andy Swash. Hummingbirds: A Celebration of Nature's Jewels. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: With their glorious colors, glittering iridescence, astonishing
powers of flight, and many characteristics unique in the world of
birds, hummingbirds are extraordinary―true jewels of nature. This
beautiful book is a celebration of all aspects of hummingbirds and their
world. It features hundreds of the most spectacular photographs of
hummingbirds ever taken, exquisite illustrations, and a lively, readable
text that presents the latest scientific information and includes
up-to-date details about every species.
A familiar sight across
much of the Americas, hummingbirds have long captured the imagination
and played an important part in myths, legends, and other aspects of
human culture. Today, hummingbirds are among the most popular of all
birds, sought after by serious and casual birders alike. They inspire
questions in anyone lucky enough to see them. How can they fly like
that? Why are they so colorful? How many are there? Where and how do
they live? How do they survive? This book answers these and many other
questions, providing an enlightening and enjoyable guide to hummingbirds
that can only deepen their wonder.
- A definitive yet accessible account of all aspects of hummingbird life
- More than 540 spectacular color photographs, illustrating all 101 hummingbird genera and over two-thirds of the world’s 369 species
- Specially commissioned illustrations revealing details of anatomy and behavior
- Meticulously
researched facts and figures on status, population, distribution, and
conservation designations of all the world’s hummingbirds
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for hummingbird fans!
2) Latta, Steven et al.. Field Guide to the Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. 2022. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 228 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Field Guide to the Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti
is the essential guide to birdwatching in these tropical countries.
This completely revised and updated edition provides thorough accounts
for more than 300 species, including details on new and endemic species.
Now
conveniently organized by facing pages, the book features a wealth of
images that includes 150 new illustrations by renowned artist Dana
Gardner and range maps based on the most current data. Species
descriptions present facts about key field marks, similar species,
voice, habitats, geographic distribution, status, range, and local names
used in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The guide underscores the
importance of promoting the conservation of migratory and resident
birds, and building support for environmental measures.
- Fully up-to-date text and maps
- Superb images include 150 new illustrations
- Facing-page treatment features more than 300 species
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone birding the Dominican Republic and Haiti!
3) Davis, Jack E.. The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird. 2022. Liveright. Hardbound: 417 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The bald eagle is regal but fearless, a bird you’re not inclined
to argue with. For centuries, Americans have celebrated it as “majestic”
and “noble,” yet savaged the living bird behind their national symbol
as a malicious predator of livestock and, falsely, a snatcher of babies.
Taking us from before the nation’s founding through inconceivable
resurgences of this enduring all-American species, Jack E. Davis
contrasts the age when native peoples lived beside it peacefully with
that when others, whether through hunting bounties or DDT pesticides,
twice pushed Haliaeetus leucocephalus to the brink of extinction.
Filled with spectacular stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters,
heroic bird rescuers, and the lives of bald eagles
themselves―monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world’s
finest parents―The Bald Eagle
is a much-awaited cultural and natural history that demonstrates how
this bird’s wondrous journey may provide inspiration today, as we
grapple with environmental peril on a larger scale.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in the Bald Eagle!
4) Farquhar, C. Craig and Clint W. Boal. Raptors of Texas: A Natural History of Diurnal Birds of Prey. 2022. Texas A&M University Press. Hardbound: 319 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Diurnal
raptors—birds of prey that hunt during the day—include easily
recognizable birds like eagles, hawks, or falcons. They may be seen
perched on highway signs, electrical poles, or soaring overheard in
urban and rural spaces across North America. Here, avian ecology and
raptor experts C. Craig Farquhar and Clint W. Boal present the first
comprehensive volume on these birds of prey in Texas. Given the state’s
size, location, and biodiversity, it is not surprising that Texas leads
other states in the documented number of raptor species.
The introductory chapters of Raptors of Texas provide information
on raptor ecology, evolution, behavior, morphology, and the unique
conservation challenges raptors face in Texas and elsewhere. Detailed
species descriptions of Texas’ regularly occurring diurnal raptors come
next, illustrated with life-like graphite drawings and accompanied by
unique, up-to-date range maps. Additionally, shorter entries for rare
raptors sighted in the state are provided.
This reference is a
must-have for serious birders, ornithologists, avian ecologists, and
wildlife professionals who want to know more about these birds of prey
and the important roles they play in our urban and rural environments
alike.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in the diurnal raptors of Texas!
5) Martinho-Truswell, Antone. The Parrot in the Mirror: How evolving to be like birds makes us human. 2022. Oxford University Press. Hardbound: 213 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: We humans are not like other mammals. We look like them, but we
don't act like them. In fact, many of our defining human traits: our
longevity, intelligence, monogamy and childrearing, and learning and
language, all deep parts of what it means to be human, are far more
similar to birds than to our fellow mammals. These similarities
originate not from shared ancestors but from parallel histories. Our
evolutionary stories have pushed humans and birds to the same solutions.
In this book, Antone Martinho-Truswell explores these similarities to
argue that we can learn a great deal about ourselves by thinking of the
human species as 'the bird without feathers'.
This is also a
book about convergent evolution - evolution that drives very different
species to very similar outcomes and behaviours. The traits we share
with birds but not mammals are the result of similar, specific pressures
that demanded similar solutions - and exploring these similarities can
help us understand both why we evolved to be the way we are, and also
how very unusual some of our behaviours are in the animal kingdom,
Drawing on a rich array of examples across the natural world,
Martinho-Truswell also demonstrates the ways in which parrots are our
biological mirror image; an evolutionary parallel to ourselves. In
contemplating what we share with the birds, and especially the parrots,
we understand how close nature came to creating another lineage of
radical intelligence on Earth, and we also come to better understand
ourselves.
RECOMMENDATION: A must read for anyone with an interest in bird/Human behavior.
6) Rose, Sarah. Spiders of North America. 2022. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 611 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Of the more than 49,000 species of spider worldwide, some 4,000 are in North America. Spiders of North America
explores more than 500 of the most common and interesting spiders found
in this region of the world. This richly illustrated guide begins with
an overview of spiders―what they are exactly, how they can be found, how
they develop, and why they are important. The book features information
on all the major spider guilds: sensing web weavers, sheet web weavers,
orb web weavers, space web weavers, ambush hunters, ground active
hunters, other active hunters, and spider hunters. Chapters contain
accessible descriptions for identifying members of each spider family,
including helpful tips for distinguishing members of similar families,
and details at the genus and species levels. Stunning color photographs
and informative distribution maps accompany the text.
- Useful descriptions for identification of each spider family
- Stunningly detailed macro and in-situ photographs
- Information on all the major spider guilds
- Handy distribution maps
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in the spiders of North America!
