1) Lee, Cin-Ty and Andrew Birch. Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees. 2023. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 157 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The identification of Empidonax flycatchers and pewees can be a daunting challenge for even the most seasoned birder. Field Guide to North American Flycatchers takes bird identification to an entirely new level by training readers to observe subtle differences in structure, color patterns, and vocalizations before delving into the finer details of a particular species. Because the plumages of flycatchers are so similar, this one-of-a-kind guide uses illustrations that highlight slight variances among species that photos often miss. One of the last frontiers of bird identification is now accessible to everyone―once one knows what to look for.
- Uses a holistic approach that makes flycatcher identification possible even for beginners
- Features a wealth of beautiful illustrations that depict every species in North America
- Shows how to observe subtle differences in structure, plumage contrasts, and vocalizations, which together create a distinctive overall impression of the bird
- Includes detailed audio spectrograms and seasonal distribution maps for each species
- Shares invaluable tips for successful identification in all kinds of field settings
- Its compact size and field-friendly layout make it the ideal travel companion for any birder.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST have for anyone birding North America!
2) Howell, Steve N. G. and Dale Dyer. Birds of Belize. 2023. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 304 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Belize is one of the world’s premier birding destinations, home
to a marvelous array of tropical birds and beautiful habitats ranging
from verdant rain forests and extensive wetlands to rolling pine
savannas and the country’s famed barrier reef. Birds of Belize
is the essential illustrated pocket guide to this birder’s paradise. It
covers all regularly occurring bird species found in the region and
features facing-page plates and text that make field identification
easy. Concise species accounts describe everything from size and
distribution to voice, habitat, and status. This compact guide also
features progressive taxonomy and a wealth of color range maps.
- Covers more than 500 species of birds found in Belize
- Includes 116 superb color plates
- Features concise species accounts, facing-page plates and text, and up-to-date range maps
- Its compact size and field-friendly layout make it the ideal travel companion for any birder
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST have for anyone birding Belize!
3) Dwarshuis, Arjan. The (Big) Year that Flew By: Twelve Months, Six Continents, and the Ultimate Birding Record. 2023. Chelsea Green. Paperback: 238 pages. Price: $22.95 U.S.
When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the “Big Year”―the legendary record for birdwatching―he was twenty years old, it was midnight, and he was sitting on the roof of a truck in the Andean Mountains. In that moment he promised himself that, someday, somehow, he would become a world-record-holding birder.
Ten years later, he embarked on an incredible, arduous, and perilous journey that took him around the globe; over uninhabited islands, through dense unforgiving rainforests, across snowy mountain peaks and unrelenting deserts―in just a single year. Would he survive? Would he be able to break the “Big Year” record, navigating through a world filled with shifting climate and geopolitical challenges?
The (Big) Year that Flew By is an unforgettable, personal exploration of the limits of human potential when engaging with the natural world. It is a book about birds and birding and Arjan’s attempts to raise awareness for critically endangered species, but it is also a book about overcoming mental challenges, extreme physical danger, and human competition and fully realizing your passions through nature, adventure, and conservation.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for all world birders!
4) Milton, Nicholas. The Role of Birds in World War One: How Ornithology Helped to Win the Great War. 2022. Pen and Sword History. Hardbound: 232 pages. Price: $42.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The British Expeditionary Force sent to France in the late summer
of 1914 has been referred to as ‘The Best British Army Ever Sent to War’
as it was one of the most highly trained and disciplined forces in the
world. It was also the ‘Best Birdwatching Army Ever Sent to War’ for
among its ranks were hundreds of both amateur and professional
ornithologists. When not fighting many soldiers turned to birdwatching
as a way of wiling away the long hours spent on guard duty or watching
over ‘no man's land’. As a result, the hobby ranked as one of the most
popular past-times for soldiers at the front, on a par with smoking,
writing, games, gambling, sport and shooting rats. The list of birds
seen by soldiers serving in all the theaters of war was truly impressive
ranging from the common like sparrows, skylarks and swallows to the
exotic like golden orioles, hoopoes and bee-eaters.
It was not
just at the battle front that birds found themselves in the firing line
but also on the home front. Birds provided inspiration for politicians,
poets and painters who carried on despite the terrible conflict raging
all around them. For the Foreign Secretary Edward Grey, who worked
tirelessly to preserve peace but ended up convincing the House of
Commons to go to war, birds were his hinterland. But as well as
declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914 the government also declared
war on the humble house sparrow, farmers falsely accusing it of
destroying Britain’s dwindling wheat and oat supplies.
When the
guns finally fell silent on the 11 November 1918 and the Great War came
to an ignoble end, a generation of birdwatchers lay dead. Among them
were scientists, researchers, lords, librarians, artists, authors,
professors, poets, lawyers, surgeons and explorers, many barely having
entered manhood. If they had lived the science of ornithology and the
hobby of birdwatching would have undoubtedly been much the richer. A
selection of them is included in the Ornithological Roll of honor at the
back of this book.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in ornithological history and/or World War One.
5) Brown, Linda R. and Josef Kren (editors). Remembering Paul Johnsgard. 2023. Zea Books. Paperback: 161 pages. Price: $29.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Paul A. Johnsgard (1931-2021) was a friend of many, an artist, prolific author, teacher, and humble admirer of all living creatures. It was impossible to find someone at Nebraska Audubon Society or Nebraska Ornithologists' Union meetings who did not know Paul Johnsgard. His more than 100 published books made him known not just in a community of ornithologists, birdwatchers, and bird lovers in the United States but also abroad. He was a world-renowned ornithologist and naturalist who remained deeply embedded in his local culture and its prairie environment. We invited about 75 people to write a short memory of Paul. We received about 40 responses, which are published in this book, along with Paul Johnsgard's own writing on his life.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Paul Johnsgard's life.
6) Sirois Collins, Cindi and Asher Elbein. Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals of Big Bend. 2023. University of Texas Press. Paperback: 226 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The sheer beauty of Big Bend National Park, along the shores of the Rio Grande in west Texas, never fails to astonish. Yet what lies beneath this natural treasure may be even more extraordinary than what meets the eye. Hidden in the rocks of Big Bend are the remains of giants: toothy sea lizards, enormous flying reptiles, and dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals of Big Bend is a field guide to what once was. Inspired by the latest research, Cindi Sirois Collins and Asher Elbein imagine what it was like to walk among the plants and animals whose fossil remains tell the story of evolution and geological transformation in this singular landscape. We glimpse the drama of Big Bend’s rugged landscape in creation—the desert’s emergence from retreating oceans and volcanic eruptions. Immersive vignettes introduce dinosaurs, giant fish, and saber-toothed cats. And the history of discovery in the park proves a gripping tale, as paleontologists sifted major scientific insights from the soils, rocks, and riverbeds. Complete with vivid illustrations, this is a wholly original sensory and narrative experience that will deepen any reader’s knowledge and sense of wonder.
RECOMMENDATION: The artwork by Julius Csotonyi highlights this book!
7) Francovich, Eli. The Return of Wolves: An Iconic Predator’s Struggle to Survive in the American West. 2023. Timber Press. Hardbound: 256 pages. Price: $28.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Uncover
on-the-ground reporting on the conflict between conservationists,
ranchers, and an iconic predator—and discover the solution that might
appease them all.
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