BEST BIRD BOOKS OF 2023

 

The following are my picks for the best bird books of 2023:

BEST BOOK: 

1) Ritchison, Gary. In a Class of Their Own: A Detailed Examination of Avian Forms and Functions. 2023. Springer. Hardbound: 2506 pages in 3 volumes. Price: $159.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: With more than 10,000 species that vary in size, use diverse habitats that extend across latitudes and altitudes, consume a wide variety of food items, differ in how they fly (or not), communicate, and reproduce, and have different life histories, birds exhibit remarkable variation in form (anatomy) and function (physiology). Our understanding of how natural selection has generated this variation as birds evolved and as different species adapted to their unique circumstances has grown considerably in recent years. In In a Class of Their Own: A Detailed Examination of Avian Forms and Functions, this variation is explained in great detail, beginning with an overview of avian evolution and continuing with information about the structure and function of the avian skeleton, muscles, and the various body systems. Other chapters focus on avian locomotion (including flight), migration, navigation, communication, energy balance and thermoregulation, and various aspects of avian reproduction, such as nests and nest building, clutch sizes, and parental care. In a Class of Their Own: A Detailed Examination of Avian Forms and Functions will be must reading for anyone, professional or non-professional, who needs or wants to learn more about birds.

RECOMMENDATION: This set of books is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with a serious interest in bird biology!

 

 

 HONORABLE MENTIONS:

 

 

 

1) Cox, Cameron. Terns of North America: A Photographic Guide. 2023. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 202 pages. Price: $27.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This is the essential identification guide to the terns, noddies, and skimmers of North America. Covering every species and featuring hundreds of high-quality color images, this book is the ideal companion for anyone interested in this charismatic but sometimes challenging group of seabirds. Detailed species accounts describe the size of each bird as it appears in the field along with structure, behavior, flight style, vocalizations, subspecies, and North American and worldwide ranges. An incisive introduction lays out a remarkably simple approach to identification that focuses on key elements and addresses how to avoid getting bogged down in the variability of appearance. This state-of-the-art guide also provides additional in-depth coverage of the two most challenging groups of terns, Sterna terns and crested terns, aiding field identification while also highlighting the beauty and elegance of these marvelous seabirds.

• Features more than 325 stunning color photos, with side-by-side comparisons of similar species throughout
• Includes detailed captions for each image that describe age and key identification traits
• Covers 19 species found in North America, including the most frequent vagrants
• Presents a unique, simplified approach to field identification
• Explains the fundamentals of molts, plumages, and hybridization
• Provides in-depth coverage of Sterna terns and crested terns

 RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for anyone with an interested in the terns of North America! 

 

 

 

2) 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!

 

 

 

3) Benito, Juan and Roc Olivé Pous. Birds of the Mesozoic: An Illustrated Field Guide. 2022. Lynx Edicions. Paperback: 272 pages. Price: 29.00 Euros (about $32.00 U.S.).

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Birds are the most diverse tetrapod group today, but they have a rich and complex evolutionary history beyond that of their modern radiation. Appearing during the Jurassic, more than 160 million years ago, birds took to the skies and evolved into a plethora of forms during the Age of the Dinosaurs.

     This comprehensive and up to date illustrated field guide, by palaeontologist Juan Benito and palaeoartist Roc Olivé, aims to illustrate in unprecedented detail the staggering diversity of avialans (modern birds and their closest fossil relatives) that lived from the origin of the group until the Mass Extinction that ended the reign of the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago: the birds of the Mesozoic.

     This beautifully illustrated field guide includes over 250 full-colour illustrations covering more than 200 types of bird that populated the world during the Mesozoic Era. In addition to detailed fact files on the diverse avifauna of the Mesozoic, including a description of each species, with information on its name, location, size, period, habitat, and general characteristics, Birds of the Mesozoic also seeks to explain the origins of the group and their evolution from other feathered dinosaurs up to the origins of modern birds in the Late Cretaceous. It also covers in detail multiple facets of their phylogenetic, morphological, and ecological diversity, and provides an introduction to bird skeletal anatomy and several of the most recent and cutting-edge methods palaeontologists use to reconstruct fossil bird colour, diet, and biology.

     Easy-to-use and pleasant to contemplate, this book is a must for both bird and palaeontology enthusiasts!

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in prehistoric birds!

 

 

4) Pyle, Peter. Identification Guide to North American Birds (Part 1, Second Edition). 2022. Slate Creek Press. Paperback: 698 pages. Price: $80.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: This second edition of the Identification Guide to North American Birds (Part 1) is the definitive guide for identifying and ageing the North American (north of Mexico) passerines and near passerines (Pigeons to Tropical Tanagers) in the hand, and although aimed primarily at banders, it is a useful reference for any serious birder. It now treats 421 species in all. There are descriptors for 1736 subspecies, expanded and detailed sections on molt for all species, and all known hybrids are listed. Most of the literature cited is now available on-line, so the book is a little smaller than the first (732 pages for the first vs 698 pages in the 2nd).

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for all banders of the region! Hard core birders will find the detailed identification information very useful! The book can be ordered from Buteo Books here.