1) van Duivendijk, Nils. ID Handbook of European Birds. 2024. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 1056 pages (in two volumes). Price: $107.00 U.S.
Would you like to be able to identify any bird species in Europe, in all plumages, in every season? ID Handbook of European Birds is the
resource for you. This identification handbook blends incisive
descriptions with stunning high-resolution photos to provide the most
comprehensive, in-depth coverage of European birds available. Never
before has so much current information been brought together in one
place and presented so clearly and completely. This monumental
two-volume work is destined to become a standard reference to Europe’s
birds.
- Covers 733 species known to occur in Europe
- Features more than 5,500 spectacular color photos
- Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, molting, age, and gender
- The high-quality photos depict the characteristics most essential for identification
- Innovatively designed for easy, at-a-glance reference
- An ideal resource for anyone who wants to enhance their experience in the field
- A must for bird-watchers everywhere, from beginners to seasoned birders
RECOMMENDATION: These books are a MUST-HAVE for all serious birders in Europe!
2) Ayyash, Amar. The Gull Guide: North America. 2024. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 518 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.
The definitive photographic guide to North American gulls.
Gull
identification can be challenging for even the most seasoned birder.
While these birds are common to coasts, lakes, and rivers, they exhibit
remarkable plumage changes related to age, which is sometimes
complicated by similarities between species and a readiness to
hybridize. This book provides an invaluable identification guide to all
regularly occurring gull species and subspecies throughout North
America. It is packed with the very latest research on field
identification, updated taxonomy, current distribution trends, color
maps, and helpful notes on natural history, aging, and molt. The Gull Guide
integrates the essential elements that are critical to understanding
gulls, setting an entirely new standard for identifying and enjoying
these marvelous birds.
- Features more than 1,800 superb color photos
- Covers 36 gull species as well as 7 of the most commonly encountered hybrid gulls
- Gives equal attention to rarities from Asia, Europe, and South America
- Describes the key characteristics of all age groups, from juvenile through adult plumages
- Innovative
photo collages give side-by-side comparisons, enabling readers to
distinguish between similar species and avoid common pitfalls associated
with gull identification
- Comes with a one-of-a-kind “cheat sheet” describing key features of select Larus species
- A must for the bookshelf of every birder and ornithologist
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the gulls of the region!
3) Ellis, David H. et al.(editors). The Golden Eagle Around the World. 2024. Hancock House. Hardbound: 918 pages. Price: $99.95 U.S.
Unlike all other monographs on the Golden Eagle, each of
which had a regional focus on the study area of the author, this book
represents the most wide-ranging compilation of Golden Eagle research
ever.
With over 175 authors reporting on more
than 2000 combined field seasons, representing every biome where the
species is found, this book marks one of the greatest attempts to
describe the biology of any circumpolar species. Having more than 920
pages, over 1,500 illustrations, many never previously published, this
work represents a truly global achievement. It merits a place in the
library of every ornithologist and raptor enthusiast.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the Golden Eagle! The only drawback to this book is a lack of a subject index.
4) Kirkconnell, Arturo and Orlando H. Garrido. Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba (Second Edition). 2024. Comstock/Cornell. Paperback: 243 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.
This fully updated second edition of Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba
offers a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the identification of
the more than 370 recorded species and 29 extant endemic species in the
country. It incorporates changes to the composition of the
avifauna of Cuba while remaining an accessible introduction to Cuban
birds―including the irresistible Cuban Tody, the dazzling Cuban Trogon,
and the diminutive Bee Hummingbird―the smallest species of bird in the
world.• All new design features 95 color plates and
more than 700 images, depicting male, female and, when relevant,
juvenile plumages.
• Species accounts include range maps, detailed
descriptions, distinguishing characteristics, a list of habitats where
the bird is found, behaviors, and vocalizations.
• Winter and
breeding plumages are included for migratory species―extremely useful
for identifying the large number of birds that migrate south from North
America.
A definitive guide from the country's best birders, Arturo Kirkconnell and Orlando H. Garrido, Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba presents a wealth of knowledge accumulated over a lifetime of work.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone birding Cuba!
5) Wroza, Stanislas. Identifying Migratory Birds by Sound in Britain and Europe. 2024. Helm. Paperback: 240 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
Identify
migratory birds with this book, containing detailed text on flight and
contact calls, annotated sonograms and QR codes to the calls themselves.
Every spring and autumn, millions of birds fly over us to en route
to their summer or winter quarters, with these migratory flights
occurring both day and night. A profusion of sounds fills the air,
making it possible to put a name to these fleeting silhouettes - because
the best way to identify these migrants is by their calls. Often
neglected in traditional identification guides, these calls are
described in this book with precision. Annotated sonograms make it
possible to visualize, identify and better memorize the flight and
contact calls of British and European migratory species.
* Describes 450 species, with detailed text, photographs and sonograms.
* Features essential criteria for effective identification of calls in the field.
* Covers migratory behaviour and where and when to encounter each species.
* Contains QR codes linking to more than 1,000 downloadable sounds to listen to at home or on your smartphone.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for all serious birders in Europe!
6) Chris, Cynthia. Cuckoo. 2024. Reaktion Books. Paperback: 163 pages. Price: $22.00 U.S.
The cuckoo is peculiar for inspiring such divergent ideas: a
symbol of foolishness to both Aristophanes and Cocoa Puffs, a reliable
harbinger of spring and the hours of a cuckoo clock, and the source of
innumerable innuendos inspired by a habit of laying eggs in others’
nests. In this short, entertaining book, Cynthia Chris explores both the
natural and cultural history of the cuckoo as well as the many stories
told throughout the centuries about this fascinating bird.
RECOMMENDATION: A well illustrated introduction to the cuckoo.
7) Nicholls, Will and Paul Sterry (editors). Bird Photographer of the Year: Collection 9. 2024. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 256 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
The Bird Photographer of the Year is a competition that celebrates
the artistry of bird photography from around the world, and this
beautiful, large-format book showcases the best images from the
contest—some of the most stunning bird photographs ever taken. A
gorgeous record of avian beauty and diversity across the globe, the book
demonstrates the dedication and passion of bird photographers and the
incredible quality of today’s digital imaging systems.
The book
features the best of tens of thousands of images from the ninth year of
the competition, including the winning and short-listed pictures. It
presents a vast variety of photos by experienced professionals and
enthusiastic amateurs, reflecting the huge diversity of bird and nature
lovers, which is vital for ensuring the conservation and survival of
birds. A portion of the profits from this book goes to Birds on the
Brink, a charity that supports bird conservation around the world.
Filled
with unforgettable images of a kind that simply weren’t possible before
the creation of digital photography, this book will delight anyone who
loves birds or great photography.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in bird photography.
8) The Featherguide (editor). Atlas of Feathers for Western Palearctic Birds, Volume 1: Introduction. 2024. Featherguide Publishers. Hardbound: 597 pages. Price: 63.99 GBP (about $83.00 U.S.).
The Atlas of Feathers for Western Palearctic Birds is a
collective project of the Feather Research Group, founded in 1972 by
Wilfried Hansen. This monumental work, depicting the feathers of nearly
all bird species recorded in the Western Palearctic, has been in the
making for over 20 years. More than 150,000 feathers have been scanned
for this encyclopedia, both in private feather collections and in many
natural history museums. These scans, digitally composed into beautiful
pterylographies, reveal hidden details of all major plumages. The Atlas of Feathers for Western Palearctic Birds will consist of a 2-volume concise edition and a 10-volume full edition.
The Introductory Volume to the Atlas of Feathers for Western Palearctic Birds
opens the 10-volume full edition. It looks beyond the geographic limits
of the Western Palearctic and gives a global overview of feather
characteristics. One of the most interesting topics of ornithology is
the origin and evolution of feather emarginations. According to current
scientific knowledge, feather emarginations were not present yet in
Mesozoic birds.
This volume features the first-ever survey and
quantification of feather emarginations (recesses or notches in the
margins) in all living bird species of the world as well as many
recently extinct species. The most extensive scientific study on
emarginations to date was published in the Journal of Morphology and quantified
the emarginations of 135 bird species. In spite of scientific peer
review, three out of these 135 species were classified wrongly, either
as being emarginated when they were not, or vice versa. This showed the
need for a clear definition of what constitutes an emargination, and the
need for more extensive peer review. The Feather Research Group invites
the public at large to participate in this peer review as citizen
scientists. The links to the scans of feathers and photographs of live
birds that were used for evaluation will be made available on a separate
website, where anyone will be able to help the editorial team verify
and correct the results.
One of the surprising results is the
amount of phenotypic plasticity that is found in many species regarding
the number and extent of emarginations. A more detailed search by more
people is likely to reveal a much greater extent of phenotypic
plasticity in many more species. Another surprising finding is the
existence of emarginations in adult males of certain hummingbird
species. Hummingbirds, just as the related family of Swifts, do not
normally have emarginations, as they make no aerodynamic sense for the
way they fly. Possibly their presence in males indicates ornamental or
acoustic roles during courtship display rather than any aerodynamic
purpose, though this hypothesis would require further research on the
behaviour of these species.
The family summaries for all 244 bird
families of the world give further details of the avian flight
apparatus, including the number of primaries, secondaries and rectrices,
including unusual variations, the presence or absence of remicle and
carpal remex, the prevalence of eutaxy and diastataxy, the position of
the longest primary, the relative length of the outermost primary, as
well as the ranges of variability in the longest alula feather, longest
secondary and longest tail feather, all in per cent of the longest
primary. The family summaries are followed by short summaries on genus
level and then present the currently available data for each species.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with a very serious interest in bird feathers.
9) Lam, Ed. Dragonflies of North America. 2024. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 446 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
Dragonflies are large and beautiful insects, diverse in color
and pattern. This premier field guide provides all the information you
need to identify every male and female dragonfly found in North America,
whether in the field, in the hand, or under the microscope. The
extensive illustrations are the heart of the book. Close-up color
portraits of each species, often several times life size, show the best
possible specimens for close examination. Each sex is depicted using
multiple images, with postures and viewpoints consistently maintained to
aid comparison. Dragonflies of North America is the ultimate guide to these extraordinary insects.
- Covers all 329 North American species, including distinctive subspecies and variations
- Features nearly 1,900 highly detailed paintings and drawings, providing clarity and consistency that photographs cannot match
- Illustrates each species with multiple views for easy identification and comparison
- Gives an invaluable introduction to dragonfly anatomy, behavior, and life cycle
- Offers
additional guidance for the most challenging species that defy field
identification, highlighting anatomical characteristics to aid
identification in the hand
- Includes a distribution map for every species
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the dragonflies of the continental United States and Canada!
10) Mungall, Elizabeth Cary. Exotic Animal Field Guide: Nonnative Hoofed Mammals in the United States. 2024. Texas A&M University Press. Flexibound: 337 pages. Price: $38.00 U.S.
Since Elizabeth Cary Mungall’s original Exotic Animal Field Guide
was published in 2007, the diversity and number of species of nonnative
hoofed animals has surged in the United States. To better serve the
growing industry of raising exotics and related conservation efforts,
this revised edition of Exotic Animal Field Guide includes
ten new animal species, along with a fully updated photography guide
encompassing the latest technology in digital photography. Beautifully illustrated species accounts of deer, antelopes, sheep and
goats, cattle, and other truly exotic animals such as giraffes and
zebras are the highlight of this book. Also included are chapters about
the history of exotics in the United States, where to see them, and
hints on exotic animal ownership. Like the original field guide, each
animal profile includes native range maps, information about food
habits, habitat, temperament, breeding and birth seasons, fencing needs,
and photographs of the animals. Updated lists of exotics-related
organizations and further readings, a glossary, and a comprehensive
reference section round out the text, making this new edition even more
useful as a field tool for both new and experienced exotic animal owners
and conservationists.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the exotic hoofed mammals of the region.
11) Scaife, Adam. The Little Book of Weather. 2024. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 160 pages. Price: $15.95 U.S.
A charming, richly illustrated, pocket-size exploration of the world’s weather.
Packed
with surprising facts, this delightful and gorgeously designed book
will beguile anyone who is curious about weather. Expertly written and
beautifully illustrated throughout with color photographs and original
color artwork, The Little Book of Weather is
an accessible and enjoyable mini-reference about the world’s weather,
with examples drawn from across the globe. It fits an astonishing amount
of information in a small package, covering a wide range of topics—from
weather forecasting and extreme events such as hurricanes and typhoons
to the future of weather with climate change. It also includes curious
facts, myths, and history—from whether animals can predict the weather
to the bad weather that helped doom Napoleon and Hitler’s invasions of
Russia and the Soviet Union. The result is an irresistible guide to the
amazing world of weather.- A beautifully designed pocket-size book with a foil-stamped cloth cover
- Features some 140 color illustrations and photos
- Makes a perfect gift
RECOMMENDATION: This book is the eighth title in the Little Book series. It's a quick informative overview of weather.
