1) Benito, Juan and Roc Olivé. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 272 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Birds are today’s most diverse tetrapod group, but they have a rich and complex evolutionary history that extends far beyond their modern radiation. Appearing during the Jurassic more than 160 million years ago, they took to the skies and evolved into myriad forms. This comprehensive and up-to-date illustrated field guide covers 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 nonavian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. With a foreword by eminent paleontologist Luis Chiappe, Birds of the Mesozoic is a must-have book for bird lovers and anyone interested in paleontology.
- Features more than 250 stunning full-color illustrations
- Covers more than 200 kinds of Mesozoic birds
- Detailed fact files provide information about each species, including its name, location, size, period, habitat, and general characteristics
- Traces the evolution of the group from other feathered dinosaurs to the emergence of modern birds in the Late Cretaceous
- Describes all facets of phylogenetic, morphological, and ecological diversity
- Introduces readers to bird skeletal anatomy and the cutting-edge methods that paleontologists use to reconstruct fossil bird color, diet, and biology
- Formatted like a field guide for birdwatching in the Mesozoic
RECOMMENDATION: This title was first published in 2022 by Lynx Nature Books. This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in fossil birds!
2) Dunne, Pete. Chelsea Green Publishing. Hardbound: 177 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: From our own backyards to the rim of the Arctic ice, countless birds have adapted to meet the challenges of the winter season. This is their remarkable story, told by award-winning birder and acclaimed writer Pete Dunne, accompanied by illustrations from renowned artist and birder David Sibley.
Despite the seasonal life-sapping cold, birds have evolved strategies that meet winter’s vicissitudes head on, driven by the imperative to make it to spring and pass down their genes to the next generation. The drama of winter and the resilience and adaptability of birds witnessed in the harsher months of the calendar is both fascinating and astonishing.
In The Courage of Birds, Pete Dunne―winner of the American Birding Association’s Roger Tory Peterson Award for lifetime achievement in promoting the cause of birding―chronicles the behavior of the birds of North America. He expertly explores widespread adaptations, such as feathers that protect against the cold, and unpacks the unique migration patterns and survival strategies of individual species. Dunne also addresses the impact of changing climatic conditions on avian longevity and recounts personal anecdotes that soar with a naturalist’s gimlet eye.
Filled with unforgettable facts, wit, and moving observations on the natural world, Dunne’s book is for everyone; from the serious birder who tracks migration patterns, to the casual birder who logs daily reports on eBird, to the backyard observer who throws a handful of seed out for the Northern Cardinals and wonders how the birds magically appear in the garden when temperatures begin to fall.
RECOMMENDATION: A readable overview of how birds survive winter that is highlighted by David Sibley's art.
3) Newman, Kenneth and Nicholas Newman.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Newman’s Birds by Colour offers a quick and easy way to identify southern Africa’s most common birds based on first impression. Now in its fourth edition, this handy illustrated guide includes photographs in addition to the illustrations, to further aid identification. It has been updated to reflect the latest name changes, and also includes bird names in several local languages. Birds are grouped in distinct sections according to the color of their plumage, as well as their size, making the book easy to navigate. An informative introduction provides practical tips for identifying birds, and includes information on bird anatomy and classification, and guidance on what you need to go birding.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is best for casual/novice birders of the region.
4) Grant, Peter and Rosemary. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 426 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: 40 Years of Evolution is a landmark study of the finches first made famous by Charles Darwin, one that documents as never before the evolution of species through natural selection. In this now-legendary study, renowned evolutionary biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant draw on a vast and unparalleled range of ecological, behavioral, and genetic data to continuously measure changes in finch populations over a period of four decades on the small island of Daphne Major in the Galápagos archipelago. In the years since the book’s publication, the field of genomics has developed greatly. In this newly revised edition of 40 Years of Evolution, the Grants combine the results of their historic field study with genomic analyses of their primary findings, resolve unanswered questions from the field, and provide invaluable insights into the genetic basis of beak and body size variation and the history of this iconic adaptive radiation.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for those with a serious interest in avian evolution.
5) Paul, Gregory S.. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 256 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: New discoveries are transforming our understanding of the
theropod dinosaurs, revealing startling new insights into the lives and
look of these awesome predators. The Princeton Field Guide to Predatory Dinosaurs
provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the mighty
hunters that ruled the earth for tens of millions of years. This
incredible guide covers some 300 species and features stunning
illustrations of predatory theropods of all shapes and sizes. It
discusses their history, anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction,
growth, and extinction, and even gives a taste of what it might be like
to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also discusses
the controversies surrounding these marvelous creatures, taking up such
open questions as the form and habitats of the gigantic Spinosaurus and the number of Tyrannosaurus species that may have existed.
- Features detailed species accounts of some 300 theropod dinosaurs, with the latest size and mass estimates
- Shares new perspectives on iconic predators such as T. rex and Velociraptor
- Covers everything from the biology of predatory dinosaurs to the colorful history of paleontology
- Features a wealth of color and black-and-white drawings and figures, including life studies, scenic views, and original skeletal, skull, and muscle reconstructions
- Includes detailed color maps
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for those with an interest in predatory dinosaurs!
6) Hone, David. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 207 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Our understanding of dinosaur behavior has long been hampered by
the inevitable lack of evidence from animals that went extinct more than
sixty-five million years ago and whose daily behaviors are rarely
reflected by the fossil record. Today, with the discovery of new
specimens and the development of new and cutting-edge techniques,
paleontologists are making major advances in reconstructing how
dinosaurs lived and acted. Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior
provides an unparalleled look at this emerging field of science,
presenting the latest findings on dinosaur behavior and explaining how
researchers interpret the often minimal and even conflicting information
available to them.
David Hone begins by introducing readers to
the fundamentals of dinosaur biology, diversity, and evolution, and goes
on to describe behaviors across the whole range of species and groups,
from feeding and communication to reproduction, sociality, and combat.
Speculation about dinosaur behavior goes back to the earliest scientific
studies of these “terrible lizards.” Hone traces how pioneering science
is opening a window into prehistoric life as never before, and
discusses future directions of research in this thrilling and rapidly
growing area of paleontology.
Written by one of the world’s
leading dinosaur experts and featuring accurate color recreations by
paleoartist Gabriel Ugueto along with a wealth of photos and diagrams, Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior is a foundational work on the subject and an invaluable reference for anyone interested in these amazing creatures.
RECOMMENDATION: A readable overview on dinosaur biology that is highlighted by Gabriel Ugueto's artwork.
7) Marshall, Justin et al.. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Recent years have seen tremendous strides in the fields of
vision, visual ecology, and our own multilayered experience of color in
life and the world. These advances have been driven by astonishing
discoveries in neuroscience and evolutionary biology as well as
psychology and design. This beautifully illustrated book unlocks
nature’s colorful purpose, revealing how creatures see color as well as
shedding light on the important part that it plays in animal behavior,
from reproduction and communication to aggression and defense. Color in Nature
also places the human experience and uses of color in the context of
all the colors around us, both in the natural world and in the world
that we humans create for our own pleasure and purpose. A wide-ranging
survey of a vibrant and compelling topic, Color in Nature will open your eyes to new ways of perceiving the world.
- Features a wealth of stunning color illustrations
- Explains what color is and how it happens
- Covers the physics, genetics, chemistry, physiology, and psychology of animal color perception
- Discusses colors humans don’t see or rarely use
- Sheds light on the evolution of colors for mating, hunting, fighting, deceiving, and hiding
- Provides insights into color blindness, bio-inspired colors, and people’s appreciation for art and design
RECOMMENDATION: A well illustrated introduction to the subject.
