BEST BIRD BOOKS OF 2024

 

The following are my picks for the best bird books of 2024:

BEST BOOK: 

1) van Duivendijk, Nils. ID Handbook of European Birds. 2024. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 1056 pages (in two volumes). Price: $107.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: 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!   

 

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

 

1) Ayyash, Amar. The Gull Guide: North America. 2024. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 518 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: 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!

 

 

2) Ellis, David H. et al.(editors). The Golden Eagle Around the World. 2024. Hancock House. Hardbound: 918 pages. Price: $99.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: 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. 

3) Stokes, Lillian Q. and Matthew A. Young. The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada. 2024. Little, Brown and Company. Paperback: 332 pages. Price: $21.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Learn all you need to know about identifying and attracting finches with this comprehensive, gloriously colorful field guide from America’s foremost authorities on birds and nature.

     Following the extraordinary finch superflight of 2020-2021, birders across the country became obsessed with finches. With The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada, you can gain expert knowledge on these beautiful birds and bring them into your own yard. This fully illustrated guide tells you all you need to know about attracting, observing, and protecting finches.

The book also includes:

• A special section on endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper finches, plus other rare and vagrant species
• Detailed identification information on each finch species’ plumages, subspecies, and voice
• The most complete and up-to-date range maps, including maps of core occurrence and irruption ranges for all red crossbill call types, which have never before been published in a guide
• Complete life history information
• Scientific studies on finch migrations and conservation
• More than 345 stunning full-color photographs and over 50 range maps covering 43 species

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the finches of the region!

 

 

4) Kaufman, Kenn. The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness. 2024. Avid Reader Press. Hardbound: 387 pages. Price: $32.50 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Renowned naturalist Kenn Kaufman examines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers to show how what they saw (and what they missed) reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world.

     Raging ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds that were still unknown to science.

     The most famous name in the bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating great art was not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as many different species as possible, obsessed with trying to outdo his rival, Alexander Wilson. George Ord, a fan and protégé of Wilson, held a bitter grudge against Audubon for years, claiming he had faked much of his information and his scientific claims. A few of Audubon’s birds were pure fiction, and some of his writing was invented or plagiarized. Other naturalists of the era, including Charles Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon), John Townsend, and Thomas Nuttall, also became entangled in the scientific derby, as they stumbled toward an understanding of the natural world—an endeavor that continues to this day.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the ornithological history of the USA!