New Titles

 

1) Dyer, Dale and Steve N. G. Howell. Birds of Costa Rica. 2023. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 456 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A state-of-the-art illustrated field guide to the birds of Costa Rica.

     Costa Rica is among the most popular birding destinations in the world, with a breathtaking diversity of neotropical birdlife and stunningly beautiful habitats ranging from shady mangrove swamps to mist-enshrouded mountaintops and verdant rainforest. Birds of Costa Rica is the essential illustrated pocket guide to this biologically rich country. 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 800 species of birds found in Costa Rica
• Includes more than 200 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 Costa Rica!

 

 

2) Abbott, John C. and Kendra K. Abbott. Insects of North America. 2023. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 585 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This amazing field guide enables you to identify all 783 families of insects currently recognized in the United States and Canada. Richly illustrated with more than 3,700 stunning photos along with keys to families for many of the orders, Insects of North America features a comprehensive introduction that discusses classification and nomenclature, insect diversity, global threats, the latest collecting and curatorial techniques, and the many ways these remarkable organisms impact society. Combined with in-depth taxonomic coverage, this is the essential resource for both professionals and amateurs interested in the most diverse group of animals on the planet.

• Covers all 783 insect families known to occur in the United States and Canada
• Features more than 3,700 color photos, with nearly every photo identified to species level
• Includes an illustrated glossary for easy reference in the field
• The first field companion of its kind since the publication of the Peterson guide in 1970
• Ideal for entomology courses of all levels
• An invaluable resource for anyone interested in insects

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the insects of North America (north of Mexico).

 

3) Messinger Carril, Olivia and Joseph S. Wilson. Common Bees of Western North America. 2023. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 415 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Bees play a vitally important role in the pollination of native plants and agricultural crops around the globe. These stunningly beautiful insects come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. There are more than 3,000 species in western North America, and identifying them is a challenging task even for taxonomists. Common Bees of Western North America is the first species-level photographic field guide to the most commonly seen bees in the western United States and Canada, focusing on those that are found in urban environments, specialize on unique plants, or are especially distinctive in appearance. This book walks you through the process of bee identification using breathtaking high-resolution color photos that highlight the key characteristics of each species, making identification easier. Full of essential facts about the natural history of these magnificent creatures, this is a must-have field guide for naturalists and backyard gardeners alike.

• Covers more than 200 species
• Features more than 1,100 stunning close-up color photos
• Shows multiple images of each species, with arrows indicating key features
• Includes a range map for every species
• Provides silhouette images depicting the actual size of each species
• Describes key identification features, size, phenology, floral preference, nesting, and related species
• Contains a taxonomic key to the bee genera of the region

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the bees of western North America (north of Mexico).

 

 

4) Grant, Peter. Enchanted by Daphne: The Life of an Evolutionary Naturalist. 2023. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 346 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The extraordinary life story of the celebrated naturalist who transformed our understanding of evolution.

     Enchanted by Daphne is legendary ecologist Peter Grant’s personal account of his remarkable life and career. In this revelatory book, Grant takes readers from his childhood in World War II–era Britain to his ongoing research today in the Galápagos archipelago, vividly describing what it's like to do fieldwork in one of the most magnificent yet inhospitable places on Earth. This is also the story of two brilliant and courageous biologists raising a family together while balancing the demands of professional lives that would take them to the far corners of the globe.

     In 1973, Grant and his wife, Rosemary, embarked on a journey that would fundamentally change how we think about evolution. Over the next four decades, they visited the Galápagos every year to observe Darwin’s famous finches on the remote, uninhabited island of Daphne Major. Documenting how eighteen species have diversified from a single ancestral species, they demonstrated that we could actually see and measure evolution in a natural setting. Grant recounts the blind alleys and breathtaking triumphs of this historic research as he and Rosemary followed in Darwin’s footsteps―and ushered in a new era in ecology.

     A wonderfully absorbing portrait of a life in science, Enchanted by Daphne is an unforgettable chronicle of the travels and discoveries of one of the world’s most influential naturalists.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Peter Grant's career. 

 

5) Campbell, Michael O'Neal. The Great Eagles: Their Evolution, Ecology and Conservation. 2022. CRC Press. Hardbound: 623 pages. Price: $325.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This book examines the current literature and knowledge on the evolution and ecology of all the birds named as eagles, with particular emphasis on the larger species. It also examines the past and current relations between eagles and people, including habitat change and conservation issues. Eagle ecologies and conservation are currently seriously impacted by human activities such as industrialization, urbanization, pollution, deforestation and hunting. Some eagle species have consequently experienced extreme population changes. There are, however, some positive developments. Eagles have a strong, historic bond with human civilization, due to their status as the world’s most charismatic birds. Conservation policies have also been successful in repopulating some ecosystems with breeding eagles. Therefore, despite the complexity of this relationship, there may yet be hope for this unique species group, frequently rated as the kings of birds, and symbolic of human power, ambition, royalty, nationality, and even concepts of God. It is hoped that this book will contribute to the further understanding of these unique and fantastic birds. 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with a serious interest in eagles. A paperback version for $88.95 U.S. is due out in September 2023.

 

6) Clarke, Philip A.. Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia: Historical and Cultural Relationships. 2023. CSIRO Publishing. Paperback: 332 pages. Price: $38.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Australia is home to many distinctive species of birds, and Aboriginal peoples have developed close alliances with them over the millennia of their custodianship of this country. Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia: Historical and Cultural Relationships provides a review of the broad physical, historical and cultural relationships that Aboriginal people have had with the Australian avifauna.

     This book raises awareness of the alternative bodies of ornithological knowledge that reside outside of Western science. It describes the role of birds as totemic ancestors and spirit beings, and explores Aboriginal bird nomenclature, foraging techniques and the use of avian materials to make food, medicine and artefacts. Through a historical perspective, this book examines the gaps between knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples and Western science, to encourage greater collaboration and acknowledgment in the future.

Features:

• Provides a historical review of the cultural roles of birds and their importance to Aboriginal peoples in Australia.

• Explores Indigenous knowledge, to inform future research in ornithology, anthropology and ethnoscience.

• Illustrated with photos taken by the author over 40 years of fieldwork.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in ethno-ornithology!

 

7) Reynolds, R. Graham et al.. Boas of the West Indies: Evolution, Natural History, and Conservation. 2023. Cornell/Comstock. Hardbound: 270 pages. Price: $59.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Boas of the West Indies is a comprehensive survey of boid snakes, commonly known as boas, found on the islands of the Lucayan Archipelago, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. Bringing together the expertise of leading herpetologists R. Graham Reynolds, Robert W. Henderson, Luis M. Díaz, Tomás Michel Rodríguez, and Alberto R. Puente-Rolón, this volume synthesizes established knowledge and new findings on the evolutionary biology, natural history, and conservation statuses of these iconic snakes.

     One of the most ecologically diverse snake families, boas have inhabited the West Indies for millions of years. From the Cuban boa, which in many folk legends may grow to over twice a person's height, to the Hispaniolan vineboa, discovered only in 2020 and known to measure less than a meter long, Boas of the West Indies examines the eighteen species extant on these islands along with several others now extinct. Species accounts include details such as phenotypic traits, distribution, and behavior. Introductory chapters discuss the history of human-boa interaction, differences between West Indian and neotropical mainland boids, current conservation efforts, and more.

     Illustrated with over a hundred color photographs and range maps, Boas of the West Indies is a benchmark reference for herpetologists, conservationists, and snake hobbyists that expands our knowledge of―and celebrates―these fascinating creatures so integral to the ecology of these islands.

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

 

 

8) Richardson, Matthew. Threatened and Recently Extinct Vertebrates of the World: A Biogeographic Approach. 2023. Cambridge University Press. Hardbound: 729 pages. Price: $110.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Habitat loss and degradation are currently the main anthropogenic causes of species extinctions. The root cause is human overpopulation. This unique volume provides, for the very first time, a comprehensive overview of all threatened and recently extinct mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes within the context of their locations and habitats. The approach takes a systematic examination of each biogeographic realm and region of the world, both terrestrial and marine, but with a particular emphasis on geographic features such as mountains, islands, and coral reefs. It reveals patterns useful in biodiversity conservation, helps to put it all into perspective, and ultimately serves as both a baseline from which to compare subsequent developments as well as a standardization of the way threatened species are studied.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in biodiversity conservation!

 

 

9) Sevigny, Melissa L.. Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon. 2023. W. W. Norton. Hardbound: 290 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The riveting tale of two pioneering botanists and their historic boat trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon.

     In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off to run the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious and entrepreneurial expedition leader, a zoologist, and two amateur boatmen. With its churning waters and treacherous boulders, the Colorado was famed as the most dangerous river in the world. Journalists and veteran river runners boldly proclaimed that the motley crew would never make it out alive. But for Clover and Jotter, the expedition held a tantalizing appeal: no one had yet surveyed the plant life of the Grand Canyon, and they were determined to be the first.

     Through the vibrant letters and diaries of the two women, science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny traces their daring forty-three-day journey down the river, during which they meticulously cataloged the thorny plants that thrived in the Grand Canyon’s secret nooks and crannies. Along the way, they chased a runaway boat, ran the river’s most fearsome rapids, and turned the harshest critic of female river runners into an ally. Clover and Jotter’s plant list, including four new cactus species, would one day become vital for efforts to protect and restore the river ecosystem.

     Brave the Wild River is a spellbinding adventure of two women who risked their lives to make an unprecedented botanical survey of a defining landscape in the American West, at a time when human influences had begun to change it forever.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in United States botanical history.

New Titles

 

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.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An epic tale of one passionate birder’s record-breaking adventure through 40 countries over 6 continents―in just one year―to see 6,852 bird species, rare and common, before many go extinct.

     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: $24.95 U.S.

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.

      The Gray Wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. Nearly eradicated by the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered its robust return to the state over the last two decades. But Washington ranchers are not so joyous. When wolves prey on livestock, ranchers view their livelihood as under attack.

      In The Return of Wolves, journalist Eli Francovich investigates how we might mend this divide while keeping wolf populations thriving. He finds an answer in the time-honored tradition of range riding and one passionate range rider, Daniel Curry, who has jumped directly into the fray by patrolling the rural Washington landscape on horseback. Curry engages directly with farmers, seeking to protect livestock from wolves while also protecting and proliferating wolf populations. In The Return of Wolves, we meet an eclectic cast of players—local ranchers, politicians, environmentalists, and everyday folks caught in the middle—and find hope for the future of wolves, and perhaps for our divided nation.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in wolf conservation.

 

8) Lee, Fonda. Untethered Sky. 2023. Tordotcom. Hardbound: 152 pages. Price: $22.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: From World Fantasy Award-winning author Fonda Lee comes Untethered Sky, an epic fantasy fable about the pursuit of obsession at all costs.

     Ester’s family was torn apart when a manticore killed her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father’s painful silence and a single, overwhelming need to kill the monsters that took her family.

     Ester’s path leads her to the King’s Royal Mews, where the giant rocs of legend are flown to hunt manticores by their brave and dedicated ruhkers. Paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, Ester finds purpose and acclaim by devoting herself to a calling that demands absolute sacrifice and a creature that will never return her love. The terrifying partnership between woman and roc leads Ester not only on the empire’s most dangerous manticore hunt, but on a journey of perseverance and acceptance.

RECOMMENDATION: Fans of the author's other books should enjoy this one!