What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing-What Birds Are Doing, and Why
by David Allen Sibley
From Knopf:
The bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing–and why.
“Can birds smell?” “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author. While its focus is on familiar backyard birds–blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees–it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed, such as the seashore-dwelling Atlantic puffin. David Sibley’s exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. (For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized.) And while the text is aimed at adults–including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes–it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action. Unlike any other book he has written, What It’s Like to Be a Bird is poised to bring a whole new audience to David Sibley’s world of birds.
Gorgeous art and fascinating information come together here. The organization makes it easy to pick up and read whatever strikes your fancy, while the depth of information means that anyone can learn a great deal. And then there’s the art – lots and lots of it. All that makes this book attractive to anyone even remotely interested in birds.
What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing-What Birds Are Doing, and Why
by David Allen Sibley
Hardcover; 240 pages
Knopf; April 14, 2020
ISBN: 9780307957894
$35.00
Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)
Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition
by Roger Tory Peterson
From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:
For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Since the American Birding Association has expanded its species Checklist to include Hawaii, the Peterson Field Guide now includes the wonderful and exotic species of our fiftieth state. In addition, the text and range maps have been updated, and much of the art has been touched up to reflect current knowledge.
This is the second edition of the “Big Peterson”, covering the entire continent (well, the ABA Area to be specific). This one actually does cover the entire area, as it now includes a 50-page section on the Birds of Hawaii.
I’ll be posting a detailed comparison between the two editions soon.
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition
by Roger Tory Peterson
Flexicover; 522 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; April 7, 2020
ISBN: 9781328771445
$29.99
Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)
Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)
by Harold F. Greeney
An impressive reference in the Helm Identification Guide series.
Read the full review »
Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist: Your Guide to Listening
by Donald Kroodsma
From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:
Birdsong made easy to understand, lavishly illustrated with color photos, and accompanied by more than 700 online recordings
From a leading expert, Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist is a basic, how-to guide that teaches anyone—from beginner to advanced birder—how to listen. In understandable and appealing language, Kroodsma explains why and how birds sing, what various calls mean, and what to listen for from the birds around us. The descriptions are accompanied by color photos of the birds, as well as QR codes that link to an online collection of more than 700 recordings. With these resources, readers are prepared to recognize bird sounds and the birds that make them. Kroodsma encourages readers to find the joy of birdsong and curiosity—to observe, listen intently, be curious, ask questions, and realize that many unanswered questions about birdsong don’t have to rely on scientists for answers but can be answered by any curious naturalist.
No one writes about birdsong better than Donald Kroodsma. This book is the perfect introduction to it for birders or, as the title suggests, ‘curious naturalists’. The many sounds referenced in it are available on its website – birdsongforthecurious.com. Check it out to hear – and read a bit – what it’s all about.
Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist: Your Guide to Listening
by Donald Kroodsma
Hardcover; 208 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; March 10, 2020
ISBN: 9781328919113
$27.00
Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)
Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)
by Julie Zickefoose
The author chronicles her experience raising an orphaned Blue Jay.
Read the full review »
There’s already quite an impressive selection of bird books set to be published in 2020. Here are the ones that have caught my eye.
Apparently, 2020 is the Year of the Bird-Behavior-and/or-Senses Book. These topics are endlessly fascinating, so I’m certainly not complaining. I’m really looking forward to all of these:
What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing–What Birds Are Doing, and Why
by David Allen Sibley
April 14, 2020; Knopf
This is quite the unexpected title from Sibley, known mostly for his field guides. But this sounds really cool. Plus – life-size paintings! (“For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized”, according to the publisher’s description.)
Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior
by John Kricher
September 1, 2020; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
I was really excited to see this one coming; the Peterson Reference Guide series has been consistently great.
Bird Senses: How and What Birds See, Hear, Smell, Taste, and Feel
by Graham R. Martin
July 31, 2020; Pelagic Publishing
Pelagic Publishing has put out some great books, so I have every reason to be optimistic about this one.
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
by Jennifer Ackerman
May 5, 2020; Penguin Press
Ackerman’s The Genius of Birds was great, so I have high hopes for this one also.
Field Guides
I didn’t notice very many field guides coming this year, but that’s probably because I either missed them or they haven’t been announced yet. However, a new edition of one of the most popular North American guides is a big deal, and the latest addition to the ABA area is getting lots of love.
Texas
Texas is the subject of several books this year, several of which look to be of interest even if you don’t live there.
Everything else
by Guy M. Kirwan, Anthony Levesque, Mark Oberle, and Christopher J. Sharpe
An excellent new field guide to the islands of the West Indies.
Read the full review »
by Nancy Grant
The story of a twenty-day road trip to bird along the gulf coast of Texas.
Read the full review »
by Steve N. G. Howell and Kirk Zufelt
Comprehensive but compact guide to all “ocean” birds.
Read the full review »
Binge Birding: Twenty Days with Binoculars
by Nancy Grant
From Nancy Grant:
Enjoy the thrill of discovery in this well-paced travel adventure that’s like going birding with a friend. When journalist and field naturalist Nancy Grant packed her SUV with a basket of maps and field guides to head south to explore the Texas Gulf Coast she had a simple plan. Look for birds everywhere. And she found them—more than 150 species—singing, soaring, hunting for food, searching for mates, and raising youngsters. Grant’s easy-going conversational style, with plenty of quirky travel anecdotes, blends in-depth natural history insights with vivid on-the-scene reporting. Grant admits with charming directness her own struggles to memorize field marks and songs, and the satisfaction of getting it right. Birders of all experience levels will enjoy coming along for the ride.
Ever wonder what it’s like to go on an extended, solo birding trip? Nancy Grant describes just such a trip she took to coastal Texas in this book. Interesting and well-written, it should appeal to newer birders.
Binge Birding: Twenty Days with Binoculars
by Nancy Grant
Paperback; 345 pages
Independently published; April 22, 2019
ISBN: 9781092878029
$15.00
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition
American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Hawaii
Parking Lot Birding: A Fun Guide to Discovering Birds in Texas
Big Years, Biggest States: Birding in Texas and Alaska
Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist: Your Guide to Listening
Every Penguin in the World: A Quest to See Them All
How Birds Work: An Illustrated Guide to the Wonders of Form and Function ― from Bones to Beak
New Guinea: Nature and Culture of Earth’s Grandest Island
Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds: An Identification Guide
Flights of Passage: An Illustrated Natural History of Bird Migration
