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Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean
by Scott Weidensaul

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:

This comprehensive work covering all the owls of North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean, is the newest addition to the trusted Peterson Reference Guide series.

Owls are perhaps the most intriguing of all birds — instantly recognizable and endlessly fascinating. Whether viewed as symbols of wisdom or bad omens, these unusual birds have had a hold on human imagination for millennia.

Heard more often than seen, many owls are best identified by vocalizations; this is the only owl guide to include access to a collection of recordings. It is also the only North American owl book to include the Caribbean, covering 39 species of owls, including many little-known tropical species.

With detailed information about identification, calls, habitat, nesting, and behavior, this Reference Guide has the most up-to-date information about natural history, biology, ecology, migration, and conservation status. It is heavily illustrated with hundreds of color photos, and includes the most accurate color range maps ever presented, showing breeding, wintering, and migration routes.

This is a definitive work, useful for serious birders and ornithologists but accessible for the non-expert.

Focusing on natural history, as opposed to identification, this guide includes all the owls found in North America (including – gasp! – Mexico) and the Caribbean. The geographical coverage alone makes it worthwhile to many birders, but really, how can you go wrong with lots of fantastic pictures, Scott Weidensaul, and owls?

Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean
by Scott Weidensaul
Hardcover; 352 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; October 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0547840031
$40.00

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The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature
by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Gerrit Vyn

From Mountaineers Books:

Foreword by Barbara Kingsolver
Over 250 images by renowned photographer Gerrit Vyn
Essays by Jared Diamond, John W. Fitzpatrick, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and Scott Weidensaul

An intimate and stunning exploration of North American birds, The Living Bird celebrates our joyful and complex relationship with birds, through images by renowned wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essays by some of the world’s leading naturalists and bird enthusiasts. In 2015 the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will celebrate its 100th anniversary as one of the world’s most prestigious and oldest institutions devoted to the study of birds. As a cornerstone of those celebrations, the Lab reveals the essence of its work in this visual and experiential journey through the fascinating and beautiful realm of birds. Connecting people with birds is often a first step in opening their eyes to the natural world around them.

Want to see some insanely good bird photographs? Just open this book to any page. It also has several essays celebrating birds from folks like Scott Weidensaul.

The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature
by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Gerrit Vyn
Hardcover; 208 pages
Mountaineers Books; September 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1594859656
$29.95

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Birds of South America: Passerines (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)
by Ber van Perlo

From Princeton University Press:

This comprehensive field guide to the birds of South America covers all 1,952 passerine species to be found south of Panama, including offshore islands such as Trinidad, the Galapagos, and the Falklands, and the islands of the Scotia Arc leading to the Antarctic mainland. It features 197 stunning color plates and detailed species accounts that describe key identification features, habitat, songs, and calls. All plumages for each species are illustrated, including males, females, and juveniles. This easy-to-use guide is the essential travel companion for experienced birdwatchers and novice birders alike.

• Combines a clear format with a wealth of detailed information
• Features 197 color plates that aid identification
• Covers key identification features with information on habitat, songs, and calls
• Includes a distribution map for each species

This wouldn’t be a good choice as a primary field guide. For one, it only covers the passerines, which are about 60% of the continent’s birds (for the rest, there is a companion volume – Birds of South America: Non-Passerines). There’s also a similar book – Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: The Passerines – that has, in my opinion, better illustrations and much more extensive text, which makes it a better reference. But it’s also much larger. So I would recommend this Illustrated Checklist to someone who wants a secondary guide while traveling, particularly to places underserved by other field guides.

Birds of South America: Passerines (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)
by Ber van Perlo
Paperback; 464 pages
Princeton University Press; September 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0691167961
$29.95

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Behind the Binoculars: Interviews with Acclaimed Birdwatchers
by Mark Avery and Keith Betton

From Pelagic Publishing:

How and why did our most acclaimed birdwatchers take up birding? What were their early experiences of nature? How have their professional birding careers developed? What motivates them and drives their passion for wildlife? How many birds have they seen?

Mark Avery and Keith Betton, passionate birdwatchers and conservationists, interview members of the birdwatching community to answer these and many other questions about the lives of famous birdwatchers. They take you behind the scenes, and behind the binoculars, of a diverse range of birding and wildlife personalities.

Behind the Binoculars includes interviews with: Chris Packham, Phil Hollom, Stuart Winter, Lee Evans, Steve Gantlett, Mark Cocker, Ian Wallace, Andy Clements, Mike Clarke, Debbie Pain, Keith Betton, Roger Riddington, Ian Newton, Steph Tyler, Mark Avery, Stephen Moss, Alan Davies and Ruth Miller, Rebecca Nason and Robert Gillmor.

Brief interviews/biographies of well-known birders is an interesting concept. North American readers should be aware that this book focuses on British birders. Well-read American birders will undoubtedly recognize a name or two from this list, but most will probably be unknown.

Behind the Binoculars: Interviews with Acclaimed Birdwatchers
by Mark Avery and Keith Betton
Hardcover; 250 pages
Pelagic Publishing; September 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1784270506
$26.99

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Birding for the Curious: The Easiest Way for Anyone to Explore the Incredible World of Birds
by Nate Swick

From Page Street Publishing:

There’s something about birds that fascinates people and invites us to pause, look and listen to the beautiful, natural world around us. But do you always recognize what you see and hear? With this book, you’ll get started. Birding for the Curious is a beginner course in birding for every nature and animal lover out there. With it, you’ll learn what birding is all about, what birders do and how you can become one. You’ll also learn how to:

• Find more birds
• Identify the birds you see
• Attract more birds to your yard and feeders

Birding for the Curious is the perfect gift for the nature-lover in your life, or an excellent introduction to birding for you. It won’t be long before you can easily recognize and name the common birds in your area. With this book, you will enjoy nature at a whole new level.

Are you wondering what this birding thing is all about? Or do you know someone else who is? Then this book is for you. It first makes the case why someone would want to watch birds, and proceeds to provide information and tips on how to start and get the most out of the hobby.

Birding for the Curious: The Easiest Way for Anyone to Explore the Incredible World of Birds
by Nate Swick
Hardcover; 176 pages
Page Street Publishing; September 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1624141188
$21.99

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American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California
by Alvaro Jaramillo and Brian E. Small

From Scott & Nix, Inc.:

California has it all for birders—lush coastal coniferous forests, dry chaparral, oak woodlands, grasslands, alpine slides, riparian valleys, watered suburbs, and desert scrubs. Hundreds of types of birds nest in the Golden State or stop by seasonally on migration routes. California has one of the largest state and federal parks programs, as well as extensive protected wildlife areas, which preserve and protect bird habitats. From geese and ducks, herons and storks, eagles, hawks, and owls to hummingbirds, warblers, and sparrows, California is one of the finest birding destinations on earth. The American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California includes more than 300 species birders are most likely to see in the state. Illustrated with nearly 450 crisp, color photographs, it includes clearly written descriptions along with tips of when and where to see birds penned by an expert Californian birder. It’s the perfect companion for anyone interested in the amazing diversity and beauty of California’s birds.

If you’ve read my review of the American Birding Association Field Guide series, you know that I like these field guides. This new volume on California is no exception. Intended for beginning and intermediate birders, I would recommend this to any such residents of California, or, perhaps especially, to any Californian who would like to be more knowledgeable about the birds around them.

American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California
by Alvaro Jaramillo and Brian E. Small
Flexicover; 352 pages
Scott & Nix, Inc.; September 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1935622505
$24.95

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Birds and Animals of Australia’s Top End: Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine, and Kununurra
by Nick Leseberg and Iain Campbell

From Princeton University Press:

One of the most amazing and accessible wildlife-watching destinations on earth, the “Top End” of Australia’s Northern Territory is home to incredible birds and animals–from gaudy Red-collared Lorikeets to sinister Estuarine Crocodiles and raucous Black Flying-foxes. With this lavishly illustrated photographic field guide, you will be able to identify the most common creatures and learn about their fascinating biology–from how Agile Wallaby mothers can pause their pregnancies to why Giant Frogs spend half the year buried underground in waterproof cocoons.

The Top End stretches from the tropical city of Darwin in the north, to the savannas of Mataranka in the south, and southwest across the vast Victoria River escarpments to the Western Australian border. The region includes some of Australia’s most popular and impressive tourist destinations, such as Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk, and Gregory national parks, and is visited by more than two hundred thousand tourists every year.

An essential field guide for anyone visiting the Top End, this book will vastly enhance your appreciation of the region’s remarkable wildlife.

• Features hundreds of stunning color photographs
• Includes concise information on identification and preferred habitat for each species
• Provides a summary of each species’ life history, including interesting habits, and suggestions on where to see it
• Offers valuable tips on searching for wildlife in the Top End
• An essential guide for visitors to the Top End, from Darwin south to Katherine and Kununurra, including Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk and Gregory national parks

This new field guide is essential to anyone visiting Australia’s Top End who is even remotely interested in the wildlife. Even though it is not a comprehensive field guide to birds, it is still recommended to birders as a supplemental guide for its extra information, gorgeous photos, and coverage of other animals.

Birds and Animals of Australia’s Top End: Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine, and Kununurra
by Nick Leseberg and Iain Campbell
Paperback; 272 pages
Princeton University Press; July 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-0691161464
$27.95

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Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City
by Leslie Day

From Johns Hopkins University Press:

Look around New York, and you’ll probably see birds: wood ducks swimming in Queens, a stalking black-crowned night-heron in Brooklyn, great horned owls perching in the Bronx, warblers feeding in Central Park, or Staten Island’s purple martins flying to and fro. You might spot hawks and falcons nesting on skyscrapers or robins belting out songs from trees along the street.

America’s largest metropolis teems with birdlife in part because it sits within the great Atlantic flyway where migratory birds travel seasonally between north and south. The Big Apple’s miles of coastline, magnificent parks, and millions of trees attract dozens of migrating species every year and are also home year-round to scores of resident birds.

There is no better way to identify and learn about New York’s birds than with this comprehensive field guide from New York City naturalist Leslie Day. Her book will quickly teach you what each species looks like, where they build their nests, what they eat, the sounds of their songs, what time of year they appear in the city, the shapes and colors of their eggs, and where in the five boroughs you can find them―which is often in the neighborhood you call home. The hundreds of stunning photographs by Beth Bergman and gorgeous illustrations by Trudy Smoke will help you identify the ninety avian species commonly seen in New York. Once you enter the world of the city’s birds, life in the great metropolis will never look the same.

An excellent guide for New York City residents. If you have any interest in the birds around you (and there are plenty of birds around you, even in NYC), this guide will really open your eyes.

Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City
by Leslie Day
Paperback; 384 pages
Johns Hopkins University Press; June 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-1421416182
$24.95

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When the second edition of the “Big Sibley” was published last year, you knew it was just a matter of time before the smaller Eastern and Western regional guides were revised as well. And now, thanks to Amazon, we have a potential date: March 29, 2016.

There are no additional details, other than page count, at this time. But you can go ahead and place a pre-order:

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America: Revised Edition

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America: Revised Edition

Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of the Midwest
by Kenn Kaufman, Kimberly Kaufman, and Jeff Sayre

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:

The only field guide to bring along to identify the birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, mushrooms, ferns, rocks, and sky of the Midwest.

Even if we focus on certain things in the outdoors, most of us are curious about everything else that might turn up. Serious birders, botanists, and entomologists all have their specialized guides, but this book is the guide to “everything else”—the one guide to take when you go out for a walk. Wow, that’s a cool-looking mushroom. Wonder what it is. Hey, look at that weird insect.

Birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, mushrooms, ferns, grasses, even constellations overhead and rocks underfoot—it’s all here. With authoritative yet broad coverage, nontechnical language, and more than two thousand color photographs, this book is an essential reference for nature lovers living in or visiting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

If you live in one of the states covered, or will be visiting and spending significant time outdoors, I would highly recommend having this guide close by. “Combo guides” such as this can be really valuable if done well, and this series is done very well.

Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of the Midwest
by Kenn Kaufman, Kimberly Kaufman, and Jeff Sayre
Flexicover; 416 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-0618456949
$20.00