News

A quick perusal through the upcoming books for 2019 yielded some very interesting titles. Here are the ones that I’m looking forward to the most. But first, a couple quick observations:

• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is killing it this year!
• It seems there’s always one day on which several good books are coming. That day this year is April 2.

• How to Know the Birds: The Art and Adventure of Birding
  by Ted Floyd
  March 12, 2019; National Geographic

  I can’t think of anyone better to write a “friendly, relatable book [that] is a celebration of the art, science, and delights of bird-watching.”

• Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America
  by Rick Wright
  March 19, 2019; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  This guide has everything going for it: a wonderful subject, part of a so-far impressive series, and a great author. I can’t wait to see what Wright has for us.

• Neighborhood Hawks: A Year Following Wild Birds
  by John Lane
  April 1, 2019; University of Georgia Press

  I don’t know if it’s because we have them in our neighborhood, but a year following Red-shouldered Hawks sounds really interesting.

• Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Western North America
  by Nathan Pieplow
  April 2, 2019; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  Westerners will now have their own edition of this innovative guide.

• A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration
  by Kenn Kaufman
  April 2, 2019; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  A new book from Kenn Kaufman!!!!!!

• The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America
  by Matt Kracht
  April 2, 2019; Chronicle Books

  Well, this certainly looks like an interesting field guide :).

• Bringing Back the Birds: Exploring Migration and Preserving Birdscapes throughout the Americas
  by American Bird Conservancy, photographs by Owen Deutsch
  May 1, 2019; Braided River

  The American Bird Conservancy does some great work. Looks like that will be celebrated in this volume, along with, hopefully, some impressive pictures.

• Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay
  by Julie Zickefoose
  September 10, 2019; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  If you’ve ever read a book by Julie Zickefoose, you know what a treat this book is bound to be. And if not, you have no idea what you’re missing.

Birds of Central America: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rican, and Panama
by Andrew C. Vallely and Dale Dyer

From Princeton University Press:

Birds of Central America is the first comprehensive field guide to the avifauna of the entire region, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Handy and compact, the book presents text and illustrations for nearly 1,200 resident and migrant species, and information on all rare vagrants. Two hundred sixty detailed plates on convenient facing-page spreads depict differing ages and sexes for each species, with a special focus on geographic variation. The guide also contains up-to-date range maps and concise notes on distribution, habitat, behavior, and voice. An introduction provides a brief overview of the region’s landscape, climate, and biogeography.

The culmination of more than a decade of research and field experience, Birds of Central America is an indispensable resource for all those interested in the bird life of this part of the world.

• Detailed information on the entire avifauna of Central America
• 260 beautiful color plates
• Range maps, text, and illustrations presented on convenient facing-page spreads
• Up-to-date notes on distribution supported by an extensive bibliography
• Special focus on geographic variation of bird species

Covering the entirety of Central America, this field guide isn’t small or light (think Sibley size, roughly). But wow, this is some sort of guide and reference. It may not be a guide to take into the field, but it’s definitely one to make room for in your carry-on. The art is wonderful (although some plates seem a little light, or washed out), it shows a great amount of variation, and has tons of information.

Birds of Central America: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rican, and Panama
by Andrew C. Vallely and Dale Dyer
Flexicover; 584 pages
Princeton University Press; October 16, 2018
ISBN: 9780691138022
$49.50

Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)

Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)

The Wall of Birds: One Planet, 243 Families, 375 Million Years
by Jane Kim, with Thayer Walker

From Harper Design:

A celebration of the diversity and evolution of birds, as depicted in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s magnificent 2,500-square-foot Wall of Birds mural by artist Jane Kim.

Part homage, part artistic and sociological journey, The Wall of Birds tells the story of birds’ remarkable 375-million-year evolution. With a foreword by John W. Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and full of lush photographs of gorgeous life-size birds painted in exacting detail, The Wall of Birds lets readers explore these amazing creatures family by family and continent by continent. Throughout, beautifully crafted narratives and intimate artistic reflections tell of the evolutionary forces that created birds’ dazzling variety of forms and colors, and reveal powerful lessons about birds that are surprisingly relevant to contemporary human challenges.

From the tiny five-inch Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird to the monstrous thirty-foot Yutyrannus, The Wall of Birds is a visual feast, essential for bird enthusiasts, naturalists, and art lovers alike.

The Wall of Birds, the work of art, is a huge mural adorning a wall at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It’s breathtaking. Well, I’ve never seen it in person, but the foldout in this book showing the entire wall in all its glory is arresting. (I can’t imagine how amazing the actual wall is.) The Wall of Birds, the book, is part art gallery, showing each of the wall’s birds in close detail, part natural history, and part art critique, with the artist providing insight into the artistic process. It’s a surprising combination, but it works.

The Wall of Birds: One Planet, 243 Families, 375 Million Years
by Jane Kim, with Thayer Walker
Hardcover; 224 pages
Harper Design; October 23, 2018
ISBN: 9780062687869
$45.00

Warblers & Woodpeckers: A Father-Son Big Year of Birding
by Sneed B. Collard III

From Mountaineers Books:

From the killer bee-infested border region of southeast Arizona to the sultry islands of the Galapagos, Warblers & Woodpeckers recounts the quest of a father and his thirteen-year-old son to see as many birds as possible in a single year. With a measured blend of humor, natural history, and adventure, this tale takes readers to great birding hotspots of America and beyond, both to experience their incredible avian wealth and to experience the focused, often eccentric, world of ornithological travel. Along the way, readers share the ups and downs of the relationship between a father and his teenage son.

Writer Sneed Collard and his son Braden set out to establish their own personal Big Year bird species count record. In Warblers & Woodpeckers, Sneed shares the excitement, challenges, perils, and insights that come with crisscrossing the country in search of some of Earth’s most remarkable creatures. It’s a father-and-son tale, in which the adventure is in the journey and the surprising discoveries and encounters with our wondrous feathered friends. Sneed brings a fast-paced yet generous voice to the attempt, and readers of all stripes will appreciate the way backyard birders can create their own Big Year.

I love big year books, I can’t deny it. And if you combine a year of birding, a little humor, and a father-son story? Well, you have me. I haven’t read much of it so far – just two chapters – but it appears that it’s going to keep me.

Warblers & Woodpeckers: A Father-Son Big Year of Birding
by Sneed B. Collard III
Hardcover; 256 pages
Mountaineers Books; August 17, 2018
ISBN: 9781680511369
$24.95

Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)

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(based in the U.K.)

The Ascent of Birds: How Modern Science is Revealing their Story
by John Reilly

From Pelagic Publishing:

When and where did the ancestors of modern birds evolve? What enabled them to survive the meteoric impact that wiped out the dinosaurs? How did these early birds spread across the globe and give rise to the 10,600-plus species we recognise today ― from the largest ratites to the smallest hummingbirds? Based on the latest scientific discoveries and enriched by personal observations, The Ascent of Birds sets out to answer these fundamental questions.

The Ascent of Birds is divided into self-contained chapters, or stories, that collectively encompass the evolution of modern birds from their origins in Gondwana, over 100 million years ago, to the present day. The stories are arranged in chronological order, from tinamous to tanagers, and describe the many dispersal and speciation events that underpin the world’s 10,600-plus species. Although each chapter is spearheaded by a named bird and focuses on a specific evolutionary mechanism, the narrative will often explore the relevance of such events and processes to evolution in general.

Ok, I’m a little behind, so this book isn’t exactly new anymore. But it’s certainly worth calling attention to. The book’s subtitle is revealing: this is a story, not some dry textbook. Anyone interested in birds will learn a great deal…and greatly enjoy this book. I have a strong feeling this will make my list of favorite books of 2018.

The Ascent of Birds: How Modern Science is Revealing their Story
by John Reilly
Hardcover; 363 pages
Pelagic Publishing; April, 2018
ISBN: 9781784271695
$33.99

Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)

Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)

A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich
by Bernd Heinrich

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:

From one of the finest scientist/writers of our time comes an engaging record of a life spent in close observation of the natural world, one that has yielded “marvelous, mind-altering” (Los Angeles Times) insight and discoveries. In essays that span several decades, Heinrich finds himself at home in Maine, where he plays host to visitors from Europe (the cluster flies) and more welcome guests from Asia (ladybugs); and as far away as Botswana, where he unravels the far-reaching ecological consequences of elephants’ bruising treatment of mopane trees. The many fascinating discoveries in Naturalist at Large include the maple sap harvesting habits of red squirrels, and the “instant” flower-opening in the yellow iris as a way of ensuring potent pollination. Heinrich turns to his great love, the ravens, some of them close companions for years, as he designs a unique experiment to tease out the fascinating parameters of raven intelligence. Finally, he asks “Where does a biologist find hope?” while delivering an answer that informs and inspires.

These 35 essays have been selected from among the many that this prolific writer has produced for magazines, most notably Natural History. If you’re not familiar with the educational, inspiring, and, most of all, incredibly charming writing of Heinrich, this collection would make a fabulous introduction. And if you are, then you already know what kind of treat is in store.

A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich
by Bernd Heinrich
Hardcover; 304 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; May 8, 2018
ISBN: 9780544986831
$26.00

Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)

Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)

Birds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide
Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide
by Brian K. Wheeler

From Princeton University Press:

Birds of Prey of the East and its companion volume, Birds of Prey of the West, are the most comprehensive and authoritative field guides to North American birds of prey ever published. Written and lavishly illustrated with stunning, lifelike paintings by leading field-guide illustrator, photographer, and author Brian Wheeler, the guides depict an enormous range of variations of age, sex, color, and plumage, and feature a significant amount of plumage data that has never been published before. The painted figures illustrate plumage and species comparisons in a classic field-guide layout. Each species is shown in the same posture and from the same viewpoint, which further assists comparisons. Facing-page text includes quick-reference identification points and brief natural history accounts that incorporate the latest information. The range maps are exceptionally accurate and much larger than those in other guides. They plot the most up-to-date distribution information for each species and include the location of cities for more accurate reference. Finally, the guides feature color habitat photographs next to the maps. The result sets a new standard for guides to North America’s birds of prey.

• Lavishly illustrated with stunning, lifelike paintings
• Written and illustrated by a leading authority on North American birds of prey
• Depicts more plumages than any other guide
• Concise facing-page text includes quick-reference identification points
• Classic field-guide layout makes comparing species easy
• Large, accurate range maps include up-to-date distribution information
• Unique color habitat photographs next to the maps

Wheeler’s first pair of raptor guides were published “way back” in 2003. They remained the most comprehensive visual reference to these birds until now. Wheeler’s new guides contain many of the same features, but also have some fundamental differences: they use paintings instead of photographs; and they are smaller, which means less text but better portability. This pair provides the most comprehensive identification reference to North American raptors currently available.

Birds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide & Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide
by Brian K. Wheeler
Flexibound; 296 (east) / 360 (west) pages
Princeton University Press; June 19, 2012
ISBN: 9780691117065 (east) / 9780691117188 (west)
$27.95 each

Buy from Buteo Books
(based in the U.S.)

Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)

Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)

Seymaz
by Jonathan Guillot

From Jonathan Guillot Photography:

The Seymaz river has its source in Rouelbeau and, crossing seven towns, flows into the Arve fifteen kilometers further. It is the only river to have its course entirely in the Canton of Geneva. The Seymaz passes at the end of my garden. Every day I am captivated by its singular beauty. No need to go to the end of the world to see natural wonders. Everything is already there.

If we run along the Seymaz, eyes on the ground, we will not see much, it’s true, probably believing that nothing happens. Sit by its side for an hour or two, and a whole new world is revealed to you. You just need to look. Just open your eyes and give yourself time to start seeing.

This photography book celebrates the birds of a little Swiss river called Seymaz. Honestly, I had never heard of this river, but just check out these photographs (that White-throated Dipper is exquisite)!!

Seymaz
by Jonathan Guillot
Paperback; 144 pages
Simon Graphic; June, 2018
49 CHF

The Guide to Walden Pond: An Exploration of the History, Nature, Landscape, and Literature of One of America’s Most Iconic Places
by Robert M. Thorson

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:

This is the first guidebook to Henry David Thoreau’s most defining place, visited by half a million people each year and widely known as the fountainhead of America’s environmental consciousness.

Using this guide, both armchair readers and trail-walkers alike can amble around the pond’s shoreline, pausing at fifteen special places to learn about people, historic events, and the natural world. Thoreau will be a constant companion via quotes from Walden. Stop by stop, the place of his book will merge with the book of his place.

Abundantly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps, this guide is a must-have for a meaningful, engaging tour of Walden Pond as well as a souvenir of a visit.

We’ve all heard of it. Many have read about it. Who among us wouldn’t want to visit Walden Pond? Even so, I must admit that it probably wouldn’t have made my list of sites to see in my next visit to New England. Until, that is, this book. It will help the visitor with logistics, of course, but more than that will explain the history – both natural and literary – and significance of the site.

The Guide to Walden Pond: An Exploration of the History, Nature, Landscape, and Literature of One of America’s Most Iconic Places
by Robert M. Thorson
Paperback; 272 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; March 13, 2018
ISBN: 9781328969217
$16.99

BirdNote: Chirps, Quirks, and Stories of 100 Birds from the Popular Public Radio Show
by BirdNote; edited by Ellen Blackstone

From Sasquatch Books:

Here are the best stories about our avian friends from the public radio show BirdNote, each brief essay illuminating the life, habits, or songs of a particular bird. Why do geese fly in a V-formation? Why are worms so good for you–if you’re a robin? Which bird calls, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” From wrens that nest in cactuses to gulls that have a strange red dot on their bills–these digestible and fascinating bird stories are a delightful window to the winged world. A foreword by John W. Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and an introduction by Gordon Orians, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Washington, are also included.

BirdNote is a program available on public radio or as a podcast. Each episode is short – two minutes long – and delightfully educational. One hundred of these episodes have been collected into this small, nicely bound volume. You lose the bird sounds that accompany the audio programs, but you gain a large, attractive illustration of a bird with every story here. They may be short, but each entry is packed with interesting stuff. Well-read birders likely know most of it, but for everyone else this would make a great introduction to the world of birds.

BirdNote: Chirps, Quirks, and Stories of 100 Birds from the Popular Public Radio Show
by BirdNote; edited by Ellen Blackstone
Hardcover; 224 pages
Sasquatch Books; March 20, 2018
ISBN: 9781632171696
$22.95