by Caren Loebel-Fried
Dance and soar with albatross in this stunning, inspirational, and educational book.
by Caren Loebel-Fried
Dance and soar with albatross in this stunning, inspirational, and educational book.
December 22, 2017
National Geographic recently published a new edition of their popular bird field guide. As always, this new edition incorporates new species (1,023, up from 990) and the latest taxonomic updates (as of 2016), but also has a range of other changes and improvements. Most of these are new, replacement illustrations. In this case, new is improved – these are all definite improvements. The maps have also been extensively updated, with 50+ new range maps (vagrants, i.e. Smew), 16 new subspecies maps, and “hundreds” of updated maps. I’ll offer my thoughts on all of this in my full review. But in the meantime, here are all of the changes to the plates, as best I could tell, whether they be new species, new or replacement illustrations, or changes to the annotated notes.
The Birder’s Guide to Africa
by Michael Mills
From Go-Away-Birding:
The first comprehensive summary of bird watching in the African region, featuring:
- An Introduction with an analytical overview of birding in the region, including heat maps to illustrate the birding potential of territories within the region.
- Country Accounts for all 68 territories that comprise the region, detailing information on birds and birding (including lists of key species), travel and literature.
- Family Accounts for all 142 bird families recorded from the region, with photographs.
- Species Accounts for all 2,792 bird species, including information on where to best see them.
Are you planning to travel to Africa, or considering doing so? And if so, have you never been to Africa, or have only been to one or two times? If you ansered yes to both of these questions, then you absolutely need this book. It will help you determine where on the continent you should go, based on a number of criteria. And it will help familiarize you with the types of birds you will see there, which is nice because Africa has a multitude of unique families.
The Birder’s Guide to Africa
by Michael Mills
Paperback; 544 pages
Go-Away-Birding; August, 2017
ISBN: 9780620717250
$45.00
My impression of 2017, in regard to bird books, was that it was a good, but not great, year. But when I took time to think of the books that I wanted to highlight here, I found myself going “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one…” more than I would care to admit. In the end, 2017 did see the publication of some great and potentially highly influential books. Here are a few of them…
But first, I need to say that this is not really a true “best of” list. I haven’t seen, much less read, all the bird books of 2017. It’s more like my favorite books of the year, or those that I consider the most important or influential. If I didn’t include your favorite(s), I would love to hear about it in the comments.
Without further ado, here are my top 6 Bird Books of 2017, in roughly ascending order:
The National Geographic guide is, along with The Sibley Guide, one of the two best field guides to North American birds. One of the best things about it is that the publisher updates it much more frequently than any other guide. Now in its 7th edition, it follows the pattern of a continuous improvement in the guide. The improvement in this edition is more of a small step, not a giant leap. It includes more species, an updated taxonomy (through 2016), and updates to maps and illustrations. It is the best edition yet, which merits inclusion here. But it is not such a radical improvement that users of the 6th edition should feel compelled to upgrade.
The Crossley ID Guides are, in my opinion, some of the best tools available to learn birds. And this new one, covering the ducks, geese, and swans of North America, is no exception. Crossley’s signature plates lend themselves well to this group, and this guide takes full advantage of that by including nearly 300 pages of them. And there’s plenty more here than “just” pictures, including a strong conservation message.
A field guide with pictures…of sounds. I’m still not sure about this guide’s usefulness in learning bird sounds, the way one can study a traditional field guide to learn what birds look like before going into the field. I still need to spend some more time with it. But I am fully convinced of its value as a reference to identify recorded sounds – and if you become proficient enough, vocalizations that you may have heard, but not recorded. Regardless, Pieplow’s innovative book is pushing the boundaries of field guides, and that is reason enough to include it on this list.
This is a beautifully illustrated field guide, but that’s not why it’s here. I want to highlight this guide for three reasons:
1. It’s size. This is a big book, in between the Sibley and Crossley Guides in size. It has no pretense of being usable in the field, so it can devote more space to more and larger illustrations and additional text.
2. It’s style. The authors have confessed to looking at “the best field guides in the world” when designing their guide. The Collins Guide (aka Birds of Europe) is widely acknowledged as the world’s best field guide, and it appears The Australian Bird Guide authors are in agreement with that sentiment, as their guide bears more than a passing resemblance to Collins.
3. It’s organization. It eschews the traditional taxonomic species sequence in favor of a more “pragmatic” one. Their system, which they describe in detail in the introduction, works better in a field guide, in my opinion. If you need help finding a bird, multiple types of indices are provided. A drawback of this scheme is that evolutionary relationships can be obscured, so the authors have thoughtfully included an entire section on the evolution and classification of Australian birds.
For these, and many other, reasons, The Australian Bird Guide joins the ranks of the world’s best field guides.
I love a good birding tale, and this is a really good birding tale. In 2015, Noah Strycker traveled around the world – to all seven continents, without any breaks – with a goal of seeing 5,000+ birds. While the story is great, the writing is even better. This is a fun read, and you may even learn a thing or two.
This book has it all, making it an easy pick as my favorite book of the year: stunning photography; lively, informative text; and a strong, timely conservation message. Sage-grouse are awesome birds, as this book demonstrates. But, sadly, they are in trouble. I share with the authors the hope that those who see this book will be moved to do what they can to help this bird and the sagebrush country in which they live.
Sage Grouse: Icon of the West
by Noppadol Paothong and Kathy Love
From Laguna Wilderness Press:
With up-close and captivating images that have never been documented before, Sage Grouse: Icon of the West introduces this unique and remarkable species and the land they depend upon. It also hopes to deepen the discussion about conservation efforts for the sage-grouse so that our next generation, too, can marvel at their beauty and grace.
This book is large (11.25″ square) and filled with breathtaking photographs, making it a quintecential coffee-table book. But if you can take your eyes off the photos to read it, you will learn much about these birds and the great “sagebrush sea”. If you are at all interested in these birds, this region, conservation, or beautiful bird books, then I highly recommend this one to you.
Sage Grouse: Icon of the West
by Noppadol Paothong and Kathy Love
Hardcover; 180 pages
Laguna Wilderness Press; October, 2017
ISBN: 9780984000739
$45.00
App that will help you identify bird sounds.
Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds, a new book from Bernd Brunner, introduces the reader to many individuals that have succumbed to ‘birdmania’. And here’s your chance to meet them.
Enter here for a chance to win a free copy:
a Rafflecopter giveawayThanks to Greystone Books for supplying the prize!
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Fine print:
Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds
by Bernd Brunner
From Greystone Books:
There is no denying that many people are crazy for birds. Packed with intriguing facts and exquisite and rare artwork, Birdmania showcases an eclectic and fascinating selection of bird devotees who would do anything for their feathered friends.
In addition to well-known enthusiasts such as Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and Helen Macdonald, Brunner introduces readers to Karl Russ, the pioneer of “bird rooms”, who had difficulty renting lodgings when landlords realized who he was; George Lupton, a wealthy Yorkshire lawyer, who commissioned the theft of uniquely patterned eggs every year for twenty years from the same unfortunate female guillemot who never had a chance to raise a chick; George Archibald, who performed mating dances for an endangered whooping crane called Tex to encourage her to lay; and Mervyn Shorthouse, who posed as a wheelchair-bound invalid to steal an estimated ten thousand eggs from the Natural History Museum in Tring.
As this book illustrates, people who love birds, whether they are amateurs or professionals, are as captivating and varied as the birds that give flight to their dreams.
A wide-ranging look at some fascinating people – from Aristotle to con-men to Kenn Kaufman – who have succumbed to birdmania.
Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds
by Bernd Brunner
Hardcover; 228 pages
Greystone Books; October 24, 2017
ISBN: 9781771642774
$29.95
October 13, 2017
Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
by Noah Strycker
From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:
Traveling to 41 countries in 2015 with a backpack and binoculars, Noah Strycker became the first person to see more than half the world’s 10,000 species of birds in one year.
In 2015, Noah Strycker set himself a lofty goal: to become the first person to see half the world’s birds in one year. For 365 days, with a backpack, binoculars, and a series of one-way tickets, he traveled across forty-one countries and all seven continents, eventually spotting 6,042 species—by far the biggest birding year on record.
This is no travelogue or glorified checklist. Noah ventures deep into a world of blood-sucking leeches, chronic sleep deprivation, airline snafus, breakdowns, mudslides, floods, war zones, ecologic devastation, conservation triumphs, common and iconic species, and scores of passionate bird lovers around the globe. By pursuing the freest creatures on the planet, Noah gains a unique perspective on the world they share with us—and offers a hopeful message that even as many birds face an uncertain future, more people than ever are working to protect them.
Over 5,000 birds in one year – sounds fun! And thankfully for us, Strycker’s story is also a fun read.
Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
by Noah Strycker
Hardcover; 336 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; October 10, 2017
ISBN: 9780544558144
$27.00
October 11, 2017
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition
by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer
From National Geographic:
This fully revised edition of the best-selling North American bird field guide is the most up-to-date guide on the market. Perfect for beginning to advanced birders, it is the only book organized to match the latest American Ornithological Society taxonomy.
With more than 2.75 million copies in print, this perennial bestseller is the most frequently updated of all North American bird field guides. Filled with hand-painted illustrations from top nature artists (including the ever-popular hummingbird), this latest edition is poised to become an instant must-have for every serious birder in the United States and Canada. The 7th edition includes 37 new species for a total of 1,023 species; 16 new pages allow for 250 fresh illustrations; 80 new maps; and 350 map revisions. With taxonomy revised to reflect the radical new American Ornithological Society taxonomy established in 2016, the addition of standardized banding codes, and text completely vetted by birding experts, this new edition will top of the list of birding field guides for years to come.
Wow, has it really been six years since the 6th edition? Well, this venerable field guide is back with a new edition. More birds, new illustrations, new maps, and, of course, an ever-new taxonomy. I’ll be posting a detailed look at the changes soon.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition
by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer
Flexicover; 592 pages
National Geographic; September 12, 2017
ISBN: 9781426218354
$29.99