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Princeton University Press is looking for some feedback on a birding app they’re working on. Here’s the link to the short survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/92F8D86

The big surprise…it’s an app to identify bird sounds, the mythical Shazam-for-birds.

Facing Extinction: The World’s Rarest Birds and the Race to Save Them: Second Edition
by Paul F. Donald, Nigel J. Collar, Stuart J. Marsden, and Deborah J. Pain

From Christopher Helm (Bloomsbury):

Almost two hundred species of birds have become extinct in the past 400 years, and a similar number today are in imminent danger of following them. The world’s conservationists are leading the fight to prevent the demise of these remaining critically endangered birds, with a fair degree of success. This new book examines the process and issues concerning extinction – how and why it happens and what can be done about it. Whilst man is to blame for many of the causes, such as persecution and habitat loss, species have become extinct on a regular basis since life began. After several thought-provoking introductory chapters, the book showcases about 20 species on the brink of extinction from around the world and describes the work that is being undertaken to save them. Some are success stories, but a few are not. This is a subject close to the hearts of all birders and ornithologists and this book, written by a team of leading conservationists, will strike a chord in most of them.

This book, with many great photos, looks at endangered birds from several perspectives and presents 20 detailed case studies on individual species or groups of birds. This book is relatively expensive here in the U.S., but is worth getting if you want the latest in bird conservation. But for most birders, I’d first recommend The World’s Rarest Birds or, if you want a bunch of not-as-detailed profiles of endangered birds, Atlas of Rare Birds

Facing Extinction: The World’s Rarest Birds and the Race to Save Them: Second Edition
by Paul F. Donald, Nigel J. Collar, Stuart J. Marsden, and Deborah J. Pain
Paperback; 320 pages
Christopher Helm (Bloomsbury); December 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1408189665
$42.95

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

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

Sport Optics: Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, and Rifle Scopes
by Alan R. Hale

From Hale Optics:

Virtually all people have an interest in sport optics products and they should have some basic knowledge about them prior to making a purchase. This book is intended to help consumers make the best decision possible for their needs.

• Intended for consumers who are interested in purchasing sport optics products, for sales and marketing people who sell or support these products, and for those who have an interest in optical products
• The most comprehensive and accurate book on sport optics ever written covering basic optical technology but written in an easy to understand language that is clear and interesting
• The optical knowledge in the book counteracts many optical misconceptions and errors as well as ad slogans and hype

The author has years of experience in this field, so if you want to know more about birding optics, this looks like a great resource.

Sport Optics: Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, and Rifle Scopes
by Alan R. Hale
Paperback; 182 pages
Hale Optics; 2013
ISBN: 9780989791601
$24.95

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

Not many reviews last month. But I can’t say anything, I didn’t do much over the holidays either!

There are many kinds of bird books, from field guides to big year narratives, but at some point you’d think that every possible book about birds will have been written. I don’t know when, or if, that will happen, but one thing is certain: it wasn’t this year. 2013 saw the publication of some books that have brought something new to a familiar category, and others the likes of which have never been seen before.

Here are the four bird books of 2013 that I consider the best.

• The Warbler Guide
  by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle

  Let me get this out of the way – The Warbler Guide is the best identification guide available to these brilliant birds. Each of North America’s warblers is shown in a photo from just about every possible angle, including the all-important butt shot (the undertail and coverts). Vocalizations are given as much attention as the visual aspects, with annotated sonograms included for every type of song and call. An audio companion pack is available from Cornell ($5.99) with every single sound included in the book. If you want to learn warbler vocalizations, this is the best way to do it. What really makes this book so great is that it has something for birders of all skill levels, whether you’re just starting to learn warblers or want to not just identify, but age and sex, every one you see.
  My full review of The Warbler Guide

• Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight
  by Ken Behrens and Cameron Cox

  This new Peterson Reference Guide will let you in on the secrets of seawatching. Covering 111 species from 15 families, it includes most of the birds that you can see migrating along major bodies of water (not just the ocean) in the eastern half of the continent. Note, however, that it would also be of use to anyone in the rest of North America or even Western Europe. This identification guide is extremely well done, but its real beauty is that it opens up an entirely new aspect of birding. It makes seawatching accessible to all birders, just like Hawks in Flight did for hawkwatching.
  My full review of Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight

• Birds and People
  by Mark Cocker

  There have been books before that investigate the cultural significance of birds, but nothing like Birds and People. This book looks at each bird family and details our interaction with them and their influence on us. These accounts are utterly fascinating, dealing with everything from bird-inspired art to birds as food to conservation. You’ll learn about birds, of course, but also discover things about ourselves and why birds are so important to us. And as a nice bonus, this book is also packed with awesome photographs.
  My full review of Birds and People

Any of these could be (or already have been) designated the best bird book of the year. But when it came time for me to choose, the choice was clear. There was one book this year that I found particularly delightful…

The Unfeathered Bird

by Katrina van Grouw

Unique. That is the best word to describe The Unfeathered Bird. This large, coffee table style book is filled with exquisite drawings of birds. But birds without feathers! Most are of just the skeleton, while others illustrate the bird with its skin or musculature visible. And yet they still look alive, as they are posed engaging in natural behavior (i.e. loons swimming as if underwater). Rather than macabre, I find the art beautiful and instructive. And the accompanying text may be even better, as it explains how the bird’s appearance and behavior are determined by what you see in the drawings. This book is fun to both look at and read, and will deepen your appreciation for these amazing creatures.
My full review of The Unfeathered Bird

Yes, 2013 was a good year for bird books, but next year is shaping up to be even better (two words: new Sibley).

Here are the bird book reviews that I found last month.

BirdWatching magazine has posted an interview with David Sibley, which includes a first look at the second edition of the Sibley Guide.

Some highlights:

• The trim size will be the same, but it will have 80 more pages than the last one.
• More species! 98 “non-exotic rare species” and 13 exotic species have been added.
• Updated, more detailed range maps that are zoomed in where appropriate.
• The illustrations are larger, and many have been revised.

My biggest question right now is regarding the family sequencing: will he use the same order as last time (taxonomic), or switch to something like that proposed by Howel, et al.? I would prefer the latter, but I have a feeling that will not be the case. Regardless, the publication date – March 11, 2014 – can’t get here fast enough.