News

One of my favorite things to do is to look ahead at the bird books set to be published soon (I lead such an exciting life!). 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for them. Check out April 12, in particular (in addition to the three highlighted titles, two others – The Genius of Birds and Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage – are also set to be published that day). Has there ever been a single date with that many fantastic-looking books set to be published?

• American Birding Association State Field Guides
  by various
  Scott & Nix

  The excellent ABA state field guide series continues in 2016 with Arizona, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, New York, and probably more.

• Bird Droppings: Writings About Watching Birds and Bird Watchers
  by Pete Dunne
  January 15, 2016; Stackpole Books

  Finally! It’s been way too long since a Pete Dunne anthology has been published.

• Waterfowl of North America, Europe and Asia: An Identification Guide
  by Sébastien Reeber
  March 1, 2016; Princeton University Press

  This should be the same as the Helm Guide published in 2015 (but with a less attractive cover, in my opinion). If all the reviews of that edition are correct, this will be the definitive ID guide for these birds.

• Sibley Birds East (Second Edition)
  Sibley Birds West (Second Edition)
  by David Allen Sibley
  March 29, 2016; Knopf

  We’ve been anticipating these since the second edition of the “Big” Sibley was published in 2014. And for anyone who’s worried about the colors, the publisher reassures us:

  All illustrations, including new and revised illustrations of species and regional forms, are taken from the rescanned and meticulously color-corrected second printing of the second edition of the Sibley Guide.

• Birds in Trouble
  by Lynn E. Barber
  April 8, 2016; Texas A&M University Press

  Barber highlights, with words and art, birds that are, well, in trouble. Anything that raises awareness of the perils facing birds is a good thing.

• Baby Birds: An Artist Looks into the Nest
  by Julie Zickefoose
  April 12, 2016; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  Zickefoose’s books are an absolute delight to both read and look at. Her previous articles and chapters dealing with baby birds are endearing, yet educational (not to mention cute as hell).

• One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives
  by Bernd Heinrich
  April 12, 2016; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  It’s Bernd Heinrich writing about birds. ‘Nuff said.

• The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird’s Egg
  by Tim Birkhead
  April 12, 2016; Bloomsbury

  Birkhead has a knack for taking technical topics that have the potential to be, dare I say, boring, and making them compelling. I have no doubt that this will be the case here.

• Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America
  by Stephen A. Shunk
  May 10, 2016; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  Like the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean (one of the best books of 2015), this is a guide to the natural history of these birds. Expect lots of excellent photos and interesting information on each of North America’s 23 woodpecker species.

• Listening to a Continent Sing: Birdsong by Bicycle from the Atlantic to the Pacific
  by Donald Kroodsma
  May 10, 2016; Princeton University Press

  Kroodsma’s previous books about birdsong – The Singing Life of Birds and Birdsong by the Seasons – are excellent (the former, especially, is a must-read for anyone interested in the subject), so I’m looking forward to another one.

• Lost Among the Birds: Accidentally Finding Myself in One Very Big Year
  by Neil Hayward
  May 17, 2016; Bloomsbury

  When Neil Hayward broke the ABA-area big year record, you knew it was only a matter of time until a book was written about it. But I’m not complaining – I love such books!

• Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil: The Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil, Including São Paulo and Rio De Janeiro
  by Robert S. Ridgely, John A. Gwynne, Guy Tudor, and Martha Argel
  June 14, 2016; Page Street Publishing

  The first guide in this series – Birds of Brazil: The Pantanal and Cerrado of Central Brazil – was published over five years ago, so I was beginning to think the line might have ended prematurely. Glad to see that I was wrong; this series has a great concept.

• Birds of Western Ecuador: A Photographic Guide
  by Nick Athanas and Paul J. Greenfield
  June 28, 2016; Princeton University Press

  Nice to see the neotropics get some photographic guides.

Prolonging Revenge Through Reincarnation: The Paintings of The Mincing Mockingbird Volume III
by Matt Adrian (aka The Mincing Mockingbird)

From The Mincing Mockingbird:

Birds. They’re ubiquitous. Colorful. Expressive. As human beings, we tend to project our own characteristics upon these creatures. Artist Matt Adrian has taken this anthropomorphic tendency and exaggerated and expanded it, adorning his lush, minimalist avian portraits with non sequitur titles laced with humor, melancholy and a wicked touch of the absurd. This 160 page collection of Adrian’s artwork features vivid color reproductions of over one hundred bird paintings completed between 2013 and 2015, with subjects ranging from the smallest hummingbirds to the mighty dinosaur-like cassowary. In this beautiful book you will find that Adrian’s refreshingly original combination of art and language is haunting, gorgeous, literate, weird and very, very funny.

If you like The Mincing Mockingbird’s Guide to Troubled Birds (that is, if you like fantastic bird portraits coupled with a depraved sense of humor), you’ll love this collection.

Prolonging Revenge Through Reincarnation: The Paintings of The Mincing Mockingbird Volume III
by Matt Adrian (aka The Mincing Mockingbird)
Hardcover; 160 pages
The Mincing Mockingbird, Inc.; November 12, 2015
ISBN: 9780692503508
$39.99

Better Birding: Tips, Tools, and Concepts for the Field
by George L. Armistead and Brian L. Sullivan

From Princeton University Press:

Better Birding reveals the techniques expert birders use to identify a wide array of bird species in the field–quickly and easily. Featuring hundreds of stunning photos and composite plates throughout, this book simplifies identification by organizing the birds you see into groupings and offering strategies specifically tailored to each group. Skill building focuses not just on traditional elements such as plumage, but also on creating a context around each bird, including habitat, behavior, and taxonomy–parts so integral to every bird’s identity but often glossed over by typical field guides. Critical background information is provided for each group, enabling you to approach bird identification with a wide-angle view, using your eyes, brain, and binoculars more strategically, resulting in a more organized approach to learning birds.

Better Birding puts the thrill of expert bird identification within your reach.

• Reveals the techniques used by expert birders for quick and easy identification
• Simplifies identification with strategies tailored to different groupings of birds
• Features hundreds of photos and composite plates that illustrate the different techniques
• Fosters a wide-angle approach to field birding
• Provides a foundation for building stronger birding skills

The book focuses on 24 groups of birds (loons, tropical terns, accipiters, marsh sparrows, etc), helping birders with some tricky identifications. But this isn’t just about identifying a few species. Throughout, the authors provide a framework for looking at birds that should be of use regardless of when or where you’re birding.

Better Birding: Tips, Tools, and Concepts for the Field
by George L. Armistead and Brian L. Sullivan
Paperback; 360 pages
Princeton University Press; December 8, 2015
ISBN: 9780691129662
$29.95

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

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(based in the U.K.)

Booming from the Mists of Nowhere: The Story of the Greater Prairie-Chicken
by Greg Hoch

From University Of Iowa Press:

For ten months of the year, the prairie-chicken’s drab colors allow it to disappear into the landscape. However, in April and May this grouse is one of the most outrageously flamboyant birds in North America. Competing with each other for the attention of females, males gather before dawn in an explosion of sights and sounds—“booming from the mists of nowhere,” as Aldo Leopold wrote decades ago. There’s nothing else like it, and it is perilously close to being lost. In this book, ecologist Greg Hoch shows that we can ensure that this iconic bird flourishes once again.

Skillfully interweaving lyrical accounts from early settlers, hunters, and pioneer naturalists with recent scientific research on the grouse and its favored grasslands, Hoch reveals that the prairie-chicken played a key role in the American settlement of the Midwest. Many hungry pioneers regularly shot and ate the bird, as well as trapping hundreds of thousands, shipping them eastward by the trainload for coastal suppers. As a result of both hunting and habitat loss, the bird’s numbers plummeted to extinction across 90 percent of its original habitat. Iowa, whose tallgrass prairies formed the very center of the greater prairie-chicken’s range, no longer supports a native population of the bird most symbolic of prairie habitat.

The steep decline in the prairie-chicken population is one of the great tragedies of twentieth-century wildlife management and agricultural practices. However, Hoch gives us reason for optimism. These birds can thrive in agriculturally productive grasslands. Careful grazing, reduced use of pesticides, well-placed wildlife corridors, planned burning, higher plant, animal, and insect diversity: these are the keys. If enough blocks of healthy grasslands are scattered over the midwestern landscape, there will be prairie-chickens—and many of their fellow creatures of the tall grasses. Farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and citizens can reverse the decline of grassland birds and insure that future generations will hear the booming of the prairie-chicken.

This is a small book, but a must-read for anyone interested in this bird and its future.

Booming from the Mists of Nowhere: The Story of the Greater Prairie-Chicken
by Greg Hoch
Paperback; 158 pages
University Of Iowa Press; December 1, 2015
ISBN: 9781609383879
$19.95

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

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(based in the U.K.)

Birds of Botswana
by Peter Hancock and Ingrid Weiersbye

From Princeton University Press:

Here is the ultimate field guide to Botswana’s stunningly diverse birdlife. Covering all 597 species recorded to date, Birds of Botswana features more than 1,200 superb color illustrations, detailed species accounts, seasonality and breeding bars, and a color distribution map for each species. Drawing on the latest regional and national data, the book highlights the best birding areas in Botswana, provides helpful tips on where and when to see key species, and depicts special races and morphs specific to Botswana. This is the first birding guide written by a Botswana-based ornithologist and the only one dedicated specifically to Botswana.

Portable and easy to use, Birds of Botswana is the essential travel companion for anyone visiting this remarkable country.

• Covers all 597 species of birds found in Botswana, including subspecies and color variants specific to Botswana
• Features more than 1,200 color illustrations–with more than one illustration for species where the sexes and ages differ
• Includes detailed species accounts, seasonality and breeding bars, and color distribution maps
• Draws on the latest bird data and the expertise of leading birders in Botswana

I wish I had this when I was in Botswana!

Birds of Botswana
by Peter Hancock and Ingrid Weiersbye
Paperback; 398 pages
Princeton University Press; November 24, 2015
ISBN: 9780691157177
$29.95

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

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(based in the U.K.)

North American Hummingbirds: An Identification Guide
by George C. West

From University of New Mexico Press:

Designed to help birders and banders identify, age, and sex all seventeen species of hummingbirds found in North America, this is the only identification guide devoted entirely to hummingbirds that includes up-close, easy-to-use illustrations. It also provides information on the eight species that have been reported but rarely seen in North America.

On first viewing hummingbirds are often a blur of fast-moving color. However, when they perch and hover they can be observed, and the size, shape, and color; the proportions of the body, bill, throat, and tail; the wing feather pattern; and the birds’ behavior are crucial to accurate identification. The author’s concise descriptions and illustrations pinpoint all these features in clear, jargon-free language. Anyone who loves hummingbirds will welcome the information he provides.

This guide is small, like the birds it covers, but it’s filled with information, photos, and other illustrations. It should prove to be very handy, especially in locations where multiple hummingbird species are possible.

North American Hummingbirds: An Identification Guide
by George C. West
Paperback; 256 pages
University of New Mexico Press; November 15, 2015
ISBN: 9780826337672
$24.95

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

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(based in the U.K.)

Life-size Birds: The Big Book of North American Birds
by Nancy J. Hajeski

From Thunder Bay Press:

John James Audubon would be proud to know that a life-size bird book is alive in the 21st century. You won’t need Sotheby’s auction house to buy this volume, though! Full-size images of beautiful feathered friends offer a detailed look at each North American species, while scaled photographs of larger birds allow you to see the entire animal. Fun facts pepper the pages, and a summary of general information accompanies each avian. Get an up-close, personal look at the world’s masters of flight!

This book is huge, visually striking, and has a great concept. Unfortunately, it also has a number of issues. Still, it has a wow-factor that may get readers, especially younger ones, interested in birds.

Life-size Birds: The Big Book of North American Birds
by Nancy J. Hajeski
Hardcover; 224 pages
Thunder Bay Press; November 10, 2015
ISBN: 9781626864399
$39.95

Birds, Art & Design
by Larry Barth

From Stackpole Books:

Legendary bird carver Larry Barth has created a stunning retrospective of his life’s work, including sculptures from museum exhibits and rarely seen pieces from private collections. This is a must-have book for every bird lover, carver, and anyone who appreciates fine sculptural art.

• 24 finely detailed sculptures in wood shown in up-close photographs
• Includes his early work, the Ward world-class winners, and his most recent pieces
• Barth shares insights on how he conceives, designs, and executes his blue-ribbon masterpieces

You will not believe the images in this book are of carved and painted wood! These sculptures are phenomenal. The artist also shares insight into their production and design. Anyone at all interested in birds and art will love this book.

Birds, Art & Design
by Larry Barth
Hardcover; 232 pages
Stackpole Books; December 1, 2015
ISBN: 9780811713597
$49.95

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

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

Water Babies: The Hidden Lives of Baby Wetland Birds
by William Burt

From Countryman Press:

Never-before-seen photographs of baby birds of the marshlands from a noted birding photographer

Naturalist William Burt is known for seeking out wild places and elusive birds―and none fit the bill quite so well as the creatures featured in this book. This may well be his break out book, featuring the downy young of the wetlands, whose images are full of character and appeal. Most of these birds have never been captured on film until now. From the comic-monster herons to the fuzzy ducklings and stick-legged sandpipers, these tots have personality and spunk. In the wetlands, they come together, drawn by one essential need: for water. These babies then, are birds that get their feet wet; this book is one for bird lovers, naturalists, photographers, and animal lovers.

Baby ducks, grebes, shorebirds, and more – talk about an overload of cuteness! (Except for the baby herons, that is; cute isn’t the word for those “comic monsters”.) As with all of Burt’s previous books, the photos are amazing. But the short, anecdote-heavy accounts are equally great.

Water Babies: The Hidden Lives of Baby Wetland Birds
by William Burt
Hardcover; 208 pages
Countryman Press; October 26, 2015
ISBN: 9781581573053
$29.95

Border Sanctuary: The Conservation Legacy of the Santa Ana Land Grant
by M.J. Morgan

From Texas A&M University Press:

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge lies on the northern bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, about seventy miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. In Border Sanctuary, M.J. Morgan uncovers how 2,000 acres of rare subtropical riparian forest came to be preserved in a region otherwise dramatically altered by human habitation.

The story she tells begins and ends with the efforts of the Rio Grande Valley Nature Club to protect one of the last remaining stopovers for birds migrating north from Central and South America. In between, she reconstructs a two hundred-year human and environmental history of the original “two square leagues” of the Santa Ana land grant and of the Mexican and Tejano families who lived on, worked, and ultimately helped preserve this forest on the river’s edge.

As border issues continue to present serious challenges for Texas and the nation, it is especially important to be reminded of the deep connection between the region’s human and natural history from the long perspective Morgan provides here.

Santa Ana NWR is a magical place. We birders, not to mention the birds, are fortunate to have it. I’m looking forward to reading about how it came to be.

Border Sanctuary: The Conservation Legacy of the Santa Ana Land Grant
by M. J. Morgan
Hardcover; 240 pages
Texas A&M University Press; August 10, 2015
ISBN: 9781623493202
$32.00