Books for Birders
Book Reviews
The books on this page have been reviewed by Kenneth A. Rohrs, who briefly describes each book. If available, the author's website is provided. Kenn can be contacted at karohrs@charter.net.
Silence of the Songbirds by Bridget Stutchbury - www.yorku.ca/bstutch
In my opinion, the most important book about birds and the environment since Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.
Carson sounded the alarm on the misuse and overuse of pesticides on birds and wildlife. Stutchbury brings us the bad news that songbird populations are rapidly declining. Two main causes are the destruction of their tropical habitat and the despoilment of their breeding grounds in North America. Other factors contributing to the decline in songbird populations are ever-increasing migration interference and disruption, cowbird parasitism, and irresponsible house cat owners, who promote the killing of birds and other animals by deliberately putting their cats outside of their house. Cats kill over 60 million birds each year - more wildlife than any oil spill. This is the premeditated murder of birds.
This, however, is not a gloom and doom book; the extinction of songbirds is not a forgone conclusion. While Stutchbury acknowledges that most of the changes that need to be made must be made through local and international efforts, she also provides us-the people who care about birds--with several things that we can do to help save the birds. Her chapter, "Epilogue: Answering the Cry of the Songbirds" is priceless. Her Table: "How You Can Make a Difference" provides simple, yet very effective things that we, individually, can do to help reduce the decline in our songbird population. A must-read-a very important book.
Letters From Eden: A Year at Home, in the Woods by Julie Zickefoose, www.juliezickefoose.com.
A brilliant book of essays and field sketches and paintings based on her walks around her property in the Appalachian foothills in southeastern Ohio. Beginning with winter, her essays are by season, flowing through the changing landscape of the year. A commentator for NPR's All Things Considered, Julie Zickefoose is one of our finest bird illustrators. Most Recently she provided the songbird illustrations for Bridget Stutchbury's Silence of the Songbirds. Her husband, William H. Thompson, is editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, where Zickefoose serves as a contributing editor.
An absolutely beautiful and charming book, one that you will pick up and read and think about often. Walking with her around her property is a wonderful experience.
Hawks From Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors in Flight by Jerry Liguori, www.hawkwatch.org/home.
This is an essential book for birders and bird photographers featuring 339 color and 32 black and white photographs of 19 species of raptors as we see them in the field-from every angle. Liguori discusses all aspects of raptor identification, including shape, plumage, and flight style behavior. Liguori is a raptor conservation biologist residing in Salt Lake City. Every raptor enthusiast would love to have this superb book. Liguori's approach to identifying raptors will be useful to new as well as experienced birders and photographers.
Keep this book with your field guides-you will find yourself referring to it regularly.
A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Brian K. Wheeler & William S. Clark www.greatblue.com/bkwheeler/bio.html
A complete photographic guide to all 43 species of North American diurnal birds of prey written by well-known experts. This guide includes all species and shows the raptors in every plumage. The authors include 365 photographs, each with an explanatory caption and supporting text. Additional features include discussions of specific problems in practical identification and a Raptor I.D. problem section showing similar species side by side.
As with Liguori's book, keep this one with your filed guides-another helpful resource.The Art of Pishing by Pete Dunne www.birdcapemay.org/main.shtml
According to Dunne "Pishing is an onomatopoeic term applied to a variety of orally produced noises that, in general, mimic the scolding calls of birds." In this book and audio CD Dunne describes how and when to pish-in reality a workshop on how to attract certain birds.
I was not a pisher, but Dunne is teaching me to pish, properly, in all the right places. An enjoyable, and useful book.
Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds by Pete Dunne www.birdcapemay.org/main.shtml
An outstanding reference book for identifying and understanding birds, written by an expert who has a wonderful way with language. This is not your typical dry reference manual, but a fun book chock-full of interesting and useful information.
Dunne's descriptions are memorable. For instance, he describes the Ruddy Duck as "Compact comically proportioned diving duck that looks like it belongs in a bath tub." And the Pygmy Nuthatch, " A diminutive, pale, chatteriferous, hyperactive nuthatch that travels in pack." For each bird, Dunne provides, in addition to unforgettable descriptions, status, behavior, flight and vocalization information.
Keep this book close at hand-it will become your favorite reference for our birds.
Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond by David Gessner www.davidgessner.com
I first encountered Gessner in his terrific book, Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder, a wonderful story of the author's falling in love with the Osprey. Gessner, a long-time Cap Cod resident migrated to Wilmington, North Carolina to accept a teaching position. His migration south sparked his curiosity about Osprey migration-this book is the story of his learning first-hand about the migration of the Osprey. Gessner is a very good writer who knows how to tell a story.
I loved this book-could not put it down. I learned so much about Osprey, their migration, and Hawk Mountain and Cape May.
Last Stand: George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West by Michael Punke www.michaelpunke.com
Popular history at its best-about a very interesting man. George Bird Grinnell, what a great name for the man who launched the Audubon Society and Audubon magazine. Grinnell, the father of American conservation according to his New York Times obituary, devoted his life to saving the buffalo and promoting the conservation of our public lands, especially in the west.
Punke makes a compelling case for Lucy Audubon, widow of John James Audubon, being the most influential person in Grinnell's early life. According to the author, Grandma Audubon, as Grinnell knew her, preached a creed of self-denial that made Grinnell the man he became.
A really well written, informative book
Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding by Scott Weidensaul www.scottweidensaul.com
Weidensaul is a very prolific writer. My favorites of his books include Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul and Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds. This book is every bit as good as those books. It is so well written and informative. The history of birding in this country is unbelievably interesting-so many exceptional personalities. Weidensaul makes birding history extremely interesting-could not put this book down.
I think all birders will fins this a very rewarding book.
Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet by Maria Mudd Ruth www.mariaruthbooks.com
After reading this book, I had to see a Marbled Murrelet. I did! They are such interesting birds-so small riding the water with their pointy face, dark cap, and short tail pointing upward. Ruth a nature writer explores the secret life of the Marbled Murrelet. Ruth examines every aspect of the Marbled Murrelet from its unique nesting preferences to its place in our history.
A great read, full of interesting facts, this is a fun book
The Singing Life of Birds: The Art and Science of Listening to Birdsong by Donald Kroodsma
Described as a "great listener," Kroodsma also is a great writer. His descriptions of bird songs make science enjoyable. With my have a tin ear I have difficulty hearing and identifying bird songs. Kroodsma is giving me hope and is helping me to become a better at listening and learning how to hear individual birds. Included with the book is an accompanying CD to listen to as you read the book. A fun book written by a man who had devoted his life to learning about birds and their songs and calls. We are fortunate because this knowledgeable expert writes so well.