Books-Birds
Category archives for Books-Birds
Three Academic Books on Bird Migration
Posted by Greg Laden on May 22, 2011 These are the kinds of books you get if you are either a scientists studying bird migration and related issues, or a very serious bird geek. The first two can be obtained at very low prices used, but the third will set you back at least 50 bucks US$ if you want a used copy.…
On the Wing: American Birds in Migration
Posted by Greg Laden on May 21, 2011 On the Wing: American Birds in Migration is a children’s book suitable for up to Middle School or thereabouts. Remarkably, this ten year old volume is actually fairly accurate and comprehensible, covering most of the major aspects of bird migration, discussion ecological patterns, mechanisms, and methods used to study the phenomenon. It is written and…
Bring your birding to the next level
Posted by Greg Laden on April 20, 2011 Description and identification of birds, or anything else, can be done in a rote manner with straightforward reference to details. If information about enough details is available, the identification will be accurate. But as humans we hardly ever do that sort of thing. If you ask someone to describe a car they saw recently, they…
How To Identify Hawks at a Distance (and a recommendation on binoculars)
Posted by Greg Laden on March 23, 2011 Imma let you hear all about how Hawks at a Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors is a remarkable and important field guide, but first I want to mention that one of the most interesting parts of that guide is the forward by Pete Dunne, who himself has written a bird book or two. Dunne reviews…
Your next bird book: The Crossley ID Guide (Eastern Birds)
Posted by Greg Laden on March 11, 2011 Three days ago I happen to glance out the front window of our townhouse and found myself staring at a bald eagle swooping by, presumably after picking up one of the neighborhood dogs or small children1 A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, no one was there but a package…
Galapagos Diary
Posted by Greg Laden on September 25, 2010 Galapagos Diary: A Complete Guide to the Archipelgo’s Birdlife … Continuing in our look at bird books to consider, I wanted to bring in the Galapagos Diary. I cannot tell you which is the best book for birding in the Galapagos, because, sadly, I’ve never done that myself. But my daughter, Julia, has, and she…
The Young Birder’s Guide: A Bird Book for the Middle Schooler
Posted by Greg Laden on September 21, 2010 Bill Thompson’s Young Birder’s Guide The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Peterson Field Guides) is a book that I highly recommend for kids around seven to 14 years of age. (The publishers suggest a narrower age range but I respectfully disagree.) This is a new offering written by Bill Thompson III…
What bird field guides do you really need?
Posted by Greg Laden on July 23, 2010 There are several characteristics that make up a field guide. It should be “pocket size” (and birders have huge pockets, so this may not be as much of a restriction as it sounds). It should cover the geographical region in which you are watching the birds, although in some remote areas of the world you…
How Birds Fly (book review)
Posted by Greg Laden on June 28, 2009 previously reviewed Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines is a book by Caroline Arnold and illustrated by Patricia Wynne for, I’d say, Pre-Elementary School kids and first/second grade. This is a good book to read to a pre-literate kid. Then put it away for later when the first grade academic report on birds is due ……
What makes for a good bird?
Posted by Greg Laden on May 7, 2009 As I write this, I am preparing for a trip up north. As we drive north we will follow the ecotone between the prairies and the deciduous woodlands, then track the ecotone between the prairies and the coniferous woodlands. Then we will make a turn and drive into the coniferous zone, cross the Mississippi, and…
Bird and Mammal Field Guides for Africa
Posted by Greg Laden on April 29, 2009 As long as we are on the subject (this week) of field guides, I thought I’d go ahead and suggest what guides you might take if you happen to be planning a trip to Central, East or southern Africa1 But since we are doing Africa, we need to do mammals as well as birds. But…
The basic North American bird book
Posted by Greg Laden on April 27, 2009 You’ll notice that I’m reviewing bird books. (Don’t worry, not all will be US based.) Please feel free to chime in with your suggestions and comments. The ultimate bird book for North America has always been two books: both Peterson’s field guides, one for the East, one for the West. Now, the new Peterson Field…
A New Field Guide to the Birds from The Smithsonian
Posted by Greg Laden on April 25, 2009 OK, not so new, but still relevant. The following is a repost of a review of this book. New Smithsonian Field Guide Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Ted Floyd is a newcomer to the bird field guide scene. This guide offers a new combination of features that may make it…
Rare Birds Yearbook 2008
Posted by Greg Laden on February 28, 2008 Rare Birds Yearbook 2008: The World’s 189 Most Threatened Birds is, according to BirdLife International, proving to be a great success. Last year’s Rare Birds Yearbook photo competition was a huge success with more than 1,000 images being submitted and the best were presented in Rare Birds Yearbook 2008, with each published photographer receiving a…
, which is now available for the 
