34 Best 「birdwatching」 Books of 2024| Books Explorer

In this article, we will rank the recommended books for birdwatching. The list is compiled and ranked by our own score based on reviews and reputation on the Internet.
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Table of Contents
  1. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America: Second Edition (Sibley Guides)
  2. How to be a Bad Birdwatcher
  3. The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America (Stokes Field Guides)
  4. The Crossley ID Guide: Western Birds
  5. Lost Among the Birds: Accidentally Finding Myself in One Very Big Year
  6. Kaufman Field Guide To Birds Of North America (Kaufman Field Guides)
  7. Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, A Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
  8. Peterson Field Guide To Birds Of Western North America, Fifth Edition (Peterson Field Guides)
  9. The Crossley ID Guide (Crossley Id Guides)
  10. Behind More Binoculars: Interviews With Acclaimed Birdwatchers
Other 24 books
No.1
100

Now completely revised and updated, the authoritative guide to over 700 birds of the American West from renowned birder, illustrator, and New York Times bestselling author David SibleyCompact and comprehensive, this guide features 715 bird species, plus regional populations, found west of the Rocky Mountains. Entries include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 5,046 in total—with descriptive captions pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry also includes the most current information concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features.This improved edition includes:• Updated habitat, description, behavior, and conservation text for each species account and all family pages.• New and revised illustrations of species and regional forms.• New design featuring species accounts in columns, allowing for better comparison and more illustrations and text.• Current taxonomic order and up-to-date common names.• All maps revised to reflect the most current range information.• More species and rarities included.The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America contains more than 652 updated maps drawn from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent, and shows winter, summer, year-round, migration, and rare ranges.

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No.2
100

In this approach to ornithology, self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes gives readers the confidence and motivation to get pleasure from one of the simplest, cheapest hobbies there are - watching birds, without letting birdwatching get in the way.

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No.3
88

Reflecting years of research and observation of North American birds, the Stokes Field Guide includes more species, photos and useful identification information for birdwatchers than any other guide.The guide features 853 North American bird species and more than 3,400 stunning color photographs. And yet it's portable enough to fit in your pocket!The photographs cover all significant plumages, including male, female, summer, winter, immature, morphs, important subspecies, and birds in flight.Also included:The newest scientific and common names and phylogenetic order Special help for identifying birds in flight through important clues of behavior, plumage, and shape Detailed descriptions of songs and calls Important behavioral information Key habitat preferences of each species The newest range maps, detailing species' winter, summer, year-round ranges, and migration routesA special downloadable CD with more than 600 bird sounds (from Lang Elliott and Kevin Colver) and 150 photographs of common North American species.

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No.4
88

A workbook-style book -designed to make you a better birder. Reality Birding -the only guide with lifelike scenes showing birds, habitat, behavior, and how they are all connected. A picture says a thousand words, and practice makes perfect - repetition in a lifelike environment is the key to learning. The premier photo ID resource -the reliable place to ID, age, and sex your photos. Another stunning and revolutionary book from award-winning author and photographer Richard Crossley. Perfect for beginning and intermediate birders, this book challenges traditional field guide design by providing a real-life approach to bird ID, focusing on all aspect of how a species appears, its habitat and behavior, which Crossley perfectly illustrates for every species in the Western US.The Crossley ID Western Birds will vastly improve your ability to identify birds in its innovative approach of how to look at birds to get to know them. Like others in the Crossley ID Guide series, Western Birds features lifelike scenes for each species.These scenes―650 in all―are composed from more than 10,000 of the author's images showing birds in a wide range of views--near and far, from different angles, in various plumages and behaviors, including flight, and in the habitat in which they live. The beautiful compositions show how a bird's appearance changes with distance, and give equal emphasis to characteristics experts use to identify size, shape, behavior, and patterns of color.

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No.5
88

Early in 2013 Neil Hayward was at a crossroads. He didn't want to open a bakery or whatever else executives do when they quit a lucrative but unfulfilling job. He didn't want to think about his failed relationship with "the one" or his potential for ruining a new relationship with "the next one." And he almost certainly didn't want to think about turning forty. And so instead he went birding.Birding was a lifelong passion. It was only among the birds that Neil found a calm that had eluded him in the confusing world of humans. But this time he also found competition. His growing list of species reluctantly catapulted him into a Big Year--a race to find the most birds in one year. His peregrinations across twenty-eight states and six provinces in search of exotic species took him to a hoarfrost-covered forest in Massachusetts to find a Fieldfare; to Lake Havasu, Arizona, to see a rare Nutting's Flycatcher; and to Vancouver for the Red-flanked Bluetail. Neil's Big Year was as unplanned as it was accidental: It was the perfect distraction to life.Neil shocked the birding world by finding 749 species of bird and breaking the long-standing Big Year record. He also surprised himself: During his time among the hummingbirds, tanagers, and boobies, he found a renewed sense of confidence and hope about the world and his place in it.

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No.6
83

Critically acclaimed for its innovative design, the Kaufman guide introduced a new generation to birding. The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America includes the official names of birds and range maps. Additional information helps beginning birdwatchers get started, all in the same compact format that has made this guide the easiest to use for fast identification in the field.

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No.8
83

A new edition of the best-selling field guide with 25 all-new plates covering the birds of Hawaii.For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birdsof Western North America has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Following the Spring 2020 update to Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, this guide will feature updated text and range maps, and art updated to reflect current knowledge in ornithology. Now that the American Birding Association has expanded its species Checklist to include Hawaii, this guide will include 25 all-new plates covering the birds of Hawaii.

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No.9
81

The acclaimed book that has revolutionized birding and field guides"[The Crossley ID Guide] has turned the traditional field guide on its ear."—Wall Street Journal"Deserves to be your essential resource for definitive species identification."—Richmond Times–Dispatch"The perfect book for beginning birders, and even experts will marvel at its thoroughness."—Pittsburgh Post–Gazette"A different kind of ID book, a book much more useful and helpful."—Minneapolis Star TribuneThis stunningly illustrated book from acclaimed birder and photographer Richard Crossley revolutionizes field guide design by providing the first real-life approach to identification. Whether you are a beginner, expert, or anywhere in between, The Crossley ID Guide will vastly improve your ability to identify birds.Unlike other guides, which provide isolated individual photographs or illustrations, this is the first book to feature large, lifelike scenes for each species. These scenes—640 in all—are composed from more than 10,000 of the author's images showing birds in a wide range of views—near and far, from different angles, in various plumages and behaviors, including flight, and in the habitat in which they live. These beautiful compositions show how a bird's appearance changes with distance, and give equal emphasis to characteristics experts use to identify birds: size, structure and shape, behavior, probability, and color. This is the first book to convey all of these features visually—in a single image—and to reinforce them with accurate, concise text. Each scene provides a wealth of detailed visual information that invites and rewards careful study, but the most important identification features can be grasped instantly by anyone.By making identification easier, more accurate, and more fun than ever before, The Crossley ID Guide will completely redefine how its users look at birds. Essential for all birders, it also promises to make new birders of many people who have despaired of using traditional guides.Revolutionary. This book changes field guide design to make you a better birder A picture says a thousand words. The most comprehensive guide: 640 stunning scenes created from 10,000 of the author's photographs Reality birding. Lifelike in-focus scenes show birds in their habitats, from near and far, and in all plumages and behaviors Teaching and reference. The first book to accurately portray all the key identification characteristics: size, shape, behavior, probability, and color Practice makes perfect. An interactive learning experience to sharpen and test field identification skills Bird like the experts. The first book to simplify birding and help you understand how to bird like the best An interactive website—www.crossleybirds.com—includes expanded captions for the plates and species updates

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No.10
81

How and why did our most acclaimed birdwatchers take up birding? What were their early experiences of nature? How have their professional birding careers developed? What motivates them and drives their passion for wildlife? How many birds have they seen?Mark Avery and Keith Betton, passionate birdwatchers and conservationists, interview members of the birdwatching community to answer these and many other questions about the lives of famous birdwatchers. They take you behind the scenes, and behind the binoculars, of a diverse range of birding and wildlife personalities.Behind the Binoculars includes interviews with: Chris Packham, Phil Hollom, Stuart Winter, Lee Evans, Steve Gantlett, Mark Cocker, Ian Wallace, Andy Clements, Mike Clarke, Debbie Pain, Keith Betton, Roger Riddington, Ian Newton, Stephanie Tyler, Mark Avery, Stephen Moss, Alan Davies and Ruth Miller, Rebecca Nason and Robert Gillmor.

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No.12
80

The Urban Birder

Lindo, David
Imm Lifestyle Books

Birding is cool and anyone can do it, even in the heart of the city. That's the message of David Lindo, a.k.a. the Urban Birder. Whether the reader is at home, in the park, traveling to work, or just looking out a window, the opportunities are always there. This inspirational guide to birding in our cities recounts Lindo's personal journey of discovery, and includes entertaining stories of encounters with human as well as avian city dwellers around the world.

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No.13
79

In celebration of the centennial of Roger Tory Peterson s birth comes a historic collaboration among renowned birding experts and artists to preserve and enhance the Peterson legacy. This new book combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds into one volume, filled with accessible, concise information and including almost three hours of video podcasts to make bird watching even easier. 10.00 inches tall x 8.00 inches long x 1.00 inches wide

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No.14
79

Victor Emanuel is widely considered one of America’s leading birders. He has observed more than six thousand species during travels that have taken him to every continent. He founded the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours and one of the most respected ones in ecotourism. Emanuel has received some of birding’s highest honors, including the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association and the Arthur A. Allen Award from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He also started the first birding camps for young people, which he considers one of his greatest achievements.In One More Warbler, Emanuel recalls a lifetime of birding adventures—from his childhood sighting of a male Cardinal that ignited his passion for birds to a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Asia to observe all eight species of cranes of that continent. He tells fascinating stories of meeting his mentors who taught him about birds, nature, and conservation, and later, his close circle of friends—Ted Parker, Peter Matthiessen, George Plimpton, Roger Tory Peterson, and others—who he frequently birded and traveled with around the world. Emanuel writes about the sighting of an Eskimo Curlew, thought to be extinct, on Galveston Island; setting an all-time national record during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count; attempting to see the Imperial Woodpecker in northwestern Mexico; and birding on the far-flung island of Attu on the Aleutian chain. Over the years, Emanuel became a dedicated mentor himself, teaching hundreds of young people the joys and enrichment of birding. “Birds changed my life,” says Emanuel, and his stories make clear how a deep connection to the natural world can change everyone’s life.

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No.15
79

"In The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson elegantly weaves a narrative full of her own delightfully documented encounters with birds in amongst sage guidance on using mindfulness to help readers become deeply aware of the present moment. Following Claire's clearly described exercises has the potential to lead one from mere identification to making deeply insightful observations into the life of birds." – British Trust of OrnithologyThrough personal anecdote and expert insight, Claire Thompson of BirdLife International invites us on a mindful journey through gardens, cities, open country, forests, coasts and mountains to enjoy and learn from the magnificent beauty and diversity of the avian world.Who has never gazed enviously at a bird soaring through the sky? Or delighted in the uplifting tunes of nature’s songsters? Birds can do wonders for our hearts and minds – if we simply pay them attention. With The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson reveals how the practice of mindfulness enriches our birdwatching experiences – and explores how birds are, in turn, the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness.Enjoy the magnificent diversity of colours, songs, flight patterns and behaviours displayed by birds while reaping the benefits of mindfulness: Increased concentration Increased creativity Increased vitality Reduced stress and anxiety Better overall physical and emotional well-being Better sleep Bird flight is a symbol of freedom to soar through life without constraint, and mindfulness similarly enables us to invite freedom and happiness into our own lives.Find even more ways to practice mindfulness with the Mindfulness series: Mindfulness in Sound, Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing, Mindfulness in Knitting, Mindfulness & the Journey of Bereavement, Mindfulness of Work, Art of Mindful Singing, Art of Mindful Crafting, Mindfulness and Compassion, Mindfulness for Black Dogs & Blue Days, Mindfulness for Unraveling Anxiety, Practice of Mindful Yoga, The Mindful Man, Mindfulness and the Natural World and more.

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No.16
79

The Warbler Guide

Stephenson, Tom
Princeton Univ Pr

A field guide that revolutionizes warbler identificationWarblers are among the most challenging birds to identify. They exhibit an array of seasonal plumages and have distinctive yet oft-confused calls and songs. The Warbler Guide enables you to quickly identify any of the 56 species of warblers in the United States and Canada. This groundbreaking guide features more than 1,000 stunning color photos, extensive species accounts with multiple viewing angles, and an entirely new system of vocalization analysis that helps you distinguish songs and calls.The Warbler Guide revolutionizes birdwatching, making warbler identification easier than ever before. For more information, please see the author videos on the Princeton University Press website.Covers all 56 species of warblers in the United States and Canada Visual quick finders help you identify warblers from any angle Song and call finders make identification easy using a few simple questions Uses sonograms to teach a new system of song identification that makes it easier to understand and hear differences between similar species Detailed species accounts show multiple views with diagnostic points, direct comparisons of plumage and vocalizations with similar species, and complete aging and sexing descriptions New aids to identification include song mnemonics and icons for undertail pattern, color impression, habitat, and behavior Includes field exercises, flight shots, general identification strategies, and quizzes More information is available at www.TheWarblerGuide.com

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No.17
78

'Bird-watchers are tense, competitive, selfish, shifty, dishonest, distrusting, boorish, pedantic, unsentimental, arrogant and – above all – envious'. So says Bill Oddie, and he should know!It's a tough environment out there on marsh and moorland, and this scurrilous little classic is a must for all devoted birders and twitchers (and as Bill relates, there is a mighty difference!). With years of hard-earned experience, Bill dares to say all the things that other b's and t's will recognize as true but which they have never dared to own up or admit to, even to themselves. Whether discussing the birds he's seen, the birds that got away, equipment, apparel, sightings, cock-ups, places to visit or people to avoid, Bill's enthusiasm is infectious, and his knowledge unsurpassed.This little black book is one item that no serious birdwatcher can afford to leave out of the rucksack, and it will prove an essential companion when trudging the estuaries and riverbanks, in torrential rain and gusty gale in search of that elusive rare beauty.

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No.18
78

This companion volume to the previous, widely acclaimed Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada takes sparrow identification one step further. The authors have gathered a stunning selection of over 350 photographs as a basis for the identification of all 64 taxa of emberizine sparrows found in the region. Never before has such a comprehensive collection of sparrow photos been presented together in a single guide.The supporting text gives detailed information on the identification of species, sexes, ages, races, and forms of all the sparrows, towhees, juncos, buntings and longspurs, grassquits and seedeaters, as well as information on their distribution, habits, habitats, molt, and voice. Particular attention is paid to the geographic variation found in many species and to comparisons with similar and confusing species. The conservation status of those that are threatened is also given due attention.The photographs include contributions from many of America's finest bird photographers, and many were taken especially for this book. All fine portraits in themselves, they have been chosen specifically to illustrate the identification pointers described in the text. Each is captioned with full details of the photographer and the place and time at which the photo was taken. Also included are line drawings of identification details such as wing and tail feathers and beaks, as well as distribution maps.Key Features?Features 350 high quality photographs of each species, subspecies, and racial form identifiable in the fieldIncludes line drawings of identification details such as wing and tail feathers, beaks, etc.Contains distribution maps for each species

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No.19
78

Running-Sky-The-Birds-and-the-Bees

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No.20
78

Among the world's most popular birds, hawks can be some of the most difficult birds to identify. They're most often seen flying high above and at a distance.In the first edition of Hawks in Flight, Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton presented a holistic method of hawk identification, using general body shape, the way they move, and the places they are most likely to be seen.The new edition of the book that Roger Tory Peterson called a "landmark" integrates an array of carefully selected photographs, David Sibley's superb illustrations, and a clear, information-packed text and takes raptor identification to a higher level. This edition covers all of the raptors that breed in North America, including those with limited ranges in Florida, the Southwest, and Texas.Picking up where its predecessor ended by including two decades of raptor identification refinement, Hawks in Flight summarizes and places in users’ hands an identification skill set that used to take years to master. The unique alchemy of Dunne, Sibley, and Sutton—including their collective experience of more than one hundred years watching hawks—make this book a singular achievement and a must-have for anyone interested in hawks.

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No.21
78

One night Mark Cocker followed the roiling, deafening flock of rooks and jackdaws which regularly passed over his Norfolk home on their way to roost in the Yare valley. From the moment he watched the multitudes blossom as a mysterious dark flower above the night woods, these gloriously commonplace birds were unsheathed entirely from their ordinariness. They became for Cocker a fixation and a way of life. Cocker goes in search of them, journeying from the cavernous, deadened heartland of South England to the hills of Dumfriesshire, experiencing spectacular failures alongside magical successes and epiphanies. Step by step he uncovers the complexities of the birds' inner lives, the unforeseen richness hidden in the raucous crow song he calls 'our landscape made audible'. Crow Country is a prose poem in a long tradition of English pastoral writing. It is also a reminder that 'Crow Country' is not 'ours': it is a landscape which we cohabit with thousands of other species, and these richly complex fellowships cannot be valued too highly.

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No.22
78

Identifying hawks in flight is a tricky business. Across North America, tens of thousands of people gather every spring and fall at more than one thousand known hawk migration sites--from New Jersey's Cape May to California's Golden Gate. Yet, as many discover, a standard field guide, with its emphasis on plumage, is often of little help in identifying those raptors soaring, gliding, or flapping far, far away.Hawks from Every Angle takes hawk identification to new heights. It offers a fresh approach that literally looks at the birds from every angle, compares and contrasts deceptively similar species, and provides the pictures (and words) needed for identification in the field. Jerry Liguori pinpoints innovative, field-tested identification traits for each species from the various angles that they are seen.Featuring 339 striking color photos on 68 color plates and 32 black & white photos, Hawks from Every Angle is unique in presenting a host of meticulously crafted pictures for each of the 19 species it covers in detail--the species most common to migration sites throughout the United States and Canada. All aspects of raptor identification are discussed, including plumage, shape, and flight style traits.For all birders who follow hawk migration and have found themselves wondering if the raptor in the sky matches the one in the guide, Hawks from Every Angle--distilling an expert's years of experience for the first time into a comprehensive array of truly useful photos and other pointers for each species--is quite simply a must.Key Features?The essential new approach to identifying hawks in flight Innovative, accurate, and field-tested identification traits for each species 339 color photos on 68 color plates, 32 black & white photos Compares and contrasts species easily confused with one another, and provides the pictures (and words) needed for identification in the field Covers in detail 19 species common to migration sites throughout the North America Discusses light conditions, how molt can alter the shape of a bird, aberrant plumages, and migration seasons and sites User-friendly format

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No.23
77

How and why did our most acclaimed birdwatchers take up birding? What were their early experiences of nature? How have their professional birding careers developed? What motivates them and drives their passion for wildlife? How many birds have they seen?Mark Avery and Keith Betton, passionate birdwatchers and conservationists, interview members of the birdwatching community to answer these and many other questions about the lives of famous birdwatchers. They take you behind the scenes, and behind the binoculars, of a diverse range of birding and wildlife personalities.Behind the Binoculars includes interviews with: Chris Packham, Phil Hollom, Stuart Winter, Lee Evans, Steve Gantlett, Mark Cocker, Ian Wallace, Andy Clements, Mike Clarke, Debbie Pain, Keith Betton, Roger Riddington, Ian Newton, Stephanie Tyler, Mark Avery, Stephen Moss, Alan Davies and Ruth Miller, Rebecca Nason and Robert Gillmor.

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No.24
77

A revolutionary, comprehensive, and authoritative photographic guide to North America's raptorsPart of the revolutionary Crossley ID Guide series, this is the first raptor guide with lifelike scenes composed from multiple photographs―scenes that allow you to identify raptors just as the experts do. Experienced birders use the most easily observed and consistent characteristics―size, shape, behavior, probability, and general color patterns. The book's 101 scenes―including thirty-five double-page layouts―provide a complete picture of how these features are all related. Even the effects of lighting and other real-world conditions are illustrated and explained. Detailed and succinct accounts from two of North America's foremost raptor experts, Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan, stress the key identification features. This complete picture allows everyone from beginner to expert to understand and enjoy what he or she sees in the field. The mystique of bird identification is eliminated, allowing even novice birders to identify raptors quickly and simply.Comprehensive and authoritative, the book covers all thirty-four of North America's diurnal raptor species (all species except owls). Each species is featured in stunning color plates that show males and females, in a full spectrum of ages and color variants, depicted near and far, in flight and at rest, and from multiple angles, all caught in their typical habitats. There are also comparative, multispecies scenes and mystery photographs that allow readers to test their identification skills, along with answers and full explanations in the back of the book. In addition, the book features an introduction, and thirty-four color maps accompany the plates.Whether you are a novice or an expert, this one-of-a-kind guide will show you an entirely new way to look at these spectacular birds. The most complete guide to North American raptors, written by some of the foremost experts The first raptor guide using Richard Crossley's acclaimed, innovative composite images that show birds as they actually appear in the field 101 stunning color plates―including thirty-five double-page layouts―composed from thousands of photographs Comparative, multispecies plates and photos of mystery species that allow readers to test their growing identification skills Complete with introduction, 34 color maps, and detailed species accounts

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No.25
77

This ambitious volume covers the 36 species of gulls that occur in North and South America, with detailed information to help you identify these fascinating but challenging birds in their many and varied plumages. With 1,160 carefully chosen color photographs, this new reference guide, written by two of North America's top gull experts, is the definitive new work on gulls of the Americas.Peterson Reference Guides offer authoritative, comprehensive information, including detailed text, maps, and superior illustrations. Written by expert authors, the guides are an unparalleled resource for understanding specific groups of animals.

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No.26
77

Since 1972 Mark Cocker has been a member of a community of obsessional people who sacrifice most of their spare time, a good deal of money, sometimes their chances of a family, even occasionally their lives, to watch birds. Birders is the story of this community, of its characters, its rules, its equipment and its adventures - many of which are hilariously funny. Birders is also a work of love - the story of what birds can do to the human heart.

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No.28
77

Stephen Moss's Birdwatch column for the Guardian has, over the years, included nostalgic reminiscences on birdwatching as a child, accounts of birding expeditions to places as far-flung as St. Kilda and even Antarctica, stories of birding on his honeymoon in Gambia, details on the birds on his garden feeder, and the recent introduction of his toddler son to birds. The best of these Birdwatch columns are collected into a beautiful miniature hardback, tastefully designed and illustrated with line drawings, and together they build into a touching and fascinating chronicle of how one person's hobby has endured and evolved and in turn enriched a whole life.

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No.29
77

Rare Birds of North America

Howell, Steve N. G.
Princeton Univ Pr

The first comprehensive illustrated guide to North America's vagrant birdsRare Birds of North America is the first comprehensive illustrated guide to the vagrant birds that occur throughout the United States and Canada. Featuring 275 stunning color plates, this book covers 262 species originating from three very different regions―the Old World, the New World tropics, and the world's oceans. It explains the causes of avian vagrancy and breaks down patterns of occurrence by region and season, enabling readers to see where, when, and why each species occurs in North America. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, age, sex, distribution, and status.Rare Birds of North America provides unparalleled insights into vagrancy and avian migration, and will enrich the birding experience of anyone interested in finding and observing rare birds.Covers 262 species of vagrant birds found in the United States and Canada Features 275 stunning color plates that depict every species Explains patterns of occurrence by region and season Provides an invaluable overview of vagrancy patterns and migration Includes detailed species accounts and cutting-edge identification tips

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No.30
77

This pocket-sized miscellany, packed with fascinating facts, handy hints, and captivating stories and quotes from the world of birds, is perfect for anyone who knows the incomparable joy of birdwatching.

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No.31
77

Britain is a nation of bird-lovers. However, few of us fully appreciate the sheer scale, variety and drama of our avian life. From city-centre hunters to vast flocks straight out of the Arctic wilderness, much-loved dawn songsters to the exotic invaders of supermarket car parks, a host of remarkable wildlife spectacles are waiting to be discovered right outside our front doors.In A Sky Full of Birds, poet and nature writer Matt Merritt shares his passion for birdwatching by taking us to some of the great avian gatherings that occur around the British isles – from ravens in Anglesey and raptors on the Wirral, to Kent nightingales and Scottish capercallies. By turns lyrical, informative and entertaining, he shows how natural miracles can be found all around us, if only we know where to look for them.

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No.32
77

*AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2 FACT NOT FICTION BOOKCLUB AND READ BY BILL NIGHY ON AUDIO* 'I was hoping against hope that the penguin would survive because as of that instant he had a name, and with his name came the beginning of a bond which would last a life-time' Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays. He even has a motorbike, Che Guevara style. What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin. Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Perónist regime, this is the heart-warming story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by Tom from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - in particular one homesick school boy. And as for Tom, he discovers in Juan Salvador a compadre like no other... The Penguin Lessons is a unique and moving true story which has captured imaginations around the globe - for all those who dreamed as a child they might one day talk to the animals.

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No.34
76

Fledgling

Bourne-Taylor, Hannah
Aurum Press

Read the powerful account of one woman’s fight to reshape her identity through connection with nature when all normality has fallen away.When lifelong bird-lover Hannah Bourne-Taylor moved with her husband to Ghana seven years ago she couldn’t have anticipated how her life would be forever changed by her unexpected encounters with nature and the subsequent bonds she formed.Plucked from the comfort and predictability of her life before, Hannah struggled to establish herself in her new environment, striving to belong in the rural grasslands far away from home.In this challenging situation, she was forced to turn inwards and interrogate her own sense of identity, however in the animal life around her, and in two wild birds in particular, Hannah found a source of solace and a way to reconnect with the world in which she was living.Fledgling is a portrayal of adaptability, resilience and self-discovery in the face of isolation and change, fuelled by the quiet power of nature and the unexpected bonds with animals she encounters.Hannah encourages us to reconsider the conventional boundaries of the relationships people have with animals through her inspiring and very beautiful glimpse ofwhat is possible when we allow ourselves to connect to the natural world.Full of determination and compassion, Fledgling is apowerful meditation on our instinctive connection to nature. It shows that even the tiniest of birds can teach us what is important in life and how to embrace every day.

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