Upcoming bird books you don’t want to miss

There are many great bird books and field guides that were recently released, or are still going to be released this year. Check out our top list of our favorites and what we think are the most promising.

Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean

by Scott Weidensaul

Covering 39 species of owls, this book includes detailed information about identification, vocalizations, habitat, nesting, and behavior. It has the most up-to-date information about natural history, biology, ecology, migration, and conservation status.

While other books on owls tend to be overly basic or highly technical, this is a definitive work with a level of detail useful for serious birders and ornithologists, but written to be accessible to the nonexpert. The book is heavily illustrated with 340 color photos, and each species account includes a color range map showing breeding, wintering, and (where known) migration routes.

This comprehensive work covering all the owls of North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean, is the newest addition to the trusted Peterson Reference Guide series.

Pre-order the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean

Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide

by Nils Navarro
This is a timely release with birding in Cuba a real possibility in the near future!

The Cuban avifauna includes more than 370 species, with a high level of endemism, both local and regional. Considering the importance of endemics for the conservation of biodiversity, and thanks to the information gathered during years of field work in Cuba, Mr. Navarro decided to produce a field guide focused on Cuban endemics. The 168 page full-color guide is divided into five chapters: general information about Cuba; species accounts; guide to habitats with photographs of the birds in their habitats; levels of threat; and finally, maps, datasheets and space for notes. The front and back covers of the book provide quick identification of endemic birds, and also function as an illustrated checklist. Nils Navarro’s outstanding original watercolor illustrations cover the 26 endemic species of Cuba as well as another 22 endemics of the West Indies that inhabit the archipelago

Order Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide

Birds of India

by Norman Arlott
This comprehensive new field guide is an excellent addition to the world-renowned series – the ultimate reference book for travelling birdwatchers. Every species of bird you might encounter in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands and the Maldives is featured, apart from non-established introductions. Beautiful artwork depicts their breeding plumage, and non-breeding plumage when it differs significantly. The accompanying text concentrates on the specific characteristics and appearance of each species that allow identification in the field, including voice and distribution maps.

Order the Collins Field Guide Birds of India Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Guide to the Birds of Honduras

by Robert J. Gallardo, John Sill, Michael DiGiorgio, Ian Griffiths
The first dedicated field guide to Honduras, featuring 1,000 illustrations on 73 color plates. The book also illustrates the majority of the migratory species. Along with the standard species accounts the book has a lengthy chapter ‘Where to Find Birds in Honduras’. There are numerous Tables toward the end of the book, one of which has an extensive list of botanical names for nectar sources that hummingbirds utilize and each species of hummingbird observed for each flower. A unique feature is a large pull-out map approx. 16 x 25 in. One side illustrates a basic layout of ecosystems. The other side is labeled ‘Important Bird Sites in Honduras which features over 200 points of interest throughout the country. These GPS-coded marker numbers are embedded in the text throughout most of the book and are all laid out in a separate Table. This layout means that all the numbers can be easily cross-referenced. This book covers over 98% of the birds of the surrounding countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize and Nicaragua; all countries where no book exists. The book is illustrated by John Sill, Michael DiGiorgio, and Ian Griffiths.

Order the Guide to the Birds of Honduras

North American Hummingbirds: An Identification Guide

by George West

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.

 

Pre-order North American Hummingbirds: An Identification Guide

Are there any other books in particular that you are looking forward to?