Look at the Birdy: 8 of the Best Books About Birding
Recently, there was a tweet going around about how as you age, becoming a bird watcher creeps up on you. I felt this so much. As a young kid growing up in the woods of Maine, there were birds everywhere. And while I was aware of them and could identify quite a few, I didn’t really pay close attention to them. But that all changed when the pandemic started. I became really invested in creating a great space for birds in our backyard, with feeders, plants, and a bird bath. And it paid off! I was rewarded with almost two dozen different kinds of birds to watch. And I also learned that I wasn’t alone — a lot of people started birding during the pandemic. That’s why I put together this list of the best books about birding!
Birding is an amazing activity for many reasons. You get to see beautiful creatures, and sometimes you even get to solve a mystery, when you don’t know what kind of bird is at your feeder. (One of my actual internet searches: “Maine bird chickadee with yellow butt.” It was a yellow-rumped warbler.) And sitting still and observing nature is great for your mind and body. As someone who can’t hold still for mediation or yoga, I was surprised how long I could sit in one place without moving to observe birds. It always lowered my resting heart rate. So if you want to start birding, are looking for inspiration, or even just love looking at pretty pictures of birds, these great books about birding will do the trick.
Before we dive in, it’s worth addressing that birding is lacking in diversity and has a history in naming things after enslavers, supremacists, and more. You can read these great articles Racism in Birding, Black Birders Call Out Racism, and The Racist Legacy Many Birds Carry to learn more. Also check out Birding For Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers by John C. Robinson.
This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds by Danielle Belleny, Stephanie Singleton (Illustrator)
Bellany is a wildlife biologist and avid birder, and a co-organizer of Black Birders Week. (And her Twitter name is LeVar Birdin!!) This book gives you the basics on what you need to get started watching our feathered friends, and also offers advice that even seasoned birders can use.
Bird, New Edition (Definitive Visual Guides) by DK
I had to include this book because DK books are always the most visually stunning, and this one is no exception. It is filled with beautiful glossy images of over 1,400 colorful birds from all over the world. And it weighs as much as a great horned owl. (Almost six pounds.) It’s one of the most incredible books in my collection. Yes, you can look up any bird on the internet now, but there’s something about holding this hefty tome in your hands that is magic.
Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir by Julia Zarankin
Part birding book, part memoir, this is a wonderful look at someone who became a birder as they headed into middle age. At 35, Zarankin was fresh from a divorce and stressed out at her job, so she decided she needed a hobby. Her decision to take up bird watching changed her life. Not only was it a fulfilling way to spend time, she realized she had a lot more in common with birds than she knew.
Life List: A Woman’s Quest for the World’s Most Amazing Birds by Olivia Gentile
This is an inspiring and heart-squeezing biography of an avid birder. Phoebe Snetsinger was almost 50 when doctor’s told her she had less than a year to live. As someone who was passionate about birds, she decided to spend that time checking birds around the world off her bird bucket list. Snetsinger’s doctors were wrong, and she lived another 18 years, during which time she saw more different bird species than anyone else in history.
Sibley’s Birding Basics: How to Identify Birds, Using the Clues in Feathers, Habitats, Behaviors, and Sounds by David Allen Sibley
Sibley’s guides and books are considered the most essential contemporary books about birds. They are extremely comprehensive, but also easy to use. This is 16 essays and 200 illustrations from Sibley for birders of all levels. They are great bird watching books for beginners. Be sure to also pick up Sibley’s Guide To Birds and What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing — What Birds Are Doing, and Why.
The Thing with Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human by Noah Strycker
You have probably heard about how smart crows are, and have seen a parrot talking like a human at some point. But you might be amazed at just how smart most birds really are. So many are capable of mimicry, and have a vast curiosity and intelligence for the world around them. Strycker discusses what humans and birds have in common, and also how our intelligences are very different.
North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures by Sharon Stiteler
You can find great bird guides specific to your country, your area of the country, or even a specific state. But for people who are beginning birders, this is a great place to start, either for yourself or as a gift. It features many birds common to most of North America. It’s a wonderful jumping (flying?) off point for people who want to start spending more time watching our winged friends.
Feed the Birds: Attract and Identify 196 Common North American Birds by Chris Earley
This spring, I discovered that my neighbors had Baltimore orioles (the birds, not the sports team) in their backyard, and I did not. What was it about my feeders that kept the orioles from traveling another 50 feet to my yard??! It turns out that orioles, like many other kinds of birds, have very specific types of things they like to eat. Once I learned this, I put out a glass full of grape jelly and oranges sliced in half, and the orioles became a daily visitor to my yard the rest of their season. This guide will help you find what specific things you need to attract the birds you are looking for!
If you are excited to read more about birding, I also want to point out a great chapbook, Mountainfit by Meera Lee Sethi. It’s not available new in print any longer, but if you ever come across a copy, it’s a great read. And for more bird book fun, here are 10 Great Books Featuring Birds.
