Tag: Birds & Birding

by Jon Dunn

Hummingbirds are a glittering, sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species. For centuries, they have been revered by indigenous Americans, coveted by European collectors, and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character. Yet they exist on a knife-edge, fighting for survival in boreal woodlands, dripping cloud forests, and subpolar islands. They are, perhaps, the ultimate embodiment of evolution’s power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places.
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds’ range, from the cusp of the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands, acclaimed nature writer Jon Dunn encounters birders, scientists, and storytellers in his quest to find these beguiling creatures, immersing us in the world of one of Earth’s most charismatic bird families.

Hardcover, 352 pages. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $27.60

by David Allen Sibley

This colorful and informative bingo game features 50 quintessential North American birds painted by preeminent birding authority David Sibley.– Perfect for Family Game Nights New and experienced birders of all ages will enjoy this fast-paced, classic bingo game- Expert author the bird portraits on the cards are painted by world-renowned ornithologist David Sibley, author of the Sibley Bird Guides.

Board game. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $20.24

by Berndt Heinrich

The surprising, rich life of tree swallows in nesting season–with Heinrich’s beautiful illustrations and photographs–by the acclaimed naturalist.Heinrich is sparked one early spring day by a question: Why does a pair of swallows in a nest-box close to his Maine cabin show an unvarying preference for white feathers–not easily available nearby–as nest lining? He notices, too, the extreme aggressiveness of “his” swallows toward some other swallows of their own kind. And he wonders, given swallows’ reputation for feistiness, at the extraordinary tameness and close contact he experiences with his nesting birds.

Hardcover, 256 pages. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $24.84

by Scott Weidensaul

In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we’ve learned of these key migrations–how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis–is nothing short of extraordinary.

Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela–the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest–avoiding dehydration by “drinking” moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides–and their reaction time actually improves.

Now in Paperback!, 400 pages. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $17.43

by Robert Tougias

The author’s house on Berry Lane may look like a typical Connecticut suburban home, but as his fascinating year-long account reveals, its three-acre backyard is teeming with nature’s mysteries. Acutely sensitive to the activities of birds, Tougias notes which species are present, which are breeding, and where their nests are. He identifies each species by its song, and brings us on a journey of appreciation as we learn the wonders of bird migration, the sensitive interaction of birds with their habitat, and the hidden meaning of their call notes and songs.Intimate and acutely observed writing reveals the miracles of the ordinary in the subtle changes, season to season, of the ecosystem of the woods, streams, and meadow that make up the sprawling backyard on Berry Lane. We are led to consider, too, the dangers posed by the climate crisis and unthinking human development. The quietly powerful writing tunes our senses to the change of the seasons, the return of warblers in spring, geese flying south in the fall–all happening on time as they have for eons.Beautifully illustrated with twenty-five line drawings, Birder on Berry Lane is a book of sublime simplicity that teaches an appreciation for what we commonly overlook.

Hardcover, 224 pages. /// $19.98. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $18.38

by Kelsey Oseid

Discover the world’s birds, their homes, and their eggs in this gorgeously illustrated, entertaining, and educational guide.Did you know that the tailorbird “sews” leaves together to make its nest? Or that hummingbird eggs are the size of jellybeans?Birds are some of the world’s most beautiful and interesting creatures, and their nests and eggs are no exception, displaying a stunning diversity of shapes, sizes, functions, and materials. In Nests, Eggs, Birds, celebrated artist and author Kelsey Oseid explores the fascinating ins and outs of where and how dozens of avian species–robins, birds of paradise, crows, owls, penguins, and more–make their homes and lay their eggs.Full of striking naturalistic art and fun scientific facts, Nests, Eggs, Birds will delight bird lovers of all ages.

Hardcover, 144 pages. /// $16.98. /// Randy’s Price on Bookshop $15.62