Amy Tan | Knopf, 2024

Picking up this book, you know it is different. It is soft to the touch, and upon opening the cover you are treated to a gorgeous palette of beautiful bird drawings. That is a glimpse of what awaits you inside. Amy Tan is not only a best-selling author, she is a remarkable artist, and this is her field journal of birds seen in her yard in California. Her notes are accompanied by these drawings, some in great detail, some more sketch-like while catching the birds in the midst of their behaviors.

Ms Tan describes how birdwatching became her obsession. She spends many hours observing birds in her backyard, and is intrigued by bird behavior and what their actions mean. If you are looking for scientific answers to your backyard bird questions, this isn’t the book for you! Amy Tan asks more questions than can be answered, and often tries to answer them with anthropomorphic comparisons to human behavior and emotions. That is something that many of us have a tendency to do, even though we know it is a scientific no-no. Regardless, Ms. Tan’s detailed observations are thought-provoking, and many are just plain fun.

If you are entertained by thoughtful observations and extraordinary drawings, you will enjoy this book.

- Reviewed by Linda Moore

I've recently discovered a fun and informative birding podcast from the folks at American Birding Association (ABA). Aptly named the “American Birding Podcast,”the weekly show features an array of guests talking all things birds in North America. Recent episodes have included an interview with David Sibley discussing his work illustrating “The Courage of Birds” (about winter survival strategies); a feature called “Random Birds”where the hosts use a random number generator then tell stories and share information about whatever bird pops up; and authors discussing their latest projects. If you can't get enough of bird talk, this podcast might just scratch that itch! Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts or listen to episodes at the ABA site.

- Reviewed by Heidi Erstad

By Christian Cooper | Random House, 2024

Christian Cooper is the Black birder who rose to fame after being accosted by a white woman in Central Park when he asked her to leash her dog. He has since published his book, Better Living Through Birding, Notes from a Black Man in a Natural World.

I was expecting a book about his birding adventures, and, while it has birding tips throughout, I soon realized this is his autobiography. It delves into what made him the man he is – his struggles with being a Black gay man. As he writes, “As I might lead a bird walk through the woods, this book will lead you through six decades of a Black gay activist birder’s tumultuous past, pausing to observe all things most notable.”

As always, when you step into another person’s shoes, you find much to learn. That was true reading this book. His boyhood was full of frustration as he felt the need to hide his sexual identity. He found solace in bird watching, and has continued to pursue this passion throughout his life. His travels, his work at Marvel, his quest for his religion, his relationship with his father – all are examined in regards to his birding philosophy.

There is a chapter detailing the Central Park incident, which I had not realized happened on the same day that George Floyd was killed. He examines the racial tensions that erupted into the Black Lives Matter movement, and the importance of cellphone videos to capture the truth,
just as many birders use them to document a species.

He summarizes nicely when he says there are things he has stood up for ‘the better part of my life: fairness and justice for Black people, equality for queer people, the sheer joy of birds and the need to protect them and their wild places.’ There are places where Black birders hesitate to go to bird, like their own ‘Green Book’ due to racial geography. Yet he feels that a shared interest in birds can bridge those gulfs in equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging. If we only listen – listen to the birds, and listen to each other.

- Reviewed by Linda Moore

By J. Drew Lanham | Milkweed Editions, 2016

In this book, Drew Lanham shares his experiences growing up in the rural south as an African American, and his later life as an ornithologist, wildlife ecologist and university professor. Interspersing personal history with natural history, he explores the concept of flight, both avian and his own. He eloquently describes his extended family and the land they worked and shares both the surprise of the experience of being rescued by rednecks after his car spun off the road and the constant hyper-vigilance of working in remote places alone with only binoculars, a spotting scope, and his notebooks.

This unflinching, yet largely celebratory look at what it’s like to be a Black person active in the natural world in the US is so beautifully written even non-birders will enjoy it.

- Reviewed by Dawn Smith

By James T. Hoffstodt | Independently published, 2022

What were ornithology and bird studies like in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s? How does it relate to our modern-day studies and conservation? James Huffstodt takes us on a journey of the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Dr. Frank M. Chapman.

Today, Chapman is best known as the Father of the Christmas Bird Count, but there is so much more: ornithologist, museum curator, researcher, explorer, artist, photographer, speaker, and conservationist. He wrote popular articles, books, and guides, and began Bird-Lore magazine which later became Audubon. A Renaissance man of the bird world, his life’s work had a great impact on modern-day research and conservation efforts.

Mr. Huffstodt’s biography offers a well-researched, satisfying, and rich overview of Chapman’s work, influence, and research. He creates a narrative that takes you along with the great explorer and has me wanting to read Dr. Chapman’s acclaimed works. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves birds.

- Reviewed by Jackie Blurton

By William H. Howe, editor | Outskirts Press, 2021

The 4th Edition of New Mexico Bird Finding Guide is published and available to purchase from the New Mexico Ornithological Society website nmbirds.org. Visit the link to purchase.

Completely updated with new content and detailed new maps. The book is available on Amazon and also on the author website at Outskirts Press for 10% off. The primary authors are John Parmeter, Sandy Williams, and Bill Wittman. Bill Howe served as editor, Pat Mehlhop created the maps, Sandy Williams wrote the annotated checklist, and Nancy Hetrick developed the index and assisted with final edits. The book has full color photos by Dave Krueper at the start of each region and line drawings by Dale Zimmerman throughout. Many other people contributed to the chapters.

- Reviewed by Dave McDonald