We are excited by the announcement of the early release of a new book by Princeton University Press. Slated for a June publication date, the book will now be available on April 11.

How To Be a Better Birder is a crash course in advanced birding that capitalizes on technological innovation as well as good old-fashioned observation tips. With a light, deft touch, Lovitch provides inspirational chapters on advance field identification; birding at night; birding and habitat, geography, and weather; vagrants; and how to combine passion and purpose to participate in the birding and conservation world at large.

Jeff Gordon, president of the American Birding Association, kindly offers this endorsement: “This book is useful for those wanting a convenient introduction to birding as it is currently practiced by many of the leaders in the North American field. The writing is informative and conversational, a good balance to strike when trying to make more advanced birding techniques accessible to a broader audience.”

The Atlas of Birds: Diversity, Behavior, and Conservation by Mike Unwin
2011, Princeton University Press

As the publisher describes it, “The book is not an identification guide but captures the breathtaking diversity of birds, and illuminates their conservation status around the world”. Reviewers also recommended the book for its wealth of avian trivia. For example, there is a list of the most frequently mentioned birds in Shakespeare’s plays, and the dove leads the list with 60 references.

Review at Princeton Univeristy Press