The Biggest Week in American Birding, the fledgling birding festival that hatched 15 years ago has become an international event drawing visitors from around the world to northwest Ohio. The Black Swamp Bird Observatory will be inundated with passionate birders of all levels as the spring songbird migration hits its peak in an area widely known as the Warbler Capital of the World. Tourism officials estimate more than 80,000 visitors participate in birding activities in the region during the month though the festival itself runs just 10 days, from May 9 to May 18, 2026. Here are some great books on the joys of observing our flighty friends. alh 2026
An entirely updated edition of the classic bestselling regional bird field guide from National Geographic, covering the U.S. and Canada east of the Rockies. Provides ID information, data-driven maps, and annotated illustrations of more than 800 bird…
Acclaimed science communicator and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco offers a clever, humorous "dictionary" that's perfect for any birder. The Birding Dictionary is filled with hilarious and informative definitions for more than 200 birding terms, plus over…
Most people don't really know birds--or rather, they aren't aware of them. Lili Taylor used to be one of those people. She knew birds existed. She thought about them, maybe even more than the average person. But she didn't know them. And then…
a friendly, accessible, and humorous guide to discovering the joys of bird watching. Beginning birders of all ages will get answers to every question they may have, like which birds like feeders, the difference between a finch and a flicker, or…
Sometimes, all it takes is a "spark bird" to open the door. A bird, seen well, so unexpectedly beautiful and interesting that it cracks you wide open. Bird Watching For Dummies is a spark book, teaching you all you need to know about this fun,…
Start your birdwatching journey in the safe hands of a lifelong birder. Through a series of chapters, you will build from an absolute beginner, exploring your own backyard, soaking up useful tips and insights gained from years of birdwatching.…
Despite the seasonal life-sapping cold, birds have evolved strategies that meet winter's vicissitudes head on, driven by the imperative to make it to spring and pass down their genes to the next generation. The drama of winter and the resilience and…
Trish O’Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrina destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an…
Melissa Hafting is an ethical, passionate, and respected birder, photographer, and mentor. Her love for birding has shaped who she is, improved her mental health, and enabled her to cope with the difficult aspects of grief and loss after the deaths…
Known for her award-winning novel The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan is also a passionate birder. In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more…
Bird-Friendly Gardening is the definitive guide to planting a wildlife-welcoming home landscape filled with a diversity of native plants that feed, shelter, and support birds. With hundreds of North American bird species facing population decline,…
As popular as birdhouses are, many are designed with aesthetics in mind, rather than the bird's preferences and needs. Not so for the projects in Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses. Lifelong birder Mel "Bird Man Mel" Toellner and pro woodworker Matt…
Seeing more birds than you ever imagined and witnessing exciting avian drama is possible--whether you’re on the go or in your own neighborhood, local park, or backyard. As Heather Wolf explains, it all comes down to how you tune in to the show…
An epic tale of one passionate birder's record-breaking adventure through 40 countries over 6 continents - in just one year - to see over 7,000 bird species, rare and common, before many go extinct. When author Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the…
For the past century, scientists and naturalists have been steadily unravelling the secrets of bird migration. How and why birds navigate the skies, traveling from continent to continent--flying thousands of miles across the earth each fall and…
Many birders travel far and wide to popular birding destinations to catch sight of rare or "exotic" birds. In Slow Birding, evolutionary biologist Joan E. Strassmann introduces readers to the joys of birding right where they are. In this inspiring…
Christian Cooper is a self-described “Blerd” (Black nerd), an avid comics fan and expert birder. In May 2020, Cooper was birdwatching in Central Park, NYC, when what might have been a routine encounter with a dog walker exploded age-old racial…
This dynamic guide is the perfect companion for anyone interested in the birds of the midwestern United States and central Canada. The guide offers fascinating details about the birds around you, useful bird ID tips, and handy bird-watching…
Birder extraordinaire Tim Laman is a superstar in one of photography's most challenging pursuits: the quest to portray birds in the wild. A naturalist and explorer as well as a brilliant image maker, he has spent thousands of hours over more than 30…
Raging ambition. Towering egos. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds…
