Add These 6 Birdy Books to Your Summer Reading List

Any book can be a beach read with the right attitude. Why not spend your summer diving deep into avian intelligence, taking parenting lessons from other species, or picturing yourself in the time of dinosaurs?

We think any of these recently published titles would pair perfectly with shorebirds on a seaside getaway—or brighten a summer staycation. Read on for recommendations for every kind of birder. 

For Dino Lovers

The Story of Birds, by Steve Brusatte, 448 pages, $35. Available here from HarperCollins. 

These days, birders take for granted the once-shocking revelation that the avians of our age are the descendants of dinosaurs; arguably, dinos never went extinct at all. If you’ve ever wondered what it would have felt like to share a time and space with the formidable birds of the ancient world, you’re in luck. Paleontologist Brusatte brilliantly transports readers through more than 100 million years of Earth’s history, bringing to life the Jurassic and Cretaceous birds that first took flight, hunted prey, and wooed mates with behaviors both recognizable in birds today and fantastically strange to our modern eye.  

For History Buffs 

The Feather Wars, by James H. McCommons, 416 pages, $33. Available here from Macmillan. 

Even as they face unprecedented threats from climate change and habitat loss, most birds in the United States today are strictly protected by state and federal law. That hasn’t always been the case. McCommons, a journalist, charts the course of the first fight to protect birds in this country, from the wanton feather-harvesting and “shotgun ornithologists” of the Gilded Age to the landmark legislation of the early 20th century that still underpins American conservation. Even if you think you know the story, you will find much to intrigue and inspire you in these pages. 

For Caregivers

The Creatures’ Guide to Caring, by Elizabeth Preston, 416 pages, $30. Available here from Penguin Random House. 

If you have children in your life—whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a cool aunt, or a friendly neighbor—you’ll be fascinated by this exploration of how animals from clownfish to cassowaries raise their young. As both a science journalist and a parent, Preston is perfectly positioned to investigate the evolutionary roots and marvelous diversity of animal caregiving, and she does so with aplomb. A delightful read that will make you think and feel. 
 

For Wordsmiths

Birding English, by Jeremy Withers, 242 pages, $30. Available here from University of Iowa Press. 

It’s a big claim: that you can tell the history of the English language through 50 birds. But Withers makes his case, or at least earns his keep, in this entertaining compendium of micro essays. One rather scatological chapter lays out the link between Florida Scrub-Jays and verbal insults, while another takes a charming dive into the history of punctuation by way of the Red-winged Blackbird. (If you have ever despaired over inconsistent hyphen use in species’ names, this essay is for you.) The book is satisfying both as a sweeping overview and as a fount of fun facts, like why we owe the word “haggard” to birds. 

For Analyzers 

 A Bird’s IQ, by Louis Lefebvre, 304 pages, $30. Available here from Greystone Books.

No one who has spent significant time observing birds needs to be told that they are resourceful and responsive to their environment, but biologist Lefebvre’s entry into the crowded canon on avian intelligence is sure to surprise even seasoned birders. All the usual suspects are here—corvids and parrots get plenty of page time. Plus, the book offers illuminating looks at the innovations and adaptations of species one might not immediately look to as paragons of intellect, such as herons and pigeons. Lefebvre excels at distilling complicated research into accessible prose, and his respect for his subjects shines through.