Customer Reviews

City Birding: True Tales of Birds and Birdwatching in Unexpected Places

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This is a series of first person accounts of birding (aka birdwatching) in urban areas in the United States. The writers are a number of prominent birders and nature writers, and with the inclusion of nature writers that are not necessarily birders, show a wide range of experience, skill, and approaches to birding. But the main theme is that it is in urban areas, where the mass of concrete, steel and glass make its residents not as attuned to the natural world in its midst. And, truth be told, an environment where a lot of people who consider themselves nature lovers would not think of as rich environments for observing nature.

The urban environments are a wide range. From the dingiest examples of urban blight known as New York-New Jersey harbor to backyards to urban parks. Some of the writers, are city mice themselves who delight in showing off their world. Some of them are country mice who are lost in the city, but discover some surprising corners (like Julie Zickefoose in Lincoln Park (Montrose), Chicago). Some are world reknown experts in bird identification. Some have no idea how to use binoculars. But all have the sense of wonder in the world around them, and write to communicate that wonder and joy.

I live in the middle of the city, and I have the privilege of walking to work amist tree lined streets and living close to two large (150 acres) urban parks, and many of the stories here hit close to home.

This is definitely an easy reader--the perfect format for travel or right before bed. Each short chapter tells a different true bird tale, often located in pretty unique settings. Some stories are better than others, but most provoke thought, humor or surprising-to-learn information. I especially enjoyed Kenn Kaufman's, "Parallel Worlds" where he describes the brief moment four different worlds (a hawk, cat, hummer and human) intersect. Another enjoyable read was Curtis Badger's "Birding On The Bridge" where wildlife teems among concrete, water and heavy traffic at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. If you're in need of some light reading, consider this enjoyable book.

This book is an absolute treat. I felt compelled to write a review because I couldn't believe it had only been written about by one other Amazon user.

Each "chapter" in City Birding is an essay about birdwatching in unexpected places, where man's environment (the city, a sewage treatment plant, a dump) has preserved (or remade) habitat for winged creatures.

The book features a variety of writing styles from a range of bird- and nature-lovers, including humor, interesting knowledge about birds, and a sense of wonder at the beauty and resilience of the birds featured. They are accessible and enjoyable, even for someone who (like myself) is not a serious birder. A few of the essays fit less well than others (the piece on Audubon in New Orleans felt like it belonged elsewhere) but overall it was a fine read.

I would especially recommend this book as a thoughtful gift to people who love birds or nature writing.