The holidays are upon us, and that means it’s time for us to remind you of some bird books that we think make great gifts for just about anyone. Yes, these are all books that we have authored or co-authored, but we that means we know them well and thus have no qualms about bringing them to your attention as gift ideas for the bird enthusiasts in your life. What a great way to support your favorite local or online bookseller, too!

“Maine’s Favorite Birds”
We published this book in 2012 with Maine publisher Tilbury House Press, and it continues to be a favorite among everyone from kids to adults, Maine visitors and residents alike. The book covers just over 100 of the species you’re most likely to see in Maine and is illustrated with colorful and vibrant artwork by our friend Evan Barbour—with lively text by us! “Maine’s Favorite Birds” is a particularly good introduction to learning the birds of our amazing state or for the person with a casual interest who wants to be able to identify the birds in the backyard with relative ease. We include easy birding tips, and we highlight some of the best places in the state to look for birds. It’s a gift everyone will love!

“Birds of Maine”
Just released in 2020, this is the life work of our friend Peter Vickery, completed after his passing under the direction of his wife Barbara with the help of a team that included Scott Weidensaul, Bill Sheehan, Charles Duncan, and one of us (Jeff) and with assistance from the other (Allison). We wrote about this outstanding book in a past column but suffice to say that this book is one of the most groundbreaking state bird books ever published. Its 664 pages are packed with the most up-to-date, detailed information about the status and distribution of all 464 birds known to have occurred in the state. That gold mine of information is coupled with delicate and rich watercolors by famed bird artist Lars Jonsson, line drawings by Barry Van Dusen, and gorgeous landscape photos and colorful maps.

“Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao: A Site & Field Guide”
Published in 2017 through Cornell University Press, this book was the summation of our more than two decades of experience visiting these three islands that lay off the coast of Venezuela but that have been under Dutch influence for centuries. The birds here are an amazing mix of species of the Caribbean like Black-whiskered Vireo and Caribbean Elaenia that can be seen alongside northern South American specialties like Ruby-topaz Hummingbird and Bare-eyed Pigeon. In winter and migration, these are joined by North American migrants including shorebirds, ducks, warblers, swallows, and flycatchers. Many people from Maine and New England visit the islands regularly as a warm, easy-to-get-to winter getaway. Gift them with a copy of “Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao: A Site & Field Guide” so that they can learn about and identify the birds when they visit. Or give a copy to a bird lover who you think should visit the islands as a way to begin learning the birds of the Caribbean and South America. We also include in the book a very detailed site guide with maps of all the best birding sites on the islands and chapters on ecology and conservation.

Happy birdy holidays!

Jeffrey V. Wells, Ph.D., is a Fellow of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Vice President of Boreal Conservation for National Audubon. Dr. Wells is one of the nation's leading bird experts and conservation biologists and author of the “Birder’s Conservation Handbook.” His grandfather, the late John Chase, was a columnist for the Boothbay Register for many years. Allison Childs Wells, formerly of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a senior director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, a nonprofit membership organization working statewide to protect the nature of Maine. Both are widely published natural history writers and are the authors of the popular books, “Maine’s Favorite Birds” (Tilbury House) and “Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao: A Site and Field Guide,” (Cornell University Press).