Birding is an amazing activity for many reasons. You get to see beautiful creatures, and sometimes you even get to solve a mystery, when you don’t know what kind of bird is at your feeder. (One of my actual internet searches: “Maine bird chickadee with yellow butt.” It was a yellow-rumped warbler.) And sitting still and observing nature is great for your mind and body. As someone who can’t hold still for mediation or yoga, I was surprised how long I could sit in one place without moving to observe birds. It always lowered my resting heart rate. So if you want to start birding, are looking for inspiration, or even just love looking at pretty pictures of birds, these great books about birding will do the trick. Before we dive in, it’s worth addressing that birding is lacking in diversity and has a history in naming things after enslavers, supremacists, and more. You can read these great articles Racism in Birding, Black Birders Call Out Racism, and The Racist Legacy Many Birds Carry to learn more. Also check out Birding For Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers by John C. Robinson. If you are excited to read more about birding, I also want to point out a great chapbook, Mountainfit by Meera Lee Sethi. It’s not available new in print any longer, but if you ever come across a copy, it’s a great read. And for more bird book fun, here are 10 Great Books Featuring Birds.
