18 Books About Birding and Gardening to Read Now
Updated: Mar. 21, 2024
If you love birdwatching, flower gardens and vegetable gardens, check out our favorite books about birding and gardening.
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Books About Birding
The Backyard Bird Sanctuary
If you’re just starting out learning about common birds and want to design an ideal wildlife habitat in your yard, The Backyard Bird Sanctuary is a useful book about birding to get started. Pair it with the companion Backyard Bird Journal so you can record your sightings.
Florida Scrub-Jay
This award-winning birding book calls attention to a the threatened Florida-scrub jay, a striking member of the corvid family of birds that is at risk due to vanishing habitat. Learn about conservation efforts that are taking place to protect this beautiful bird from extinction.
Birding Without Borders
In Birding Without Borders, read how one birder set out to see half of the world’s bird population within the span of a year. His journey takes him to 41 countries and all seven continents, and he shares all the ups and downs of his Big Year. Check out bird and nature books for kids that make perfect gifts.
Birds of North America
Page through this gorgeous birding book, offering detailed photos of more than 550 birds. Many of the species featured in Birds of North America are shown in various plumage stages, helping readers better identify birds in different life stages. Check out our favorite hummingbird books.
The Bird Way
Birding enthusiasts and casual observers alike will be enthralled by The Bird Way. Take a deep dive into the world of birds and what we know about their behaviors. Learn more about famous birds in literature.
How to Know the Birds
Beginner birders get a fun introduction to 200 species in How to Know the Birds, a collection of essays and sketches. Psst—we found the perfect books to keep gardeners busy in winter.
The Sibley Guide to Birds
Every birder needs a solid field guide to take on their adventures. The Sibley Guide to Birds is full of hundreds colorful images and detailed descriptions to help you identify more species.
Everyday Birdwatching Stories Book
If you enjoy looking for birds in the backyard and beyond, you’ll love the Everyday Birdwatching Stories book. It is filled with spectacular pictures and heartwarming personal stories about special bird sightings, from orioles to owls. Plus, each chapter features expert advice to help you attract more birds in every season.
Audubon, On the Wings of the World
Perhaps the most unique book about birds, this is John James Audubon as you’ve never seen him before. If you’re new to the idea of graphic novels, you might flip open this tome and think, “A comic book about Audubon?” Dig deeper and you’ll find a beautifully-illustrated story about the famous ornithologist and his life and travels, including controversial topics like the number of birds he killed as he explored. This is no children’s picture book, but instead an immersive experience where the artwork helps you understand more about the story as it unfolds.
Birds Art Life
During difficult times, many people turn to the solace of nature. So it was for author Kyo Maclear, who found the joys of urban birding to be a balm during a challenging year of her life. In this intimate book, she tells the story of her year exploring birding in depth for the first time, and reflects on the life lessons found therein.
Birdmania
Quick – aside from Audubon, how many other well-known ornithologists can you name? Drawing a blank? That’s OK, because Bernd Brunner’s book, Birdmania, will quickly fill in the gaps for you. Brunner relates the fascinating tales of birders throughout time; some have made important contributions to our scientific understanding of birds, others dedicated their lives to conservation, and a few simply became obsessed with the birds they loved. The book is beautifully decorated with paintings, illustrations, and other artwork to enhance the reader experience.
One More Warbler
Author Victor Emanuel is one of the country’s leading birders, and his birding tours attracted celebrities like Prince Philip and Laura Bush. In One More Warbler, Emanuel recounts his stories one bird at a time, starting with the male cardinal that first caught his eye when he was just a boy. He shares tales of his mentors and epic adventures of birding around the world, each vignette sparked by a bird that helped to shape his life. You may not be able to take a birding tour in person with this charismatic man, but his book will let you travel right along with him.
Good Birders Still Don’t Wear White
If you’ve ever enjoyed a chat with other folks who love birds, this humorous book is for you. Dozens of avid birders share what makes birding special to them in this follow-up to the original Good Birders Don’t Wear White. Birding guides, bird photographers, museum curators, and many more relate their experiences with birds in short essays that will make you smile, laugh, and perhaps even cry a little. Illustrated with the charming line drawings of Robert A. Braunfield, this is one of those books about birds that has a little something in it for everyone.
Gardening Books
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners
Use helpful vegetable gardening book to plan out your garden, from how to pick the best spot for a garden bed to pairing up the best vegetables to grow together. Check out harvest-themed gifts for vegetable gardeners.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
This delightful children’s picture gardening book introduces young ones to all the creatures who live just below a garden’s surface. Check out gift ideas for kids who love birds and nature.
Grow Your Soil!
This gardening book looks below the surface. In Grow Your Soil, learn why the soil you start with is so important to the health of your garden—and how to improve your soil in unique ways. Here’s the best potting soil for every type of plant.
Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners
While you’re a beginner or experienced gardener, turn to this helpful gardening book for everything regarding creating raised beds. In addition, discover which plants are the best partners in a raised garden bed.
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden
If you’re a fan of cutting gardens and arranging your own flowers, this book offers instructions for how to create your ideal garden. Cut Flower Garden also features step-by-step instructions for how to create a variety of arrangements and garlands.
Originally Published: May 13, 2022
