Book Review - The Shorebirds of North America: A Natural History and Photographic Celebration - Princeton University Press

 Some people admire soldiers, or surgeons, or firemen, or astrophysicists, or medical missionaries, or cowboys. I admire field biologists.

David Quammen

     Any birder worth her binoculars or Tilley hat will have read, or at the very least will remember, the legendary The Shorebirds of North America, Peter Matthiessen's irreplaceable opus, a hallmark in the evolution of ornithological literature.

     Published in 1967 its lustre has not dulled with the passage of years, yet technology - especially digital photography - demands an update. An update, mind you, not a replacement.

     Who better to tackle this daunting task, who better to produce a new version while respecting the integrity of the original? Two distinguished ornithologists, one an archetypal, consummate field biologist, the other a weaver of stories, a wordsmith of note, joined together to create the masterful work I have before me. Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson have rendered homage to Matthiessen's original work in ways that I have no doubt Matthiessen would approve. He too would rejoice in the amazing array of photographs that grace every page and illustrate every species account.

     Shorebirds are a fascinating group of birds, enigmatic, challenging - and for novice birders a bit of a nightmare. While clearly not a conventional field guide, this book with its magnificent illustrations and carefully crafted words, will be of enormous help to a beginner, and a source of satisfaction for the experienced veteran who has spent countless hours in the field. To gather at dawn at the beach or local wetland, even at the local sewage lagoon for those connoisseurs of fine habitat, is an experience not to be missed.

     When the birds are not in their breeding finery it can be frustratingly difficult to tease apart one species from another, yet success based on dogged determination brings satisfaction.

     Dunne's text will help cement that satisfaction as he combines lyricism with science, weaving the two together in near choreographic perfection.

     This is a book where the ornithologist remains the ornithologist, never forgetting to talk about breeding biology, moult, migration and, sadly, anthropogenic threats to the continued existence of these tiny warriors. Yet the hearts of Dunne and Karlson are clearly worn on their sleeves. These are people who love these birds, unabashedly, unashamedly and completely.

      And if you don't already, you will too after you read this book. It is just that good!

The Shorebirds of North America: A Natural History and Photographic Celebration - Princeton University Press

Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson

Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691220956

304 pages - 8 x 11 inches (20 x 27.5 cm)

225 colour photographs

Publication date: 25 June, 2024