Avian Jewels @ the Library

SJI Library

This winter has brought us a delightful sight here at the library. We’ve got regular visitors just outside our big office window: 2 lovely hummingbirds! Next time you drive up to our new outdoor return bin, you may see the feeder we hastily hung for these over-wintering charmers. The feeder is visible from our parking lot so keep your eyes peeled--but don’t forget to watch where you’re driving!

So what was the first thing my colleagues & I did when we spied these avian jewels? We grabbed a handful of bird books, of course. Is it an Anna’s Hummingbird? Is the other one a Rufous? Is one a juvenile? Fortunately, our library shelves are well-stocked with field guides and bird identification books, from slim volumes you can pop in your pocket, to coffee-table tomes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Handbook of the Birds of the World (in 16 glorious volumes)

Audubon’s Birds of America (known as the “baby elephant folio”)

Hummingbirds (by John Gould and lavishly illustrated)

The Birds of North America (another 16 volume masterwork)

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (ever popular, and for good reason)

Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle (by local author & frequent library patron Thor Hanson)

The Life of Birds (by the ever-delightful David Attenborough)

Bird: The Definitive Visual Guide (with incredible graphics)

How to Identify Birds: An Audubon Handbook (for the hardcore life-list’er)

So: wear boots, bring binoculars, and don’t drop that library book in the mud. Happy birding.

Kate Mullen
Circulation Coordinator
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