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Maine

The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

USA

USA bird books

Birdwatching in Maine: A Site Guide

Editor: Derek J. Lovitch

2017

"Birdwatching in Maine fills an important niche for the birdwatching community by offering comprehensive entries detailing the best locations for finding birds throughout the state for enthusiasts of all levels of skill and interest. It contains descriptions of 201 birding sites in Maine, with explicit directions on how to get there, for all sixteen of the state's counties (several as large as other New England states!). Each chapter features a county map, a brief overview by Derek J. Lovitch, numerous specific site guides, and a list of rarities. The book also contains a detailed and useful species accounts guide for finding the most sought-after birds. Lavishly illustrated in colour throughout, Birdwatching in Maine is the best available resource for finding birds in the largest of the New England states."

Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg Rock

Stephen W. Kress & Derrick Z. Jackson

2015

"The inspiring story of a young ornithologist who reintroduced puffins where none had been seen for a century Project Puffin is the inspiring story of how a beloved seabird was restored to long-abandoned nesting colonies off the Maine coast. As a young ornithology instructor at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, Dr. Stephen W. Kress learned that puffins had nested on nearby islands until extirpated by hunters in the late 1800s. To right this environmental wrong, he resolved to bring puffins back to one such island-Eastern Egg Rock. Yet bringing the plan to reality meant convincing skeptics, finding resources, and inventing restoration methods at a time when many believed in "letting nature take its course." Today, Project Puffin has restored more than 1,000 puffin pairs to three Maine islands. But even more exciting, techniques developed during the project have helped to restore rare and endangered seabirds worldwide. Further, reestablished puffins now serve as a window into the effects of global warming. The success of Dr. Kress's project offers hope that people can restore lost wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. The need for such inspiration has never been greater."

Birds of New England

Todd Telander

Falcon Press

2014

A field guide to 300 of the most common and sought-after bird species in the region.

Northeastern Birds: Backyard Guide

Bill Thompson III

2013

"Inside, you'll find profiles of the 55 most common birds in the Northeast, complete with large color photos, gender-specific physical descriptions, nesting and feeding information, bird call particulars, and interesting stories about each species. Thompson also introduces the reader to the basics of bird watching: essential gear, bird-friendly food and plantings, housing tips, and observational techniques. This guide covers New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine."

The Changing Nature of the Maine Woods

Andrew M. Barton

2012

"The Changing Nature of the Maine Woods is both a fascinating introduction to the forests of Maine and a detailed but accessible narrative of the dynamism of these ecosystems. This is natural history with a long view, starting with an overview of the state's geological history, the reemergence of the forest after glacial retreat, and the surprising changes right up to European arrival. The authors create a vivid picture of Maine forests just before the impact of Euro-Americans and trace the profound transformations since settlement. Ambitious in its geographic range, this book explores how and why Maine forests differ across the state, from the top of Mount Katahdin to the coast. Through groundbreaking research and engaging narratives, the authors assess key ecological forces such as climate change, insects and disease, nonnative organisms, natural disturbance, and changing land use to create a dramatic portrait of Maine forests – past, present, and future."

Field Guide to Nature of New England

Kenn Kaufman and Kimberly Kaufman

2012

"Whether you're walking in the woods or along the beach, camping, hiking, canoeing, or just enjoying your own backyard, Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England will help identify all your nature discoveries. With authoritative and broad coverage, using nontechnical and lively language and more than 2000 color photographs, Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England is an essential reference for nature lovers living in or visiting New England."

The Wildlife of New England: A Viewer's Guide

John S. Burk

2011

"his guide to discovering and viewing the wildlife of New England covers the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It provides information on more than 80 wildlife-viewing areas that represent the diversity of New England's natural landscape. Organized by state, the entries for each area detail the natural habitats and their unique features, identify characteristic species to watch for and when to see them, and list recommended trails, auto roads, and driving directions. In addition, the author offers informative introductions to 60 of the region's iconic animals organized by their natural habitats."

Maine's Favorite Birds

Jeffrey V Wells & Allison Childs Wells

Tilbury House Publishers

2010

"Written by well-known birders and native Mainers, and based on their years of experience answering questions, leading bird walks, and teaching people about birds, Maine's Favorite Birds puts the focus on Maine's most-loved and best-known birds. This makes Maine's Favorite Birds uniquely suited to bird enthusiasts who want to identify and learn more about the birds around them without the expense and confusion of more advanced field guides. Maine's Favorite Birds features each bird beautifully illustrated in large format, accompanied by clear and concise identification tips, habitat references, and easy-to-remember song descriptions. It also includes birding hot spots and ways birders can put their observations to use for science and conservation."

Nature Guide to the Northern Forest: Exploring the Ecology of the Forests of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine

Peter J. Marchand

2010

"Part field guide, part natural history narrative, Nature Guide to the Northern Forest will help you identify and understand the complex influences that shape the flora and fauna of northern New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine woods. Readable and enlightening, Nature Guide to the Northern Forest explores topics such as human's influence on the history of the wild, adaptation of species at high elevations, the turning of the seasons, winter, and climate change."

Maine Birding Trail: The Official Guide to More Than 260 Accessible Sites

Bob Duchesne

2008

"This is the authorized guide to the Maine Birding Trail, which opened in 2009. The book features more than 260 sites in Maine and includes bonus material on Campobello and Grand Manan islands. Unlike most guides, which emphasize species identification, this book highlights the sites themselves. Bird enthusiasts will count on it to lead them to the best birding locations in Maine and to list the species they will most likely find at each destination."

Birding Maine: Over 90 Prime Birding Sites at 40 Locations

Tom Seymour

Falcon Press

2008

"From the seacoast to the mountains, from urban settings to woodlands, Maine's diverse habitats are home to equally diverse bird species. Birding Maine recommends how and when to bird each site and provides information on nearby places of interest, as well as area stores, restaurants, accommodations, and campsites - everything you need to extend a day of birding into a full-fledged adventure. Discover rockbound Pemaquid and Schoodic Points where sea- and shorebirds abound, including King Eider and Purple Sandpiper. Just outside Brewer, wander the Fields Pond Audubon Center, where nearly 150 species have been seen - from Bald Eagle to Eastern Bluebird. Be still and listen for the haunting cry of Common Loon at Unity Pond, Lily Bay State Park, or Moose Point State Park. Birding Maine is a quintessential resource for anyone interested in spending time in the Maine outdoors."

The Naturalist's Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: Beach Ecology from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras

Scott W. Shurnway

2008

"From the North Carolina's Outer Banks to Maine's rocky coast, this comprehensive guidebook covers the ecology, wildlife, plants and ocean creatures in full-colour photographs and vivid detail. No other book includes all of the plants, animals, and terrain along this stretch of coastline, making this a must-have for anyone who lives or recreates near the Atlantic. The diverse habitats of the seashore, from the Rocky Shores to Sandy Beaches, Estuaries, Tidal Flats, Salt Marshes, Seagrass Meadows, and the Open Ocean are explored in detail in this user-friendly guide and natural history. The easy-to-use layout, comprehensive index, water-resistant cover and guaranteed binding make this a beautiful volume of natural history and biodiversity."

Birds of New England

Wayne Petersen and Roger Burrows

2004

"Full of interesting facts and useful information, "Birds of New England" is a field guide geared to both the casual backyard observer and the experienced naturalist. The book features 320 of New England's most abundant or notable bird species, each one illustrated in color. You'll also find a Quick Reference Guide, organized into color-coded family groupings, as well as a map of the best birding sites and descriptions of a number of New England's most notable viewing locations. The book includes a glossary of terms, birder's checklist and separate indexes for scientific and common names. There is also a color-coded guide to the bird groups on the back cover."

Project Puffin: How We Brought Puffins Back to Egg Rock

Stephen W. Kress & Pete Salmansohn

2003

"Written in the first person, this illustrated book tells of Kress' determination to reintroduce puffins to Eastern Egg Rock, an island off the Maine coast. Explaining that the large bird colonies in the area had been decimated by hunters in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, Kress describes Project Puffin, which began in 1973, when he and his team of "Puffineers" moved a few puffin chicks from Newfoundland to Eastern Egg Rock. After a number of years, the puffins raised in their new home began returning there to raise their young, effectively establishing the colony destroyed so many years before. Excellent full-color photographs on every page record the stages in the project, the sights on the island, and the lives of the birds."

Birds of Maine: Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

2002

"Learn about and identify birds using Stan Tekiela's state-by-state field guides. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. Using this field guide is a real pleasure. It's a great way for anyone to learn about the birds in your state."

Birds of New England

Fred J. Alsop

DK Publishing

2002

"The most comprehensive series of field guides to North American birds ever. Smithsonian Handbooks are the most comprehensive field guides to North American birds on the market. Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, these amazing guides are an absolute staple for any birder or amateur ornithologist. Each local species receives its own profile, along with descriptions of habitats and annotated photographs that highlight specific characteristics and other points of interest."

Maine Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

2001

"Maine Birds, An Introduction to Familiar Species, is a must-have, reference guide for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're on a nature hike or in your own backyard, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map highlighting prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Each is laminated for durability."

New England Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

2001

"New England Birds is a portable reference guide featuring over 100 species of birds found in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. This richly illustrated and detailed guide is printed on durable material and folds for convenience."

Field Guide to New England

Peter Alden, Brian Cassie

Taylor Trade Publishing

1998

"Filled with concise descriptions and stunning photographs, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England belongs in the home of every New England resident and in the suitcase or backpack of every visitor. This compact volume contains: an easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the region's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more; a complete overview of New England's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky; and an extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others."

A Birder's Guide to Maine

Elizabeth Gary Pierson and Jan Erik Pierson

1996

A Guide to the Winter Gulls of Northern New England

Peter Hunt

1996

"A guide to help birders distinguish among the confusing gull plumages most commonly seen in northern New England, with a few unusual species thrown in; also notes on summer plumages."

The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: Northern New England: Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine

W. Wetherall

1995

"This lavishly photographed guide showcases one of the most beautiful regions in the country - Northern New England, an area of pristine wildernesses and extraordinary landscapes."

A Year in the Maine Woods

Bernd Heinrich

1994

"Escapist fantasies usually involve the open road, but Bernd Heinrich's dream was to focus on the riches of one small place--a few green acres along Alder Brook just east of the Presidential Mountains. The year begins as he settles into a cabin with no running water and no electricity, built of hand-cut logs he dragged out of the woods with a team of oxen. There, alone except for his pet raven, Jack, he rediscovers the meaning of peace and quiet and harmony with nature--of days spent not filling out forms, but tracking deer, or listening to the sound of a moth's wings.Throughout this year when "the subtle matters and the spectacular distracts," Heinrich brings us back to the drama in small things, when life is lived consciously. His story is that of a man rediscovering what it means to be alive."

Ravens in Winter

Bernd Heinrich

1989

"A fascinating and important work of ornithology, which led E.O. Wilson to call it one of the most interesting discoveries I've seen in animal sociobiology in years, Ravens In Winter is a scientist s impassioned study to understand the mysterious social habits of one of nature s most formidable birds, the raven. Why do ravens, generally understood to be solitary creatures, share food between each other during winter? This was the question Bernd Heinrich asked himself as he was observing another one of his prime research subjects, the highly social bumblebee. And it was during these trips to Maine, the site of much of his research, where he first noticed this unusual behavior of ravens. From an evolutionary perspective, the raven's willingness to share food challenged conventional wisdom. There was no biological imperative, it seemed, to their communal spirit. The more Heinrich observed their habits, the more odd the bird's behavior became. What started as mere curiosity turned into an impassioned research project, and Ravens In Winter, the first research of its kind, explores the fascinating biological puzzle of the raven s rather unconventional social habits."

Bird Finding in New England

Richard K. Walton

1988

Birder's Guide to the Coast of Maine

Elizabeth Gary Pierson and Jan Erik Pierson

1981

The Warblers Of New England

C.J. Maynard

Published in 6 parts between 1901 and 1904

From the prospectus:

"This work contains descriptions of ail of the species of American Warblers which are found in New England. The book is illustrated with twelve hand-colored plates on which are figured a male and female of each species. THIE TEXT. The Family characters are first given, both external and internal, followed by a comparison with allied families. Generic characters are then defined in a clear, concise manner, and descriptions of species follow. The size is first given, then the characteristic markings, the time of migration and breeding range. This portion of the text is in large type. Following this, in smaller type, is a detailed description of the adult male and female, then of the young, and when known, of the nestling. Dimensions are next given; then comparisons with allied species, a feature particularly valuable to those who are comparatively unfamiliar with birds. Careful descriptions of the nests and eggs are given. The text on habits is in large type. This is a general account of the species, a more detailed account of the song, migration, and breeding range follows. ILLUSTRATIONS. One of the advantages of this book are the illustrations; many of the characters mentioned are explained by wood cuts, engraved by the author. PLATES. There are twelve plates, on each of which are given life-sized heads of both sexes of all of our warblers. These plates are engraved and hand-colored by the author."

A Guide To The Birds Of New England And Eastern New York

Ralph Hoffman

Houghton Mifflin & Co

1904

From the introduction:

There is something infectious in the enthusiasm of a student of birds. To hear him talk about the excitement of seeing a new bird, to read his account of it, or, best of all, to go afield with him on a May morning, is often enough to awaken a new interest, which enriches life to a surprising degree. The study of birds presents plenty of difficulties, which add fuel to the flame of real enthusiasm; there are sloughs of despond beyond which the faint-hearted never get. A guide who knows the way, its pitfalls and short cuts, is always welcome, and almost necessary in these days when our only weapon is the opera-glass. In spite of the fact that many excellent books are now available, the author offers another, both in the belief that there can never be too many good guides, and in the hope that this book has been especially adapted to the growing class of beginners in bird study. The book is the result of experience with many field-classes. Every effort has been made to emphasize the aspect of birds as seen out of doors, to describe their general or most prominent colors rather than any mark difficult to see on the living bird, and to call attention to their characteristic habits and haunts, and thus to enable the conscientious student to answer, with as much certainty as possible, the question, "What is the bird that I have seen?" The keys and the illustrations have been prepared with this end in view. There has been no attempt to give a complete description of the plumage, as it would look if the bird were held in the hand, nor does the book contain anything like full biographies of each species. Minute descriptions of the plumage and full accounts of the lives of the birds are to be found in many excellent books, some one of which may well be used to supplement this Guide. Notes and songs have been carefully described, and as far as possible expressed in English syllables. The author is well aware that another listener might express the same sounds by very different syllables; he has not attempted to convey to any one unfamiliar with the song anything more than an idea of its length and accent, and perhaps a suggestion of the quality of its tone. It is hoped, however, that the songs as transcribed will be useful in identifying doubtful species, that any one comparing the transcripts in the book with his own field-notes, or, better still, with the songs themselves, will recognize their likeness to that of one species and their unlikeness to that of another.

Handbook Of The Sparrows, Finches, etc., Of New England

C.J. Maynard

From the introduction:

"My reason for writing a book upon birds with such a limited scope as the present, is because 1 am sure, from a somewhat extended experience, that it is better for those beginning the study of ornithology to first become thoroughly acquainted w4th some one group of birds, than to acquire a smattering knowledge of many. I have therefore selected the largest and in some ways the most important family of our New England birds, partly, because it is the most extended, but more particularly, because there is no season of the year, when some members of it are not to be found with us. In my walks in the fields and woods with my many pupils, I have found that some experience great difficulty m learning to distinguish birds, either by sight or by hearing their songs. This difficulty, it appears to me, is really due to the fact that the observer is trying to grasp an entirely new, and too vast a subject without a sufficient training of eye and ear. This being undoubtedly the case with so many, it appears best to begin with a group of birds, most of which are of a sufficient size to be readily seen and which not only have prominent, characteristic markings, but which also have songs which are readily distinguishable."