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This page lists bird books and other books that include some bird related content, published by the National Library of Australia.

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

NLA Publishing has been publishing books since 1995. For more information and to order books see the NLA Publishing website.

For more information about the National Library of Australia see the National Library of Australia website.

Australian Predators of the Sky

Penny Olsen

2015

"This book begins with fascinating descriptions by award-winning natural history author Penny Olsen on the discovery and illustration of birds of prey in Australia, and their characteristics and ecology, followed by full-colour illustrations of each species by a variety of artists, accompanied by intriguing notes about the birds. 'Australian Predators of the Sky' comprises over 200 striking paintings, lithographs and engravings of all 34 Australian species-25 diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and falcons, and nine owls such as hawk-owls and barn-owls."

Louisa Atkinson's Nature Notes

Editor: Penny Olsen

2015

"Presented in the style of a sketchbook, and organised by season, 'Louisa Atkinson's Nature Notes' teams Louisa's beautiful drawings and paintings of Australian plants, animals and birds with short extracts from her nature writings. The book includes an essay about Louisa Atkinson's life and milieu by nature and science writer Penny Olsen."

Seen But Not Heard: Lilian Medland's Birds

Christobel Mattingley

2014

"Lilian Medland has not received until now the recognition she deserves as a painter of birds. Due to world events and circumstances, five important books on birds containing her superb illustrations were never published. Despite such major disappointments, she continued to devote her time and talent to painting, first the birds of the British Isles and, later, those of Australia, her adopted country, where she died in 1955. Even now, she is not mentioned in the Australian Dictionary of Biography in her own right, but only in the entry for her husband, ornithologist Tom Iredale. Seen But Not Heard is the first publication to shine a light on the life and work of this much-overlooked but brilliant Australian natural history artist."

An Eye for Nature: The Life and Art of William T. Cooper

Penny Olsen

National Library of Australia

2014

"In the work of artist William T.Cooper, platypuses swim in green underwater worlds, waves throw up blankets of spray, embers glow in the aftermath of a bushfire, a Thylacine emerges from the shadows, sniffing the air. But it is his paintings of birds which set Cooper apart-his raucous cockatoos, colourful parrots, animated turacos and flamboyantly displaying birds of paradise. Often placed in meticulously studied landscapes, these intricate bird portraits reveal Cooper's close observation not only of his subjects' appearance, but their habits, poses and behaviour. In this biography, Penny Olsen traces the path of Cooper's life and art-from his childhood spent in the bush, to his teenage years as an apprentice taxidermist at Carey Bay Zoo and, later, to his work as a window dresser and landscape artist. She documents his fruitful partnership with wife and collaborator Wendy Cooper and his extensive travels in Australia and abroad in pursuit of his subject."

Cayley and Son: The Life and Art of Neville Henry Cayley and Neville William Cayley

Penny Olsen

2013

"The classic field guide What Bird Is That? has been known to bird enthusiasts throughout Australia for decades, ever since it was first published in 1931. It was written and illustrated by Neville William Cayley (1886–1950), son of artist Neville Henry Cayley (1854 - 1903) who, before him, had also had dreams of publishing a 'big bird book' - a comprehensive publication on Australian birds - but it never came to fruition. Cayley and Son charts the lives and works of this Australian father-and-son pair of bird artists."

Flocks of Colour

Penny Olsen

National Library of Australia

2013

"What name could be a more apt description of Australia than 'The Land of Parrots', a name inspired by late sixteenth-century maps showing a southern region labelled 'Psittacorum regio'? This beautiful book takes a close look at parrots in Australia, from the first published illustration of an Australian parrot - a Rainbow Lorikeet collected live on Cook's 1770 voyage - to William T. Cooper's twentieth-century watercolour of the elusive Night Parrot. With introductory essays by ornithologist Penny Olsen, Flocks of Colour covers two and a quarter centuries of discovery and illustration of Australia's avifauna. It features a rich portfolio of images of all the Australian parrots, by various artists including John Gould, Edward Lear, Neville W. Cayley and William T. Cooper, selected from the collections of the National Library of Australia."

John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Birds

Sue Taylor

2012

"In 1838, John Gould, the father of Australian ornithology, visited Australia with the intention of gathering material for his great work on Australian birds. In the resulting publication, The Birds of Australia: In Seven Volumes (1848), and the accompanying Supplement (1869), Gould named, for the first time, no fewer than 32 Australian bird species. Gould's words about the Norfolk Island Kaka were prophetic – the last bird of its kind died in a cage in London in 1851. Since then, a number of other species illustrated in The Birds of Australia have become extinct and others are now facing extinction. John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Birds of Australia features 59 plates of birds from Gould's eight-volume work, birds that today are threatened or that no longer exist. Featuring exquisite full-colour lithographs reproduced from the National Library of Australia's copy of The Birds of Australia, John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Birds gives an insight into the history of each bird's European discovery, as well as its subsequent fortunes or misfortunes."

Curious Minds: The Discoveries Of Australian Naturalists

Peter Macinnis

2012

"Curious Minds: The Discoveries of Australian Naturalists looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge - the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. This succession of curious minds would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. Curious Minds brings to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould. Beautifully illustrated with images from the collection of the National Library of Australia, the publication is a loving tribute to the courageous and inquisitive men and women who led by example."

Little Book Of Birds

2012

"A charming addition to the 'Little book of' series from the National Library of Australia. Birds have always been a popular subject of poems in Australia, from large and raucous cockatoos to tiny secretive wrens. In this book, beautiful images from the NLA collections illustrate poems by Judith Wright, James McAuley, John Blight, Mark OConnor, Diane Fahey and other Australian poets. The artists represented in this publication include William T. Cooper, John William Lewin, John Gould, Neville Cayley, Ebenezer Edward Gostelow and Betty Temple Watts."

The Business of Nature: John Gould and Australia

Roslyn Russell

2011

"This book tells the story of John Gould, the gardener's son, whose driving energy and endless enthusiasm would see him achieve enduring renown as the `father of Australian ornithology'. In 1838, Gould and his wife, Elizabeth, made the greatest sacrifice for his work, leaving behind their family and home in London to travel to the far-flung colony of Van Diemen's Land, from where Gould would travel around the mainland to observe the native fauna. Gould's artists - Elizabeth foremost among them - would depict these creatures in exquisite lithographs, accompanied by Gould's commentary. With all the acumen of a shrewd Victorian entrepreneur, Gould established a thriving business that took him into the world of the British aristocracy and the scientific elite. His is a tale of enduring love and of a man's unending ability to see beauty in nature, despite the greatest of life's tragedies. The author provides a brief sketch of the life of John Gould, whose classic volumes, The Birds of Australia and The Mammals of Australia, have been admired by generations of Australians. The publication features over 130 colour plates of some of Australia's favourite birds and mammals from Gould's works held by the National Library of Australia."

The Quintessential Bird: The Art Of Betty Temple Watts

Viola Temple Watts

2011

"Betty Temple Watts (1901–1992) developed an interest in birds in her early married life while living in Iran and Papua New Guinea. Although she had studied art formally as a 19 year old, it was not until she was 48, and settled in Melbourne, that she decided to immerse herself in her bird art. Betty spent much of her time practising drawing, but was constantly critical of the results. In spite of her harsh self-judgement, others had a high opinion of her skill and, in 1952, she received her first commission, going on to provide bird illustrations for numerous publications until she was in her late eighties. The Quintessential Bird allows readers a glimpse into Betty's joyous world of birds. This is followed by the plates, reproduced in full along with 60 close-ups of individual birds."

For The Love Of Nature: E.E. Gostelow's Birds And Flowers

Christobel Mattingley

2010

"Ebenezer Edward Gostelow (1866-1944) began his 50 year teaching career at the age of 15. He was a keen naturalist and took every opportunity to study the local plants and birds. Gostelow would liven up his blackboards with captivating chalk drawings of birds and flowers. Gostelow's watercolours of the local flora are detailed and delicate. Many depict in minute detail the buds, flowers (often in cross-section), leaves and seeds. On each painting he has recorded common and scientific names, and places and dates of collection. He had an eye for composition, arranging the items in the painting exquisitely. This book presents a short biography, followed by a portfolio section of more than 80 images of birds and flowers."

Upside Down World: Early European Impressions of Australia’s Curious Animals

Penny Olsen

2010

"In Upside Down World: Early European Impressions of Australia’s Curious Animals, author Penny Olsen describes how this ‘miscellany of the curious’ fuelled the rage for Australian natural history amongst the upper classes of Europe, bringing income and, occasionally, fame to its collectors and documenters. In the colony itself, however, it contributed to wholesale destruction of animals and their habitats and, in some cases, led to their extinction. Upside Down World is lavishly illustrated with early European images, most held in the National Library of Australia collection and some of which have never before been reproduced. Scattered throughout are fascinating and colourful descriptions of species from collectors’ and naturalists’ journals, showing us how the scientific knowledge of Australian fauna evolved."

First Fleet Artist: George Raper's Birds and Plants of Australia

National Library of Australia

2009

"George Raper was a midshipman on the Sirius of the First Fleet, whose talent and opportunity combined to produce what is now one of the National Library of Australia's most treasured collections, the Ducie Collection of First Fleet Art. Raper's ability to observe and depict the captivating beauty of Australian birds and plants was heightened by his youthful enthusiasm for the novelty of what he witnessed. This enchanting telling of Raper's brief life presents a new dimension to our understanding of the First Fleet experience and the life of a junior officer in the British Navy. The book also tells the story of how Raper's watercolours were only discovered in 2004 during a routine estate valuation in England, how they were attributed to Raper, and how being in storage for years had left their colours so vibrant. Containing full-colour illustrations of the complete Ducie Collection, this volume gives substance to the previously shadowy figure of Raper: a young man whose adventurous spirit and extraordinary insight into the natural world bequeathed to Australia through his paintings, a superlative legacy."

A Brush with Birds: Australian Bird Art from the National Library of Australia

National Library of Australia

2008

"The paintings of Australian birds in A Brush with Birds are by artists whose work is represented in the National Library of Australia. They span the years from first settlement to the 1970s, telling us about the times as well as the birds, and showing how the style of bird art has evolved. This book is lavishly illustrated with vibrant and luscious art and it includes the stories of the artists behind the paintings."

Glimpses of Paradise: The Quest for the Beautiful Parakeet

Penny Olsen

2007

"Glimpses of Paradise: The Quest for the Beautiful Parrakeet follows the story of the Paradise Parrot, beginning in 1844, when John Gilbert spotted it on the Condamine River in Queensland. Gilbert wrote to his employer John Gould, in London, describing his find as 'without exception the most beautiful of the whole tribe I have ever seen in Australia'. Gould named it the Beautiful Parrakeet. But squatters had already begun to claim the parrot's country and by the 1890s the parakeet had disappeared from the record. Ornithologist and journalist Alec Chisholm believed that the bird, then known as the Paradise Parrot, still survived. In 1918, he launched a search. In 1922, the first and last photographs of the parrot were taken and the last confirmed observation was in 1928 - yet claims of sightings continue. In this highly illustrated and informative book, author Penny Olsen takes us on a journey of discovery. The story of the Beautiful Parrakeet - the jewel of the parrot family - is one that combines elements of natural history, human curiosity for the rare and unobtainable, and the true facts of the mystery surrounding the bird's fate."

Birds

Judith Wright

2003

"The poems in Judith Wright's Birds volume have long been among the best loved poems written in Australia. Many people have grown up with the beguiling rhythms of 'Black Cockatoos', or the jauntiness of 'The Wagtail'. Now in this new edition, commemorating 25 years since the poems were last published as a single collection, these works appear with full-colour illustrations' and a personal introduction by the poet's - daughter Meredith McKinney, for whom many of the poems were written. As a fitting celebration of Judith Wright (1915-2000) as both writer and passionate environmentalist, and to more fully reveal the centrality of birds in the poet's imagination, this new edition also contains six additional bird poems drawn from across her work."