We all love bird books and 2017 was a good year for them with a number of exciting titles seeing publication this year. As we reach the end of the year it’s a good time to look back at the ones we loved, and 10,000 Birds book reviewer Donna Schulman joins host Nate Swick to talk about our favorites. Donna and Nate each share our Top 5, including field guides, family specific guides, and narratives from well-known authors and publishers. Find those lists here!

Also, the new ABA Checklist is out and it includes Hawaiian birds. Nate talks about why that’s exciting and one, completely arbitrary reason why it’s not.

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Donna’s Top 5

1) National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America, 7th Edition – Jon Dunn & John Alderfer

2) Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America – Nathan Pieplow

3) Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl – Richard Crossley

4) The Evolution of Beauty – Richard Prum

5) Good Birders Still Don’t Wear White – Various, edited by Jeffrey Gordon & Lisa White

Nate’s Top 5

1) Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America – Nathan Pieplow

2) National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America, 7th Edition – Jon Dunn & John Alderfer

3) The Australian Bird Guide – Peter Menkhorst et al.

4) The New Neotropical Companion – John Kricher

5) Birding Without Borders – Noah Strycker

The American Birding Podcast brings together staff and friends of the American Birding Association as we talk about birds, birding, travel and conservation in North America and beyond.

Join host Nate Swick every other Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.