Books & Guides

We carry a number of the most popular Field Guides to birds, as well as other resources to help you enjoy, identify birds and other wildlife. We also have books specifically for children to enjoy birds and nature. If you are interested in an item and would like to add it to an online order please contact the store at 519-821-2473. We will happily place payment over the phone with a credit card and include it with your online order. 

 

 

Sibley Birds East

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds or Eastern North America, 2nd edition: This compact, comprehensive guide includes 650 species found east of the Rocky mountains.  Entries include more than 4,600 illustrations with descriptive captions pointing out the most important field markings. Each entry has been updated to include the most current information concerning frequency, nesting, behaviour, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. More than 600 updated maps drawn from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent, and showing winter, summer, year-round, migration and rare ranges. 

 

Sibley's Guide to Birds

A completely new edition of the most respected field guide to birds of North America. This new and unique design arranges each species in a vertical column on the page. Most two-page spreads show four species, with the images of birds in flight lined up across the top of the pages, birds at rest below that are arranged from the drabbest plumage at the top to the brightest at the bottom. Beneath that is the voice description and then the range map. The book can be thought of as a continuous strip to be scanned horizontally, with birds in flight across the top and range maps across the bottom.

 

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America

A popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels for decades. Contains more than 150 full-colour plates, this guide features updated text and range maps and art to reflect current knowledge in ornithology. 7th Edition.

 

 

The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region

By Rick Gray and Shaun Booth, this book contains information essential for growing 150 species of garden-worthy native plants into a single, at-a-glance guide. Contains a detailed description of each plant, with photos, ideal conditions such as soil type, moisture and light, and wildlife value! Whether it is a host for moths, butterflies, caterpillars, or great for bees and birds too!

 

 

A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators

Provides all the information gardeners need to take action to support and protect pollinators, by creating habitat in yards and community spaces, on balconies and boulevards, everywhere! Contains more than 300 native plants of Ontario and the Great Lakes region profiled in detail, along with sample garden designs, ideas for beautiful plant pairings and numerous tips for success. By Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla

 

The Nature of Oaks

Douglas Tallamy pays homage to a giant of the plant kingdom - the mighty oak tree. Oaks sustain a crucial and complex web of wildlife. Explore this giant of the forest and appreciate their role in the health of our environment. 

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Nature's Best Hope

Douglas W. Tallamy outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation. Nature’s Best Hope shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Because this approach relies on the initiatives of private individuals, it is immune from the whims of government policy. Even more important, it’s practical, effective, and easy—you will walk away with specific suggestions you can incorporate into your own yard.

If you’re concerned about doing something good for the environment, Nature’s Best Hope is the blueprint you need. By acting now, you can help preserve our precious wildlife—and the planet—for future generations.

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Also available is the Young Readers' Edition of Nature's Best Hope. Kids can Save the World!! Available in-store or by phone.

 

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants

Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the role we can all play in protecting wildlife populations crucial to our natural world. When native plants disappear, native insects disappear, reducing essential food sources for birds and other wildlife. But there is a simple step everyone with access to a patch of earth can take to reverse this alarming trend; grow native plants. 

 

How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard

Another wonderful book by New York Times Best Selling Author of Nature's Best Hope, Douglas W. Tallamy. This book offer answers to 499 questions to help you take the next steps on saving nature with your yard. Topics range from ecology, evolution, biodiversity and conservation to restoration, native plants, invasive species, pest control and supporting wildlife at home. 

 

The Joy of Bird Feeding

In this book, Jim Carpenter, founder and president of Wild Birds Unlimited, answers common hobby problems and provides fun bird feeding activities to share with family and friends. The ultimate reference for backyard bird watchers and bird feeders. It offers practical tips and solutions to attracting and identifying birds, offering the best foods for the birds you want to see, and how to deter those unwanted guests to feeding stations. Each chapter focuses on an important aspect of the hobby and guides readers to the essential steps of bird feeding mastery. 

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Guides by Chris Earley

Four bird field guides that focus not only on identifying these birds but also cover aspects of their natural history. These books help beginners and advanced birders with bird identification from in-flight hawks to fall plumage of warblers! Each book focuses on specific birds: 

  1. Hawks & Owls of Eastern North America
  2. Sparrows & Finches of the Great Lakes Region & Eastern North America
  3. Warblers of Eastern North America
  4. Waterfowl of Eastern North America

 

 

Hiking Guides by Nicola Ross

New to our collection of books by Nicola Ross is her hiking guide to the Bruce Trail: 40 Days & 40 Hikes: Loving the Bruce Trail One Loop at a Time! A great inspiration to head to Canada's longest marked trail. Perfect for hikers, non-hikers and anyone who loves an adventure. A captivating travelogue and companion! Makes a great gift for anyone who loves nature and wants to explore more of Ontario's outdoors!

Also available in-store by Nicola Ross are her extremely popular Loops & Lattes series:

🚶Waterloo, Wellington & Guelph
🚶Collingwood, the Blue Mountains & Beaver Valley
🚶Caledon, Hockley Valley & Mono Cliffs
🚶Dufferin
🚶Halton
🚶Hamilton and Are

 

Birds of Ontario

This illustrated field guide helps readers identify, understand and appreciate the birds of Ontario. Full-colour illustrations and descriptions of 318 species. Includes information on: size, status, habitat, nesting, feeding and range maps showing seasonal occurrences of the bird and migration routes. Colour-coded header bars and quick reference guide.

 

Feed the Birds by Chris Earley

Designed as a resource for beginners and experienced birdwatchers alike, this book helps the reader not only attract and identify birds but also understand their behaviour and adptations to the environment. Topics covered includes creating a bird friendly backyard, bird behaviour and biology, identifying birds, involving children in backyard bird feeding, photographing birds and more! A fantastic resource by a local author! 

 

Best Places to Bird in Ontario

Mike & Ken Burrell have over 40 years of combined birding experience. Ken is a lifelong birder & naturalists based in Waterloo, Ontario, an active member of the Ontario Field Ornithologists, volunteers extensively with eBird and other non-profit organizations. Mike, resides in Peterborough, Ontario and has conducted fieldwork around the province with private industries, Bird Studies Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry. Together, the brothers also operate their own guiding service - Burrell Birding!
‘The Best Birding Spots in Ontario’ outlines 30 of their personal favourite locations to enjoy Ontario’s birds! From Point Pelee to Moosonee, Rainy River to Cornwall they offer tips for spotting unique species, when & where to go for the best results & more! The book includes maps, colour photos and lots of useful information perfect for both the first-time and experienced birder!

 

Bird Eggs: A Young Naturalist's Guide

Written by Mark Peck, an ornithologist with the Royal Ontario Museum takes young readers on an exploration of birds eggs! Sizes, shapes, colours and more! Learn about the birds that lay them and their habitats. Suggested age range 9 - 12 years. We would say anyone with an interest in learning more about bird eggs would love this colourful and informative book! 80 pages.

 

 

Turn this Book into a Bird Feeder

Turn this Book into a Bird Feeder: and 19 Other Activities to Explore the Amazing World of Birds: By Lynn Brunelle this book includes some great experiments and fun bird facts about flying, feathers, bird senses and much more, including a book cover you can actually turn into a bird feeder!! A great summer fun book! Recommended age 8 years - 12 years.

 

Wild Your World: Birds

Beautifully illustrated guide with fascinating facts about the birds we love! Why are flamingos pink? What bird can fly the farthest and what birds can't fly at all?? Recommended age: 5 years - 9 years.

 

Backyard Birds of the East

Fun facts about the birds you can find in your backyard. Learn about the amazing flying talents of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, what woodpecker is the 6th largest in the world, how the Black-capped Chickadee survives the winter and more. Lots of great photographs of the birds we see here in the East! 

 

Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs and the Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs

Bring the sounds of the birds to life with these wonderful books. Each one has 12 different bird song buttons to listen to and become a bird-song expert!