One of the recurring discussions in the world of nature writing is the problem of tone. Given the sheer magnitude of the issues facing...

There is GISS and there is Birding by Impression and they are not the same.  GISS—general impression, size, shape—is intuitive, the result of an...

Owls are among the birds with the greatest power to fascinate non-birders, for good and ill. From the ancient Greeks to my ex-boyfriend, people...

Last month woodpeckers, this month penguins.  Some are cute, some are dignified (and royal!). None fly, most are curious and social, which probably contributes...

Dominic Couzens is a prolific writer who has published tens of books on birds and birding in addition to his magazine work, but Tales...

Picidae, Woodpecker, is one of those charismatic bird families that everybody gets excited about. (Unless the woodpecker is drumming a hole into your garage,...

My knowledge of dinosaurs started and stopped with Jurassic Park (the movie, not the theme park), Patrick’s Dinosaurs, a charming book my daughter read in grade school,...

The danger of reviewing a field guide to the birds of an exotic country you’ve never been to is that you become obsessed with...