cover image Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront

Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront

Heather Wolf. The Experiment (Workman, dist.), $14.95 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-1-61519-313-4

In clear and enthusiastic prose, Wolf draws attention to the remarkable variety of urban birds and their ongoing conservation challenges. When Wolf moved from Florida's Gulf Coast to Brooklyn in 2012, she expected to encounter little more than pigeons and gulls. To her surprise, Brooklyn Bridge Park, which opened in 2010, was a birder's "ultimate urban escape" and a spring migration hot spot. She challenged herself to find and photograph 100 species in the park, and soon that list reached 134. Wolf shares her discoveries with others by hosting bird walks and submitting records of her sightings to the eBird app, and now with this attractive debut work. The book has two-page spreads for each featured species, including relevant facts and sighting details plus one or two color photographs. The most striking photos contrast wildlife with the urban setting: Brant geese passing in front of the Statue of Liberty, a common tern gliding above the skyline. With descriptions of birdsong and courtship rituals, this beginner's guide is as entertaining as it is informative. Color photos. (June)