NYC Bird Alliance Publications Committee | April 7, 2025

What's a better way to enjoy spring than sitting on a park bench with a good book and pair of binoculars by your side? From magical stories of celebrity owls to how birds rest, roost, and sleep, this roundup has a “tail” for everyone.

Like many birders, Roger Pasquier—an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History—has observed wild birds sleeping at a variety of times of day and in many settings. Unlike most of us, his curiosity drove him to investigate the  subject. The 27-page bibliography in this book shows that he did a thorough job of it, summarizing and categorizing this abundance of information for his readers.

In so doing, he offers some surprising facts. For example, “Only the most solitary or pugnacious birds, such as hummingbirds, whose sole nonaggressive social interaction is a brief courtship and insemination, do not associate together at some level when roosting.”

The quietly artful black-and-white drawings by Margaret La Farge, which deserve a book of their own, make for an excellent exploration of avian behavior.

True or false: New York City is one of the world’s best places to see birds. If you are reading The Urban Bird Call, you probably know this to be true. Spring migration in NYC’s Central Park is world famous. But we have our winter visitors as well, and a trip to Central Park in the winter may turn up a serendipitous spotting of an owl. These two recently published books share the stories of several of our city’s more well-known owls.

Christian Cooper’s delightful book The Urban Owls introduces young children to the owls of our city, focusing primarily on Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl that escaped (or was sprung from) the Central Park Zoo in 2023. With his characteristic enthusiasm for all things avian, author Chris Cooper describes  Flaco’s journey dramatically. I have had the privilege of  working with elementary-age children alongside Chris Cooper, so I can attest to the infectious nature of this enthusiasm for birds in person; happily, this gift translates to the page. 

I hear his voice in the tales he tells of Flaco and other owls that are seen frequently (or not-so-frequently) in NYC, including a Snowy Owl that showed up on a Central Park ballfield (according to my non-birder daughter, the “only cool bird I have ever dragged her to see”), and Barry, a female Barred Owl that had an extended residence in Central Park. Chris does omit the sad demises of Flaco and Barry, both deceased from a combination of collisions and pesticide exposure; the city is both a welcoming and a hazardous place for owls and other birds. The illustrations by Kristen Adam capture the charm of an owl’s soulful gaze, and details show the strange juxtaposition of the wild owls and our urban environment. The book is an ideal introduction to the city’s owls and is sure to spark interest in seeing these birds in the wild.

By Jacqueline Emery and David Lei, with a Foreword by Ed Shanahan and an Afterword by Rita McMahon

In Finding Flaco, Jacqueline Emery and David Lei tell the tale of Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl from an adult perspective. This story, starting with his barren existence in a wire-fronted cage in Central Park, to the first moments the owl was spotted on Fifth Avenue in February 2023, through his travels all across the City, is thoroughly documented by these photographers extraordinaire. This coffee-table style book offers a nearly day-by-day photographic and narrative depiction of the year he spent free in NYC. The text meticulously describes Flaco’s journey through David and Jacqueline’s personal accounts of their experience trailing him. The backdrop is the people and places of NYC; one humorous caption reads, “One night we were watching Flaco in a tree north of Compost when we overheard a couple breaking up. ‘Do you even love me anymore?’ the woman shouted, as she hurried past Flaco’s tree. Her (ex?) boyfriend ran after her while Flaco listened with great interest.”

In addition to the photos of Flaco, there are portraits of other Central Park characters, including Snowy, Barred, and Long-Eared owls. It is a story not only of a particular bird, but of the interaction between birders and birds in the big city. The passion and perseverance of these two very dedicated birders is palpable.

I remember hearing Flaco’s plaintive hoots when I walked through Central Park’s Loch. This was exhilarating but ultimately sad, knowing he was vainly seeking a mate who would never come. The story of Flaco captivated many around the world. This book enables the reader to relive the thrill of seeing this majestic bird. He is not forgotten.

Nine years after the first edition, this easy-to-use guide returns, refreshed and revised. 

In their introduction, Rivel and Rosenheim explain how they considered the range of birders that exist in New York City and on Long Island. From devoted “listers” to the more relaxed nature-lovers for whom birding is a peaceful practice… and of course the family members who get lovingly dragged along… our two authors feature the best birding locations for everyone. But I think they forgot a fourth category that will certainly cherish this book more than the others: those who bird to explore new places. 

When encouraging people to try birding, one of my pocketed, go-to lines is always: It’s a great way to get to know the City. Rivel and Rosenheim make it so we won’t get lost or miss a thing on our journey. Whether turning to their “Birder’s Year,” detailing which species can be spotted when and where, or the comprehensive maps with nearby transit stops (and restrooms!), Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island almost feels like it should be shelved in the Travel section rather than Nature. 

Reading this guide energized me to ride the A train to the end of the tracks or hop on the Staten Island Ferry, designing adventures around when Ospreys arrive, swallows assemble, or shorebird chicks take to the beaches. 

Choose a borough, choose a neighborhood, choose a strip of local beach—and your scavenger hunt awaits.