Scott Weidensaul

New York Times Bestseller An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration.

The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds

A World on the Wing

Scott Weidensaul follows hawks over the Mexican coastal plains, Bar-tailed Godwits that hitchhike on gale winds 7,000 miles nonstop across the Pacific from Alaska to New Zealand, and the Myriad Songbirds whose numbers have dwindled so dramatically in recent years.

Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds

Living on the Wind

Traces the origins of bird watching and ornithology in the United States, from the scientists who collected eggs on the frontier while dodging Native Americans through the publication of Peterson's first field guide to birds.

A Brief History of American Birding

Of a Feather

In 1953, birding guru Roger Tory Peterson and British naturalist James Fisher set out on what became a legendary journey--a 100-day trek over 30,000 miles around North America. Two years later, Wild America, their classic account of the trip, was published. On the eve of that book's 50th anniversary, naturalist Scott Weidensaul retraces their steps to tell the story of wild America today. The journey takes him to the coastal communities of Newfoundland, where he examines the devastating impact of the Atlantic cod fishery's collapse on the ecosystem; to Florida, where he charts the virtual extinction of the great wading bird colonies that Peterson and Fisher once documented; to the Mexican tropics of Xilitla, which have become a growing center of ecotourism since Fisher and Peterson's exposition. And perhaps most surprising of all, Weidensaul finds that much of what Peterson and Fisher discovered remains untouched by the industrial developments of the last fifty years.--From publisher description.

a yearlong search for the continent's natural soul

Return to wild America

Part natural history, part poetry, Mountains of the Heart is full of hidden gems and less traveled parts of the Appalachian Mountains Stretching almost unbroken from Alabama to Belle Isle, Newfoundland, the Appalachians are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. In Mountains of the Heart, renowned author and avid naturalist Scott Weidensaul shows how geology, ecology, climate, evolution, and 500 million years of history have shaped one of the continent's greatest landscapes into an ecosystem of unmatched beauty. This edition celebrates the book's 20th anniversary of publication and includes a new foreword from the author.

A Natural History of the Appalachians

Mountains of the Heart

Nancy Lane

Warbler's Journey

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the publication of "Wild America," naturalist Scott Weidensaul retraces Roger Tory Peterson's and James Fisher's steps to tell the story of wild America today.

A Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul

Return to Wild America

Presents a history of the period during which the Eastern seaboard was a frontier between colonizing Europeans and Native Americans.

The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America

The First Frontier

Scott Weidensaul shows how geology, ecology, climate, evolution, and more than 500 years of human history have shaped one of the continent's greatest landscapes.

In 1953, birding guru Roger Tory Peterson and noted British naturalist James Fisher set out on what became a legendary journey-a one hundred day trek over 30,000 miles around North America. They traveled from Newfoundland to Florida, deep into the heart of Mexico, through the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, and into Alaska's Pribilof Islands. Two years later, Wild America, their classic account of the trip, was published. On the eve of that book's fiftieth anniversary, naturalist Scott Weidensaul retraces Peterson and Fisher's steps to tell the story of wild America today. How has the continent's natural landscape changed over the past fifty years? How have the wildlife, the rivers, and the rugged, untouched terrain fared? The journey takes Weidensaul to the coastal communities of Newfoundland, where he examines the devastating impact of the Atlantic cod fishery's collapse on the ecosystem; to Florida, where he charts the virtual extinction of the great wading bird colonies that Peterson and Fisher once documented; to the Mexican tropics of Xilitla, which have become a growing center of ecotourism since Fisher and Peterson's exposition. And perhaps most surprising of all, Weidensaul finds that much of what Peterson and Fisher discovered remains untouched by the industrial developments of the last fifty years. Poised to become a classic in its own right, Return to Wild America is a sweeping survey of the natural soul of North America today.

Ned Smith

Handsome full-color collection of Ned Smith's wildlife art selected and with biographical information by acclaimed nature writer Scott Weidensaul First-ever book on this popular and respected wildlife artist Renowned wildlife artist Ned Smith painted hundreds of covers and illustrations for the Pennsylvania Game News and created the magazine's beloved "Gone for the Day" column. Now for the first time, his wildlife paintings, pen-and-ink drawings, and field sketches are collected and presented in a handsome full-color format; many have never before been published. From big-game mammals and predators to songbirds, raptors, and freshwater fish, the animals depicted by Smith are stunningly lifelike and appear in settings and situations created by someone who knows the outdoors. This collection includes Old Orchard Buck, Deep Wooks Drummer, A Little Bit Cautious, Waiting for Dusk, and much more. The art appears here accompanied by journal entries and sketches, as well as background information that describes how Smith worked and what he tried to accomplish with his art.

The Wildlife Art of Ned Smith

New York Times Bestseller Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration. In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we’ve learned of these key migrations—how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis—is nothing short of extraordinary. Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela—the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest—avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides—and their reaction time actually improves. These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing from Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul also introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork, in A World on the Wing Weidensaul unveils with dazzling prose the miracle of nature taking place over our heads.

A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds

The naturalist author of Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds shares stories of the rediscovery of species previously believed extinct, discussing such topics as the Indian forest owlet, the thylacine of Tasmania, cloning laboratories, and the mysterious black panthers of England. Reprint.

Science, Wishful Thinking and the Search for Lost Species

The Ghost with Trembling Wings

Includes all kinds of snakes, from the emerald tree boa to the grass-snake, rattlesnakes and the African egg-eating snake. Discusses the habits and habitats of snakes as well as the myths and misconceptions of snakes and people.

Snakes of the World

This comprehensive work covering all the owls of North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean, is the newest addition to the trusted Peterson Reference Guide series. Owls are perhaps the most intriguing of all birds -- instantly recognizable and endlessly fascinating. Whether viewed as symbols of wisdom or bad omens, these unusual birds have had a hold on human imagination for millennia. Heard more often than seen, many owls are best identified by vocalizations; this is the only owl guide to include access to a collection of recordings. It is also the only North American owl book to include the Caribbean, covering 39 species of owls, including many little-known tropical species. With detailed information about identification, calls, habitat, nesting, and behavior, this Reference Guide has the most up-to-date information about natural history, biology, ecology, migration, and conservation status. It is heavily illustrated with hundreds of color photos, and includes the most accurate color range maps ever presented, showing breeding, wintering, and migration routes. This is a definitive work, useful for serious birders and ornithologists but accessible for the non-expert.

Scott Weidensaul

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