Birds are everywhere. That’s the premise of David Lindo’s guide to and appreciation for the pleasures of urban birding. Lindo is a Londoner and this book focuses on urban birding in Great Britain, but this shouldn’t dissuade Yanks from enjoying this book. In fact, this increased its appeal for me. It was fun to compare my urban birding experiences and techniques with his, noting both the similarities and differences between the two continents. And, it’s always entertaining to read how Brits approach birding.

Seasoned birders know that any sliver of habitat can produce good birds, no matter how developed the surroundings. In fact, the very scarcity of habitat can make urban birding exciting, particularly during migration when birds may become concentrated in small stands of trees, on ponds and even in abandoned lots with overgrown vegetation.

Newcomers and novices to birding, particularly people who live in cities and urban areas, who may benefit most from this guide book. If you don’t realize how common birds are in urban areas, or the diversity of species to be found there, you are missing some great birding. Although it’s always great to get out of the city and visit natural areas, you can enjoy birds and see some interesting species on an everyday basis in almost any urban area. All you need do is know where to go and “look up!” Lindo’s constant reminder to readers is that you definitely won’t see birds if you are looking at the pavement.

Although Lindo’s descriptions are for London and Great Britain, it’s easy to translate his guidance to the United States, Canada or any other country. He suggests likely places to see birds, such as parks, sports fields and shorelines, but he also highlights less obvious sites, such as rooftops and parking lots, that offer expansive views where flyover species can be observed.

Novices will appreciate short chapters on identification, seasonal variations, attracting birds, apps for recording sightings, photography, a basic field guide, optics, and equipment needs. He also touches on some threats to urban birds, such as cat predation, although I wish he had included a section on bird collisions with windows, an enormous problem in urban and suburban areas, and one that urban birders can certainly help address.

There are more than 270 photographs, some of which are stunning. The first image is a full-page Peregrine Falcon banking toward the photographer with a cityscape in the background. If this image doesn’t make you want to perch on a local rooftop during migration, nothing will. Many photos are simply cool because they portray the many cool species that can be seen in urban areas.

This book would be a great gift for young birders or novices who live in urban areas who might not appreciate just how much fun they could be having if they just knew how to go about finding the right places to look. And, of course, Lindo’s advice is worth repeating for any birder, anywhere: Look Up!

Review by Peter Stangel

For more information, contact Princeton University Press at https://press.princeton.edu/titles/13219.html