Good Birders Don’t Wear White. Edited by Lisa White, Houghton, 2007.

I had heard of Good Birders Don’t Wear White since it first came out, but I never took the opportunity of reading it until recently. I do wish I had read it sooner. It has some tips I could have used, but, as they say, better late than never.

Although the title and cover illustration suggest this book has a humorous take on birding, it is for the most part direct and straight nonfiction. It is not a take on Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. It contains fifty short essays by experienced birders: primarily authors, trip leaders, and artists. One might say from Alden to Zickefoose. Canadians would say from Acorn to Zickefoose. The various essays together create a discussion.

One topic touched on by a number of essays is simply the difference (if any) between birding and birdwatching. I personally would turn to the titles of two magazines: Bird Watcher’s Digest and Birding. If one compares these two works, one can detect a significant difference in approach.

The book title comes from the title of one of the essays which described a birding trip to a famous remote spot in southern Arizona. The group was looking for a rarity known to only reach the United States in one small area near the border. The bird was acting upset and hiding until a person wearing a white shirt covered up with a camouflage patterned jacket. A number of land birds display white flashes of their wings or tails to indicate danger. White clothes also stand out more in many situations. No white for the bird to see—no fear for the bird to experience.

On the other hand, another essay noted that that rule does not necessarily apply when one is scoping ducks and seabirds from a beach or shoreline. Waving a white handkerchief or wearing white in that situation can get distant birds on the water to come closer out of curiosity. Both essays contribute to the discussion.

There are many other tales and stories that people interested in birds should find enlightening. It includes other things to do and to avoid as well as places to go and other surprising pieces of advice. Such advice includes using and buying binoculars, feeding birds, and what to plant in your yard to attract birds.

Some of the essays include stories of how the writer became interested in birds. In some cases it was an offshoot of other work dealing with nature, in some cases it was a friend or spouse, and in some cases they grew up with it. These can be fun to compare.

I did relate to an experience in one story but not in the way the author had. I got interested in birds and birding when I was quite young. My father had been a member of the American Ornithologists’ Union and began taking me on bird outings when I was seven. I tell people that some fathers take their kids fishing, mine took me birding. All our lives it was something we shared. It helped me when I was young because I ended up as a nature counselor at a summer camp when I was a teenager and also gave me some standing in Boy Scouts.

One writer had a similar testimony except that while he was a teenager he kept his interest on the down low, as they say. He said he was teased and called Nature Boy. I had to chuckle. Nature Boy was a nickname given to me as well when I was a teen, but if anyone meant it as a slur, I guess I never took it that way. I identified with the label and had fun with it. Once I even wrote Nature Boy on a name tag. Yeah, birding or birdwatching is meant to be fun.

Anyway, this short book is well worth reading for anyone interested in studying birds at any level: from backyard birding to competitive listing to serious ornithology. It reminds us both of how birds are fascinating to watch and what fun and how challenging birding or birdwatching can be.