As an animal-loving, conservation-minded naturalist, I have a soft spot for any memoir that probes the connection between human beings and the myriad fauna we share the planet with. Whether they're pet memoirs that explore how rescuing a dog can save a life, both canine and human, or oceanic memoirs that dive into what creatures of the deep can tell us about our life on land, this subset of the genre is uniquely compelling. There is a universal loveliness to pursuing the self while connecting with the wild.
These memoirs, written by amateur and professional birders, activists, and laypeople alike, exemplify the breadth of that interspecies bond. Each listen is a thoughtful take on how we can find ourselves by looking towards the sky.
While there may not be any sound—natural or man-made—more pleasant than the song of a nightingale or dawn chorus in spring, these exquisite bird memoirs come close to capturing that very same melody.
An exceptional blend of grief memoir and nature writing, H Is for Hawk is falconer Helen Macdonald's account of the outlet that offered immense comfort during a time of unfathomable loss. After the devastating death of her father, Macdonald determines to train one of nature's most notorious predators, the wild and fierce goshawk. What she finds is a deeper sense of humanity and an experience more emotionally resonant than anticipated. Narrated by the author herself, this listen is at once a moving look at loss and bereavement, an absorbing history of falconer and writer T.H. White, and a welcome balm to anyone who has found comfort from loss in rather curious ways.
Frieda Hughes, the daughter of late poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, proves she has the same gift for lush language in this truly lovely memoir. Abundant with humor and warmth, George recounts the story of how Hughes rescued an injured baby magpie from a storm-ravaged nest. Hughes raises the nestling, which she names George, with a fierce dedication underpinned by deep affection and unwavering love. Sweet little George is a fully realized character all his own, and as Hughes cares for him, you can sense just how tethering her feathered friend's presence is after a life marked by uncertainty and upheaval.
Back in May 2020, a video of a racially charged confrontation between longtime birdwatcher Christian Cooper and a white woman walking her dog in New York City's Central Park went viral, capturing the day-to-day bigotry plaguing Black Americans. If you know Cooper only from that clip, do yourself a favor and really get to know him in Better Living Through Birding. Alive with bright birdsong and a vibrant narration from the author himself, this memoir is an endlessly charming testament to the power of finding self-acceptance and the magic of the natural world. Cooper meditates on everything from sexual identity to comics and nerd culture to identifying and securing safe spaces, crafting a genuinely moving listen.
At 11 years old, British-Bangladeshi ornithologist and activist Mya-Rose Craig began documenting her birdwatching and environmentalist ventures on a blog she titled Birdgirl. Now, nearly a decade later, Craig lends the name to her memoir, a stirring chronicle of a family identity deeply entwined with the natural world. Throughout this listen, she details her mother's ongoing mental health crisis, as well as her family's determination to find hope, healing, and meaning through birding. As Craig hones in on the systems of oppression and discrimination that persist in both the birding community and the world at large, she also advocates for making conservation and environmentalism accessible to everyone.
As many of the audiobooks on this list attest, birdwatching is a hobby often undertaken during times of great stress—there's just something beautiful, something lulling, in the reminder that nature is unmoved by that which shatters us. Julia Zarankin did not anticipate becoming a birder. But at 35, recently divorced and undergoing a difficult professional transition, she needed an outlet for her tensions and began to look toward the skies. Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder recalls the joys of this unexpected new pastime and the sense of community and belonging that came with it.
The so-called "Birdman of Texas," Victor Emanuel began birdwatching at the age of eight. He's now in his 80s and shows no sign of slowing down. Emanuel is an acclaimed birder, hailed for his contributions to avian education, and the founder of Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT), one of the most respected ecotourism expeditions in the world. In One More Warbler, he shares stories from a life lived in pursuit of all creatures winged and feathered, a fascination that has taken him to all seven continents. Whether he's catching a glimpse of the nearly extinct Eskimo Curlew or setting an all-time record at the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, Emanuel's words shimmer with his passion and clear adoration for the wild world and its remarkable birds.
