‘BIRDS OF ARKANSAS ’
Local author writes new guide book for state’s bird-watchers
“Birding is about appreciating both the small details and the earthshattering ones.”
— Marc Parnell
Local author and bird watcher Marc Parnell has published a bird-identification guide, “Birds of Arkansas,” which has been named to several Amazon bestseller lists.
The guide was released by Naturalist and Traveler Press on March 22. Parnell has authored 41 bird-identification guides covering regional avians for states and cities across North America. His series of books, “The Birding Pro’s Field Guides,” includes several titles that have reached bestseller status in multiple countries.
“I was originally inspired to write ‘Birds of Arkansas’ after having difficulty finding a birding guide to recommend to family and friends,” Parnell said. “While most field guides give information on a broader regional or continentwide level, ‘Birds of Arkansas’ gives specific information on the 130 most common birds in The Natural State, including localized monthly birding forecasts for each species — a first-ever feature for any birding guide — projected ease-of finding for each bird, behavioral ‘day-in-the-life’ accounts, bird-feeding information, full-page color photographs and much more.”
When compiling the book, Parnell said his goal “was to study each bird all throughout the calendar year and in a variety of habitats. This helped to place me inside the mind of each bird, so to speak, and also allowed me to observe and catalog a well-rounded, complete portrait of each species’ behaviors and characteristics: some of which had never been fully reported elsewhere.”
As evidenced by the dozens of bird-identification guides he has authored, Parnell is passionate about birding, something which he has been doing for more than 20 years.
“Even as a young child, I was heavily influenced by the works of the American naturalist Roger Tory Peterson. I received the 1958 ‘Peterson’s Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians’ for my fourth birthday, and this was the catalyst for what would become a long-standing passion for the outdoors,” he said.
“Birding is about appreciating both the small details and the earth-shattering ones. Variations in the shape and length of a bird’s bill, for instance, often inform us as to which types of food it prefers, while the breadth and length of its wings may dictate its habitat and foraging styles.”
Parnell’s mission is to equip the next generation of bird-watchers by providing information of a more accessible nature to a beginner.
“Roger Tory Peterson’s original works were so influential because they made high-quality, easily digestible birding knowledge accessible to the masses. Since Peterson’s passing in 1996, it has almost become an arms race for many field guide authors to produce increasingly technical and scientific books, which often exclude the novice or intermediate,” he said.
“By bridging the gap between cutting-edge and accessible, I hoped to return to Peterson’s original tradition, while hopefully refining and improving upon that formula with my own field research and the modern resources that we have available today.”
Birding has thrived as a hobby in recent times. While the pandemic quelled many activities and pursuits, it had quite the opposite effect on bird watching.
“The pandemic and its wide-ranging stay-at-home orders led to a widespread reckoning with how we spend our free time. Many people began to spend more time outdoors, particularly on walks: eventually contributing to record-breaking numbers for all manner of birding-related activities. Many of my readers have also written to me that birding helps them to unplug from technology in everyday life. Sometimes, all it takes is a short walk or even a morning coffee in front of the bird feeders to feel refreshed and reinvigorated,” Parnell said.
For those interested in getting into bird-watching, Parnell has the following advice: “For new bird-watchers, I typically recommend a good-quality, state-focused field guide, along with a highly rated pair of 8x-magnification binoculars (which only need to be $50 or $70 when first starting out). My book, ‘Birds of Arkansas,’ shows one-to-five ratings for how easily each species is found.
“My recommendation is to typically start with some of the more common species, such as those rated three and above. Birding is wonderful because travel is often not even required. Your neighborhood, a few local parks, or even an attentive eye on your commute are all good starting points. In fact, an Arkansas backyard feeder setup can easily attract over 50 species each calendar year.”
“Birds of Arkansas” can be purchased online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.