Princeton Guide to North American Birds (1 Viewer)

[Doctor Twitchings]

The brilliant bird artist Ian Lewington has been working on a guide to North American birds for some time now. Just over a year ago there was a thread on here mentioning that he had nearly finished his artwork. Someone posted a video of Killian Mullarney doing a lecture where he showed a few plates from this guide. Similar in design to the Collins Bird Guide, the plates looked fantastic and perhaps his best work.

I wondered if anyone had an update on this book, or even a possible publication date as it is eagerly anticipated.

 

[pbjosh]

I fully expect this guide to set a new standard and cannot wait to see it. Plates trickle out and circulate from time to time but I don't know of any actually "new" info.

I also hope that they choose a more accurate title than "Guide to North American Birds." I know not many here on Birdforum share my views on this but most of my Mexican and Central American friends and most of the young birders I know in the US do share the view that it's somewhere between simply inaccurate, vaguely ethnocentrist, and quite outdated sounding to keep perpetuating the use of "North America" to exclude Mexico and Central America in ornithological circles...

 

[Mysticete]

The brilliant bird artist Ian Lewington has been working on a guide to North American birds for some time now. Just over a year ago there was a thread on here mentioning that he had nearly finished his artwork. Someone posted a video of Killian Mullarney doing a lecture where he showed a few plates from this guide. Similar in design to the Collins Bird Guide, the plates looked fantastic and perhaps his best work.

I wondered if anyone had an update on this book, or even a possible publication date as it is eagerly anticipated.

I haven't heard anything new; In fact I got excited to see a new post here and thought there was new information!

 

[cajanuma]

The brilliant bird artist Ian Lewington has been working on a guide to North American birds for some time now.

This guide is also being illustrated by the equally brilliant Italian bird artist Lorenzo Starnini. I've seen several of his plates and they are up to Ian Lewington's exceptionally high standard. I have no info on a release date however.

 

[Davigrapsus]

The brilliant bird artist Ian Lewington has been working on a guide to North American birds for some time now. Just over a year ago there was a thread on here mentioning that he had nearly finished his artwork. Someone posted a video of Killian Mullarney doing a lecture where he showed a few plates from this guide. Similar in design to the Collins Bird Guide, the plates looked fantastic and perhaps his best work.

I wondered if anyone had an update on this book, or even a possible publication date as it is eagerly anticipated.

Latest Ian's talk given in Spain yesterday (22 Feb 2025). From 2:06:36 he mentions the Guide and shows several new plate samples. But his talk is dubbed in spanish so I have no idea what's going on there. Need a spanish speeker or special app to translate. Some screenshots of new plates from this video attached.

 

[vergan]

Latest Ian's talk given in Spain yesterday (22 Feb 2025). From 2:06:36 he mentions the Guide and shows several new plate samples. But his talk is dubbed in spanish so I have no idea what's going on there. Need a spanish speeker or special app to translate. Some screenshots of new plates from this video attached.

It is a kind of AI automated translation, weird and challenging sometimes, but I can get that he may finish plates in 6 month, so it will be published at the end of 2026, early 2027. He was not able to do all the work fast enough, so Lorenzo Starninni has been responsible of making 40-50 pages of the book.

 

[cajanuma]

Latest Ian's talk given in Spain yesterday (22 Feb 2025). From 2:06:36 he mentions the Guide and shows several new plate samples. But his talk is dubbed in spanish so I have no idea what's going on there. Need a spanish speeker or special app to translate. Some screenshots of new plates from this video attached.

The last two plates of the field guide he shows, the ravens and orioles, are by Lorenzo Starnini, and he introduces them by saying "I've saved the best for last".

 

[Davigrapsus]

Thank you very much @vergan and @cajanuma for the translations! Though the translated facts are a bit dissapointing - I secretly expected the Book to be at the end of this year. Anyway, there is some confidence at last. Fingers crossed and hope that guys and the publisher will do their best.
P. S. My respect to Lorenzo Starnini!

 

[vergan]

Thank you very much @vergan and @cajanuma for the translations! Though the translated facts are a bit dissapointing - I secretly expected the Book to be at the end of this year. Anyway, there is some confidence at last. Fingers crossed and hope that guys and the publisher will do their best.
P. S. My respect to Lorenzo Starnini!

Well, 6 months from now... Irt could happen at the end of this year? I guess, after a very long waiting time and frustration for many birdwatchers, they want to be on thew safe side and prevent more grief?

 

[Mysticete]

Thank you very much @vergan and @cajanuma for the translations! Though the translated facts are a bit dissapointing - I secretly expected the Book to be at the end of this year. Anyway, there is some confidence at last. Fingers crossed and hope that guys and the publisher will do their best.
P. S. My respect to Lorenzo Starnini!

Honestly any sort of date at this point is great news. At least now we can start counting down!

 

[Mysticete]

Well, 6 months from now... Irt could happen at the end of this year? I guess, after a very long waiting time and frustration for many birdwatchers, they want to be on thew safe side and prevent more grief?

There is still going to be a lot of formatting and editing left after the last plates are done, so a 2025 date seems unrealistic. I would expect if it was that near we would start seeing it pop up in amazon or the publisher website, which I don't think it has?

 

[vergan]

There is still going to be a lot of formatting and editing left after the last plates are done, so a 2025 date seems unrealistic. I would expect if it was that near we would start seeing it pop up in amazon or the publisher website, which I don't think it has?

You are completely right. I was hoping they would be making editing as the plates pop up....

cheers

 

[Mysticete]

You are completely right. I was hoping they would be making editing as the plates pop up....

cheers

I mean the text certainly, but then they have to lay out the images relative to one another and add text to the plates itself. Given how dense the plates are I imagine that is a time intensive process if you don't want the plates to look like a cluttered mess!