Bird City

Adventures in New York's Urban Wilds

By: Ryan Goldberg

Narrated by: Evan Sibley

For readers of What an Owl Knows and The World Without Us, this infectiously impassioned tour of the five New York City boroughs offers jaded city dwellers and bird lovers everywhere an unexpected, delightful new view of the concrete jungle – through its surprisingly enormous and diverse bird population

Ryan Goldberg came to birding unexpectedly, but as many first timers do after seeing their “spark” bird, he fell hard. Enamored by the incredible variety of species that pass through his hometown of New York City, and with the other passionate birders he meets, he embarks on a year of reporting on the natural wonders hiding amidst the skyscrapers. He learns that millions of birds migrate through the city each year – over 400 different species have been found in New York, way more than in Yellowstone National Park.

Through the four seasons, Goldberg takes readers to all five boroughs, through the city's most famous parks and landmarks. He chases rare and common species alike, increasing his count and deepening his understanding of how and why birds make their home in this smoggy, noisy, concrete-coated environment. Along the way, he meets many delightful and idiosyncratic characters, both human and feathered.

Richly textured, informative, and uplifting, Bird City will inspire fast-walking New Yorkers, the ever-growing birding community, and readers everywhere who think of “nature” as just a place to visit on Saturdays, to slow down and look around them. There’s a lot more than pigeons in our city skies.

Critic reviews

“With a reporter’s knack for accuracy and a storyteller’s flair for what’s fun, Ryan Goldberg gives us a four-season birder’s-eye view of the Big Apple—with insights on what makes feathered pursuits so special in any city.”—Christian Cooper, author of Better Living Through Birding

"Did the founders of New York know that they were building a city in the shadow of one of the most important bird super-highways on the planet? Goldberg gives us that rare and precious thing: a totally new perspective on familiar places. This book will change how you see your neighborhood and all the wonderful creatures that live there too."—Ben Rawlence, author of The Treeline

“Bird City is a fascinating look at the people who see New York not as a city, but as an ecosystem. Ryan Goldberg's curiosity about the city's birds and the birders who track them offer an illuminating glimpse into the value of urban birding in the twenty-first century.”—Amy Stewart, New York Times-bestselling author of The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants