Birding Without Borders

An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World

By: Noah Strycker

Narrated by: Luke Welland

Noah Strycker set himself a goal: to become the first person to see half the world's 10,000 species of bird in one year.

With an itinerary covering 41 countries, spanning all seven continents, and armed with a backpack, binoculars, and a series of one-way tickets, he sets out on the greatest adventure in the birding world. Along the way he meets a colorful cast of fellow birders—and discovers a world of blood-sucking leeches, chronic sleep deprivation, floods, war zones, ecologic devastation, and conservation triumphs.

Vivid, charming, and full of wonder, Birding Without Borders is a celebration of passion, exploration, and the birders' ethos that, if you keep your eyes and mind open, you never know what you might see.

©2017 Noah Strycker (P)2022 Noah Strycker

Critic reviews

One of the Guardian's Best Paperbacks of November

"Astonishing.... If by chance you can't meet these 6,042 species yourself, this book is a close second." (Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds)

"Even readers who wouldn't know a marvellous spatuletail from a southern ground hornbill will be awed." (Publishers Weekly)

Speedy birder with details, well narrated

was a pleasure to listen to. Noah shares the planning and execution of his big year in detail. This book is about birding travel adventure, less ornithology.

Very enjoyable

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I would recommend it to any birder no matter their experience level

Well done!

I really wanted to read this book when it came out but didn't make time for it until the Audible version arrived. It was worth the wait!

This is not a prolonged list of birds. Instead, Noah Strycker delivers an engaging, informative tale while describing his travels, destinations, bird finds, and newfound friends.

The narrator did a great job as well, despite having to pronounce an unusual array of names—of species, people, and places—from around the globe.

Inspiring Story

As a fairly new birder and not-yet world traveler this was such an interesting read!

Just beautiful

Amazing book and amazing narrator. I have really enjoyed this book. It is great for people they liked to travel a lot to different countries and admire local traditions and culture. Even if I am not an avid birdwatcher but I love to travel so i enjoy it. l