Beloved Naturalist and Illustrator John Muir Laws Debuts an Updated Edition of His Classic Birds Guide
The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds features over 200 species with full-color illustrations to help hikers, birders, and nature enthusiasts identify the winged creatures of the Sierras.
BERKELEY, CALIF. — On the 20th anniversary of its original publication, Heyday proudly debuts an updated edition of John Muir Laws’ classic guide to the birds of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Born out of a partnership with the California Academy of Sciences, The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds (October 2024), serves as a quintessential resource for both experienced bird watchers and budding ornithologists, and after two decades in print and over 40,000 copies sold, has become an indispensable resource.
Featuring a unique color-coded taxonomy, in this conveniently portable guide, Laws walks readers through the rainbow of montane avifauna, from red to orange to yellow to green to blue birds, in addition to separate sections on waterfowl and raptors. This updated edition features all new illustrations from the celebrated nature journaler, whose bestselling field and drawing guides combine art and science to foster curiosity, community, and nature connection.
As president and co-founder of the Wild Wonder Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging nature connection and conservation—Laws’ goal in all his work is to nurture and celebrate attention to the wonder and beauty in our natural world as an entry point to stewardship, conservation, and care. With The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Birds, he invites readers to turn their eyes to the skies.
“My start in nature journaling and drawing came through workshops with John Muir Laws,” writes Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles. “I not only learned to draw, I discovered I could live more deeply in the moment, with curiosity, awe, and gratitude. It was restorative in a time of turmoil.”
“My working definition of love is sustained, compassionate attention,” says John Muir Laws. “When you pay attention to another, it changes your relationship with them, and it also changes you. That attention is also what forms and sustains our relationship with the natural world. Your attention is one of the greatest gifts that you can give to the world. It is a celebration. It is a song of connection. It is a prayer to the wonder of what is around us.”
With his updated field guide to Sierra birds, Laws invites all readers to share in the joy of attuning to nature, to discover what the birds are doing, and to use this experience to open up to the beauty and diversity of the Sierra.
Reader Praise for Sierra Birds
“This lightweight book is easy to use, the illustrations are beautiful and easy to compare with the sightings, and it is easy to carry. Terrific reference to bring birds in the field into the heart and carry close in memory.”
—Bailey M.
“I’m jealous of the friend I’m gifting this to, and I’ll probably be getting myself a copy as well. I love how easy this is to use for identification! A must for anyone living in the Sierras.”
—Mary
“Another beautifully illustrated and easy to use field guide of Sierran birds. And if you ever get a chance to see John Muir Laws give a presentation, do so!”
—Glen W.
“This is a well prepared compact reference. Nature lovers can find excellent identification pictures and descriptive narrative to aid in enjoying our feathered friends.”
—Anonymous
“Finally a good bird book for Sierra hikers! This book is very easy to use because the birds can easily be found simply by looking at the color of what you’re seeing. It’s excellent for kids and advanced birders alike.”
—J. Haskel
“Everyone with a plan to hike the Sierras, or owns a home there should have one.”
—Sue L.
Media Contact:
Kalie Caetano
Marketing & Publicity Director, Heyday
For review copies, feature interest, and interview and image requests, get in touch: publicity@heydaybooks.com.
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John Muir Laws is a naturalist, educator, and artist with degrees in conservation and resource studies, wildlife biology, and scientific illustration. His books include The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada, The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds, The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, and (with Emilie Lygren), and How to Teach Nature Journaling, all published by Heyday. He is cofounder of the Wild Wonder Foundation (wildwonder.org), an organization encouraging nature connection through art and science. Visit his website at johnmuirlaws.com.
