Marc Parnell
BornGreenville, North Carolina
OccupationAuthor, ornithologist, photographer
NationalityAmerican
SubjectBirds
Notable worksThe Birding Pro's Field Guides
Website
www.thebirdingpro.com

Marc Parnell is an ornithologist, author, and wildlife photographer. He is best known for The Birding Pro's Field Guides, a series of photographic identification guides to the birds of North America, and is the second-most published ornithologist in the world, based on books in active print.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Parnell was born in Greenville, North Carolina, where the immediate proximity of his childhood home to the banks of the Tar River fostered an early love of nature.[5][6] These seeds of childhood curiosity began to take greater root after a move to the city of Jamestown, New York, the birthplace of American naturalist Roger Tory Peterson.[7] Parnell cites Peterson among his early influences, having received a green, fabric-bound Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians on the occasion of his fourth birthday.[8][9] After several additional moves, Parnell spent his teenage years in small-town Pennsylvania before attending Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he would eventually reside.[10][11]

During his time away from home, Parnell had arranged a set of bird feeders in his mother's backyard to serve as a regular topic of conversation, and eventually composed a short, 20-page guide to the local birds that she would be most likely to observe.[12][13] After having failed to identify a suitable, comprehensive replacement for his mother's booklet, he began to compose the framework of what would eventually become his collected series of field guides.[14][15]

Career

In early 2021 and 2022, Parnell released a series of 41 photographic bird-identification guides, The Birding Pro's Field Guides, several of which reached bestseller status in multiple countries.[2][8] These field guides, which each focus on an individual state, city, or province, provide information specific to the local area; for instance, his first-of-their-kind monthly birding forecasts for each species give month-by-month values for local frequency and ease-of-finding.[14][16] Parnell is known for also having pioneered the birding-by-comparison approach, which allows birders to identify new birds by comparing them to those which they already know, primarily by using size-based and behavioral categorizations.[15][17][18]

Parnell follows a multi-step approach to the writing process. Firstly, he locates and observes birds all throughout the calendar year, in a variety of different habitats and geographic locations, so as to best understand each species' evolving behaviors through the passing months. Secondly, he reflects and logs entries in a personal diary, placing emphasis on a contextualized "day-in-the-life" approach to each species.[19][20] Finally, he uses data analysis to make wider conclusions and to inform the data presented in his final drafts.[21] In addition to the naturalist-specific works of Roger Tory Peterson, Parnell cites Herman Melville, Jack London, and Jorge Luis Borges as literary influences.[19]

Alongside his writing pursuits, Parnell is an educator and advocate for safe birding practices and the mitigation of bird-window collisions.[22][23][24] His favorite North American bird is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.[10] Parnell currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio.[6][17][25]

Publications

  • The Birding Pro's Field Guides: City Series
  • The Birding Pro's Field Guides: State Series
  • The Birding Pro's Field Guides: Province Series

References

  1. ↑ Christie, Judy. "New guidebook tells how to identify, attract Louisiana birds". The Times. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  2. 1 2 Parker, Melody. "WATCH NOW: Innovative Iowa bird guide in hand makes identification 'intuitive' for birders". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  3. ↑ Price, Donna (March 13, 2022). "Noted ornithologist publishes field guide of state's birds". American Press. Lake Charles, LA. pp. A12.
  4. ↑ "Home | The Birding Pro's Field Guides". The Birding Pro. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  5. ↑ Glen, Melissa (Summer 2022). "Birds of NC: Greenville native focuses on home state in new field guide". Greenville: Life in the East (Magazine). pp. 8–9. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "New book provides guide to birding in Alabama". AP NEWS. 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  7. ↑ "Photographer, author appreciates avian wildlife". timesobserver.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  8. 1 2 "Local author writes new guide book for state's bird-watchers". The Sentinel Record. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  9. ↑ Miller, Robert (2022-03-05). "Robert Miller: New field guide is for the (Connecticut) birds". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  10. 1 2 "Avian Obsession". National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  11. ↑ Inquirer, Tim Leininger / Journal. "BOOKS: Author pens guide to Connecticut birds: Marc Parnell returns to his roots in the Nutmeg State". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  12. ↑ Barraza, Paris. "Saturday is World Book Day. Celebrate with these 6 books with Iowa City ties published in 2022". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  13. ↑ "How to get into bird-watching in two hours or less". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  14. 1 2 Park, Emily (2022-06-30). "Author of Kansas and Missouri Bird Guides Answers Four Questions on Birding in KC". In Kansas City. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  15. 1 2 "Eyes on the Sky: Ornithologist Marc Parnell hatches new bird field guide for Alabama". Limestone Life. Spring 2022. pp. 21–25.
  16. ↑ Godfrey, Ed. "As bear sightings increase across Oklahoma in early summer, 'it is important to be bear wise'". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  17. 1 2 McIntyre, Barbara. "Book Talk: 'Birds of Greater Cleveland' and 'The Common Angler' explore fields and streams". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  18. ↑ Schrodt, Hannah. "Like a duck to water: Author talks birding in Nebraska". Fremont Tribune. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  19. 1 2 "Parnell's newest book really is for the birds". The Star Democrat. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  20. ↑ "Mississippi gets new birdwatching guide". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, MS. May 14, 2022. pp. A11.
  21. ↑ Fontenot, Jordan LaHaye (2022-05-23). "Q&A with Birder Marc Parnell". Country Roads Magazine. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  22. ↑ "America's Youth Have a New Favorite Activity. It's More Wholesome Than You Think". InsideHook. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  23. ↑ "The 14 Best Bird Baths for a Stylish, Bird-Friendly Garden". Better Homes & Gardens. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  24. ↑ Slack, Megan (2022-02-13). "This is exactly where to hang your bird feeder to prevent window collisions". homesandgardens.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  25. ↑ Parnell, Marc (2022). Birds of Connecticut (The Birding Pro's Field Guides). Naturalist & Traveler Press. p. 283. ISBN 978-1-954228-27-6.
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