The Breeding Birds of Minnesota: History, Ecology, and Conservation

The early response to "The Breeding Birds of Minnesota" has been overwhelmingly positive. I have been told by many bird lovers (individual donors and contributing photographers with whom I've personally shared the book) that they are ecstatic about its beauty. The metrics bear this out. Since its release in April 2024, the book has sold 1,320 copies, approximately 1/4 of the print run. The book launch event at Bell Museum in May 2024 was attended by approximately 165 people, and a Duluth event later in the month was filled to capacity (75).

The book has also received extensive press coverage in the Star Tribune ("a huge, gorgeous look at where Minnesota birds like to hang out ... Given the wealth of detail offered about each [bird], it reads almost like a hook-up site for our feathered friends"), MPR, the KAXE Morning Show, Northern Naturalist, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, Laura Erickson's For the Birds radio program, the Duluth News Tribune (this piece was re-run in the Pioneer Press), Agate Magazine, WTIP radio, the Minnesota Ornithologist Union Newsletter, and elsewhere.

The positive reception of the book has resulted from years of work by the authors and their assistants, the generosity of contributing photographers who donated their work to the project, the copyeditors and University of Minnesota Press staff who worked on the project, and before that all of the partners and volunteers who worked on the survey project. Audubon Minnesota, a partner on the survey project and the book, was also a key factor in the book's early success, as they promoted the book to their mailing lists and presented a webcast with authors Pfannmuller and Niemi in June 2024. Last we heard, 130 people had registered for this webinar, perhaps as many as 150.