About

Our History

Buteo Books has always been independent and family-owned and operated.

The business was founded in 1971 by Joyce and Byron Harrell in Vermillion, South Dakota. List number one, on a single sheet of paper, offered some 50 bird books for sale. Today, we carry the largest selection of new, used, and rare ornithology books in North America, including field guides, finding guides, and scientific monographs, plus art, accessories, games, and gifts.

Hand carved wooden sign with a hawk and the name of Buteo Books

Developments

  • In 1991, the business was purchased by Allen Hale and moved to Nelson County, Virginia.
  • Allen Hale has been leading birding tours to Panama since 1998 and specializes in customized itineraries for small groups.
  • In 2013, Buteo Books was sold to the next generation of the Hale family, Jamie and Jeremy Hale. Jamie, Allen Hale's daughter-in-law, began working at the bookstore in 1998.
  • In 2024, Buteo Books was purchased by Lyzy Lusterman who has opened a brick-and-mortar bookstore in her Marin County, California hometown.
  • The Hale family is elated to be able to pass on the bookstore to an enthusiastic and capable successor. The Lusterman family has worked together in the publishing industry for decades—and share a love and appreciation of birds.
  • The website and catalogs will continue to be a convenient way to order from across the U.S. or around the globe. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area or have plans to visit, we hope you'll stop in to see us!

Our Offerings
We offer a wide selection of new, used, fine and rare books. We add newly arrived books weekly, but we have many titles that we have not yet listed. If you don't find it listed here, please feel free to contact us about any specific books for which you are looking.

Our Staff
We pride ourselves on our customer service. Our small but knowledgeable staff is happy to offer advice, experience, and recommendations. We're here to make sure that you get the book you need. If we don't have it in stock, we can probably find it for you.

Our Commitment
Buteo Books is a family-owned and operated business based on the firm belief that independent booksellers are a vital component of our social and cultural landscape. We believe that birding is for everybody, and whether you're newly bird-curious or an experienced naturalist, we welcome you warmly into our flock. We share a love and appreciation of birds with our customers and are committed to preserving biological diversity and supporting conservation efforts throughout the world. We re-use packing materials and paper, recycle every day, and do not send out catalogs indiscriminately. Our mailing list is not shared and we do not wish to send catalogs to people who do not want them.

Accessibility
We are committed to making this site user-friendly to all. If you have difficulty viewing or navigating any content on this website or notice functionality or features that you believe are not fully accessible, please contact us. We take your feedback seriously and will evaluate how we can best accommodate all of our customers.