COMING NOVEMBER 2026
Some birds disappear.
Others are silenced.
South Carolina, 1979. Two birders venture into a remote swamp, hoping to discover whether Bachman's Warbler, one of America's rarest birds, might still survive.
Their search uncovers evidence of illegal logging, drawing them into a conflict with powerful interests determined to keep the truth hidden.
What begins as a search for a missing bird becomes a struggle over evidence, conservation, and the fate of a Southern swamp.
“A gripping historical eco-adventure with the suspense of a good Grisham or Turow novel.” — Laura Erickson
In 1979, Chicago attorney Luke Peterson and his longtime birding companion Martin Kolczyk travel to the South Carolina Lowcountry in pursuit of a tantalizing possibility: Bachman's Warbler, a bird that has eluded ornithologists for years, may still survive in the region's remote swamps.
Following clues left by a deceased local birder, they join forces with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Maria Lopez. As they piece together the evidence, their investigation brings them into conflict with a timber company, government officials, and people who have their own reasons for keeping the swamp's secrets.
As their investigation deepens, Luke, Martin, and Maria encounter resistance from people whose interests reach far beyond the swamp. The questions become increasingly urgent: What does the evidence actually prove, whom can they trust, and how far are they willing to go to protect a bird that may already be gone?
The search eventually leads to a courtroom, where the future of the swamp may depend on the strength of their evidence—and on whether the law can protect a species whose continued existence remains uncertain.
THE STORY
One of the very few photos of Bachman’s Warbler. Charleston, 1958.
Often attributed to J. Payne but actually photographed by J.H. Dick.
PRAISE FOR THE LAST WARBLER
“A gripping historical eco-adventure with the suspense of a good Grisham or Turow novel. Bendorf’s wonderfully drawn main characters feel like real birders, not caricatures. I devoured The Last Warbler in two days, savoring it from start to finish.”
LAURA ERICKSON Award-winning author and recipient of the American Birding Association’s Roger Tory Peterson Award
“In his debut novel, The Last Warbler, Carl Bendorf, an experienced bird adorer, speaks to the search for an elusive species, Bachman’s Warbler—a tiny bird wrapped in the enormity of U.S. history and a mysterious ecology. For the reader, his words are vicarious drama and adventure. If a forever-gone bird might be felt, Carl brings us into this absence and what it takes to chase a ghost.”
J. DREW LANHAM Author of The Home Place, ornithologist, and 2022 MacArthur Fellow
“The Last Warbler is a compelling and deeply informed novel that captures both the passion of birding and the difficult conservation choices that can determine whether a species survives.”
GEORGE FENWICK Founder and former president, American Bird Conservancy
“This engaging novel slaked my thirst for a compelling blend of birds and conservation. Bendorf presents the moving transformation of an avid birder into a committed conservationist, while giving the reader a glimpse of an avian ghost of the Southern swamps.”
WAYNE KLOCKNER Executive Director, American Birding Association
ABOUT CARL J. BENDORF
Carl J. Bendorf has been a birder since childhood, exploring the fields and woods of small-town Iowa with a friend and a pair of binoculars.
He founded Colorado Birding Adventures and Iowa Young Birders, served as president of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union, and held leadership positions with the American Birding Association. His birding travels have taken him across North America and into Central and South America, including Attu Island in Alaska's western Aleutians.
The Last Warbler grew out of his lifelong interest in birding history, conservation, and the uncertain fate of Bachman's Warbler.
Carl lives in Longmont, Colorado, with his wife, Linda Marie Bendorf, director of Blue Sage Writing.
