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Beaks, Bones & Bird Songs

Publisher: Timber Press

Publication Year: 2016

Binding: Hardback

Page Count: 282

ISBN Number: 9781604696486

Price: £ 17.99

Beaks, Bones & Bird Songs: How the struggle for survival has shaped birds and their behaviour

According to this engaging and informative book, back in 1703, a pamphlet was published stating that ‘birds fly to the moon for winter’ whilst in 1905, an essay proclaimed that in order to fly, ‘birds inhale deeply, making themselves lighter than air, and fly off’. Our knowledge of avian science and behaviour has come a long way since then (although there is still much to learn) and this book leads the reader through a lot of that information in an easy to read and easy to digest manner.

Each chapter examines a different aspect of bird ecology, from physical attributes like the shape of the beak, to sensory capabilities such as the ability to see UV light, to the mechanics of flight and incredible feats of navigation. Later chapters look at adaptations to weather, how bird communities function and how humans have impacted on bird populations. The author’s passion for birds shines through and every chapter is packed full of interesting (and sometimes plain astonishing) facts and snippets of information. One of my favourites is that the American Bittern’s neck stripes help it to blend into the reeds it stands amongst and on windy days, it sways back and forth to mimic the movement of the surrounding vegetation!

Whilst the vast number of facts presented in the book are wonderful and provide a thorough introduction to birds, I found it mildly frustrating in the first chapter. Every subject or species was only given a sentence or two and I often found myself wanting to know more. Whilst there is a comprehensive reference section at the back, ordered alphabetically by author and separated by chapter, there are no references throughout the text. This undoubtedly makes the book more accessible and means it feels less like a textbook, but as a result, makes it slightly more difficult to follow up on a particular topic of interest.

I was a little disappointed to see what looked to be the results from the BTO’s Constant Effort Sites ringing scheme quoted as being data collected by the RSPB but this didn’t detract from what is otherwise an excellent read. This is a book that should appeal to anyone with an interest in birds; from the complete beginner to the more knowledgeable, almost everyone will learn something from this book.

Book reviewed by Ruth Walker



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