The Beauty Of Birds

Spring returns and with it the birds. But it also brings throngs of birders who emerge, binoculars in hand, to catch a glimpse of a rare or previously unseen species or to simply lay eyes on a particularly fine specimen of a familiar type. In a delightful meditation that unexpectedly ranges from the Volga Delta to Central Park and from Charles Dickens's Hard Times to a 1940s London burlesque show, Jeremy Mynott ponders what makes birds so beautiful and alluring to so many people. Princeton Shorts are brief selections taken from influential Princeton University Press books and produced exclusively in ebook format. Providing unmatched insight into important contemporary issues or timeless passages from classic works of the past, Princeton Shorts enable you to be an instant expert in a world where information is everywhere but quality is at a premium.

In this magnificent display of ornithological beauty, readers are given the chance to marvel at the textures and colors of birds in stunning detail--and are rewarded with a new appreciation of art in nature. Deborah Samuel's photographs are meant to inspire and teach. In this book she turns her lens toward the bird, and her images are as surprising as they are exquisite. From nest to egg to feather, these images are an exercise in seeing and a showcase of what photography can reveal: the impossibly soft feathers of ospreys; the iridescence of a bird-of-paradise; the curved, needle-like beak of a common scimitarbill; and the psychedelic hues of the aptly named resplendent quetzal. Samuel also photographs the nests and eggs of birds, showing us examples of incredible artistry and simple, natural perfection. Accompanying these images are detailed scientific descriptions of Samuel's subjects, written by Mark Peck, an ornithological expert at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. An index detailing each species--its common and scientific names, size, habitats, and breeding practices--makes this more than a photography book, while the extraordinary images transform it into a sourcebook of colors, shapes, and designs.

Behind Sami, the Syrian skyline is full of smoke. The boy follows his family and all his neighbours in a long line, as they trudge through the sands and hills to escape the bombs that have destroyed their homes. But all Sami can think of is his pet pigeons - will they escape too? When they reach a refugee camp and are safe at last, everyone settles into the tent city. But though the children start to play and go to school again, Sami can't join in. When he is given paper and paint, all he can do is smear his painting with black. He can't forget his birds and what his family has left behind. One day a canary, a dove, and a rose finch fly into the camp. They flutter around Sami and settle on his outstretched arms. For Sami it is one step in a long healing process at last. A gentle yet moving story of refugees of the Syrian civil war, My Beautiful Birds illuminates the ongoing crisis as it affects its children. It shows the reality of the refugee camps, where people attempt to pick up their lives and carry on. And it reveals the hope of generations of people as they struggle to redefine home.

"A writer's search for inspiration, beauty, and solace leads her to birds in this ... meditation on creativity and life"--

"An enchanting book" Joanna Lumley "Full of amazing facts and beautiful clear illustrations. A book to inspire the young and indeed the old!" Alison Steadman "Will not fail to ignite young imaginations" David Lindo Full of stunning illustrations and incredible facts, My Book of Birds is a glorious celebration of birds. From majestic golden eagles and snowy owls to brilliant red crossbills and puffins to the tiniest of hummingbirds, the book covers them all. Meet cormorants that can dive underwater for up to 30 seconds at a time, and ptarmigans whose feathers turn completely white in winter, so they can blend in with their snowy habitat. Beautifully designed, and with a debossed wibalin cover, this is an ideal gift for bird lovers of all ages! If you've loved Beautiful Birds, or The Genius of Birds, or Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds, then you'll love this. Incredible collage illustrations from Geraldo Valério show a variety of feathered creatures in their natural habitats as they hunt for food, impress their mates, nest and care for their young. The concise, accessible text is ideal for children aged six and above, and provides information ranging from clever techniques for finding food to remarkable physical features to fascinating behaviours. But above all, Geraldo Valério shares his passion for birds in this lovingly created album, inspiring young readers with their beauty and the excitement of discovery. Includes an introduction, glossary, index and sources for further information.

A fascinating investigation into the miraculous world of birds and the powerful—and surprising—ways they enrich our lives and sustain the planet Our relationship to birds is different from our relationship to any other wild creatures. They are everywhere and we love to watch them, listen to them, keep them as pets, wear their feathers, even converse with them. Birds, Jim Robbins posits, are our most vital connection to nature. They compel us to look to the skies, literally and metaphorically; draw us out into nature to seek their beauty; and let us experience vicariously what it is like to be weightless. Birds have helped us in many of our endeavors: learning to fly, providing clothing and food, and helping us better understand the human brain and body. And they even have much to teach us about being human. A natural storyteller, Robbins illuminates how qualities unique to birds make them invaluable to humankind—from the Australian brush turkey, which helped scientists discover how dinosaurs first flew, to the eagles in Washington D.C. that rehabilitated the troubled teenagers placed in charge of their care. From the “good luck” ravens in England to the superb lyrebird, whose song is so sophisticated it can mimic koalas, crying babies and chainsaws, Robbins shows our close relationship with birds, the ways in which they are imperiled and how we must fight to save them for the sake of both the planet and humankind. Jim Robbins has written for the New York Times for more than thirty-five years, as well as numerous other magazines including Audubon, Condé Nast Traveler, BBC Future, Smithsonian and Vanity Fair. He is the author of several books including The Man Who Planted Trees and Last Refuge: The Environmental Showdown in the American West. ‘Fittingly for a work about birds and what they can teach us, The Wonder of Birds soars beyond its putative subject into realms once regarded as mystical.’ —Fiona Capp, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘A must-read, conveying much necessary information in easily accessible form and awakening one’s consciousness to what might otherwise be taken for granted ... The Wonder of Birds reads like the story of a kid let loose in a candy store and given free rein to sample. That is one of its strengths: the convert’s view gives wide appeal to those who might never have known birds well.’ —Bernd Heinrich, Wall Street Journal