The wonder of birds : what they tell us about ourselves, the world, and a better future
by Robbins, Jim (Author)
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Summary
Our relationship to birds is different from our relationship to any other wild creatures. They are found virtually 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... Full description
Table of Contents:
- Part I. What birds tell us about the natural world
- Birds: the dinosaurs that made it
- Hummingbirds: the magic of flight
- Canaries and black-backed woodpeckers: birds as flying sentinels
- A murmuring of birds: the extraordinary design of the flock
- Part II. The gifts of birds
- The power of a feather
- From egg to table part one: the chicken
- From egg to table part two: wild birds
- The miracle of guano
- Nature's cleanup crew
- Part III. Discovering ourselves through birds
- Bird brain, human brain
- The surprisingly astute minds of ravens and crows
- The secret language of birds
- The bee-eaters: a modern family
- Extreme physiologies: birds, the ultimate athletes
- Part IV. Birds and the hope for a better future
- Nature's hired men: putting birds to work
- The city bird: from sidewalk to sky
- The transformational power of birds
- Birds as social workers
- Expanding our senses
- Epilogue: The future of birds.