What Is A Bird? An Exploration Of Anatomy, Physiology, Behavior, And Ecology — Review

A comprehensive overview of birds, featuring clearly written explanations and lavish photographs and diagrams on every page

© Copyright by GrrlScientist | @GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes

Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by birds. We eat them, keep them as pets, we watch them, and they inspire our technologies, arts and religions, but at the same time, we humans are responsible for the most serious threats facing many bird species. Our actions have caused some birds to disappear forever from Earth — iconic birds such as the passenger pigeon, the Carolina parakeet, the great auk and the ivory-billed woodpecker, which was officially declared extinct just two days ago.

Written by a team of seven scientists and edited by Tony Williams, a biology professor at Simon Fraser University, What Is a Bird? An Exploration of Anatomy, Physiology, Behavior, and Ecology (Princeton University Press; 2020: Amazon US / Amazon UK) combines cutting-edge science with lavish photography and informative scientific illustrations to enlighten the reader about the lives of birds, from common backyard sparrows to the most exotic birds of paradise. In this book, we learn why birds do what they do; why their bodies are built in specific ways; why they are so diverse. We also learn interesting details about particular species, such as how emperor penguins, Aptenodytes forsteri, breed successfully on glaciers during the blustery Antarctic winter when temperatures regularly plunge to -40^oC; we discover how red knots, Calidris canutus, fly 12,000 kilometers non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand in less than 2 weeks; and how ducks, geese and swans swim for hours in icy water without freezing their feet off.

In addition to being informative and educational, this beautifully formatted book relies upon an economy of words alongside a profusion of gorgeous graphics — hundreds of stunning photographs, scanning electron microscope images and explanatory figures, maps and diagrams — that occupy literally every page. Within its 368 pages, this comprehensive volume provides valuable insights into our complex relationship with birds, from our enduring fascination with them to the threats they face and the challenges of conserving them, as well as the many technological innovations designed for studying birds.

I was particularly drawn to the parts that explore color, which is one of my lifelong passions: of plumage, eyes, beaks and eggshells. This book addresses ‘color questions’ such as, how do feathers get their different colors and color patterns? What is the difference between a pigment-based color and a structure-based color? What makes some birds’ feathers glossy — like those of ravens, Corvus corax — or iridescent — like those of the hummingbirds? How, for example, does the helmet vanga, Euryceros prevostii, create its distinctive blue beak color? How do some birds create brilliant eye colors? And how do so many birds generate gorgeous eggshell colors and unique patterns?

If you love birds, you’ll find them all here, from ostriches to hummingbirds, from parrots to penguins. This oversized coffee-table book presents an exhaustive overview of the birds, sharing our latest studies into the evolutionary origins of birds to their modern diversity of anatomical and physiological adaptations, migration and navigation, food and foraging, reproduction, social behavior and communication, their relationship to humans and even the newest research about avian ecology, behaviors and habits.

Whether you are a veteran ornithologist, a fledgling student of birds, a newly hatched bird watcher or an enthusiastic citizen scientist, this must-read book has something to offer you. The text is readable and uses unambiguous language whenever possible. It would make a superb textbook or supplemental reference for a class, an essential addition to a public or personal library, or a valued gift for the bird enthusiast in your life. But beyond that, this book may help more people to better understand birds and motivate them to actively support avian conservation efforts so our children and grandchildren can be inspired by their beauty and diversity just as we are.

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