Birdology

Release on 2011-08-04 | by Sy Montgomery

And Birdology is Sy Montgomery at her very best... . Birdology is more like a
novel, a confession, or an engaging memoir of life lived with soul and wings. I
love this book.” —Dale Peterson, author of Jane Goodall: The Woman Who
Redefined ...

Author: Sy Montgomery
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 9780731815401
Category: Nature
Page: 272
View: 298

Birdology

Meet the ladies: a flock of smart, affectionate, highly individualistic chickens who visit their favorite neighbors, devise different ways to hide from foxes, and mob the author like she's a rock star. In these pages you'll also meet Maya and Zuni, two orphaned baby hummingbirds who hatched from eggs the size of navy beans, and who are little more than air bubbles fringed with feathers. Their lives hang precariously in the balance-but with human help, they may one day conquer the sky. Snowball is a cockatoo whose dance video went viral on YouTube and who's now teaching schoolchildren how to dance. You'll meet Harris's hawks named Fire and Smoke. And you'll come to know and love a host of other avian characters who will change your mind forever about who birds really are. Each of these birds shows a different and utterly surprising aspect of what makes a bird a bird-and these are the lessons of Birdology: that birds are far stranger, more wondrous, and at the same time more like us than we might have dared to imagine. In Birdology, beloved author of The Good Good Pig Sy Montgomery explores the essence of the otherworldly creatures we see every day. By way of her adventures with seven birds-wild, tame, exotic, and common-she weaves new scientific insights and narrative to reveal seven kernels of bird wisdom. The first lesson of Birdology is that, no matter how common they are, Birds Are Individuals, as each of Montgomery's distinctive Ladies clearly shows. In the leech-infested rain forest of Queensland, you'll come face to face with a cassowary-a 150-pound, man-tall, flightless bird with a helmet of bone on its head and a slashing razor-like toenail with which it (occasionally) eviscerates people-proof that Birds Are Dinosaurs. You'll learn from hawks that Birds Are Fierce; from pigeons, how Birds Find Their Way Home; from parrots, what it means that Birds Can Talk; and from 50,000 crows who moved into a small city's downtown, that Birds Are Everywhere. They are the winged aliens who surround us. Birdology explains just how very "other" birds are: Their hearts look like those of crocodiles. They are covered with modified scales, which are called feathers. Their bones are hollow. Their bodies are permeated with extensive air sacs. They have no hands. They give birth to eggs. Yet despite birds' and humans' disparate evolutionary paths, we share emotional and intellectual abilities that allow us to communicate and even form deep bonds. When we begin to comprehend who birds really are, we deepen our capacity to approach, understand, and love these otherworldly creatures. And this, ultimately, is the priceless lesson of Birdology: it communicates a heartfelt fascination and awe for birds and restores our connection to these complex, mysterious fellow creatures

Language: en
Pages: 272

Birdology

Authors: Sy Montgomery

Categories: Nature

Type: BOOK - Published: 2011-08-04 - Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Language: en
Pages: 128

Birdology

Authors: Monica Russo, Kevin Byron

Categories: Juvenile Nonfiction

Type: BOOK - Published: 2015-01-01 - Publisher: Chicago Review Press

This generously illustrated, full-color book engages young nature enthusiasts in exploring the world of birds. Kids learn that birds can be seen almost anywhere: in city parks and streets, zoos, farms, and backyards. Using "Try This," "Look For," and "Listen For" prompts, Birdology promotes independent observation and analysis, writing and

Language: en
Pages: 180

Marshal Royal

Authors: Marshal Royal, Claire P. Gordon

Categories: Social Science

Type: BOOK - Published: 2001-09-01 - Publisher: A&C Black

Marsgal Royal was a core member of the Count Basei Orchestra for twenty years during its resurgence in the 1950s and 1960s. Before that, he was a pioneer of jazz on the West Coast, playing with many bands in and around Los Angeles. A child prodigy of both the violin

Language: en
Pages: 144

Zoology for Kids

Authors: Josh Hestermann, Bethanie Hestermann, The Kratt Brothers

Categories: Juvenile Nonfiction

Type: BOOK - Published: 2015-03-01 - Publisher: Chicago Review Press

“Packed with facts and photos, Zoology for Kids is a vibrant introduction to zoology that also provides inspiration for career options and activities to help children further explore and apply what they have learned.” —Liesl Pimentel, manager of education and formal programs, Phoenix Zoo Zoology for Kids invites young animal