Around the world in 80 birds

Review by Booklist Review

Unwin profiles 80 birds, each representing a country or territory where it has significance, especially in relationship to humankind, whether cultural, historical, or scientific. Humans have come to depend on birds as food sources, insect consumers, and more. Entries here are 1--2 pages long and arranged by the bird's primary region, and include the bird's common name and its genus and species. Information about its range, breeding behaviors, nest-making, how it relates to humans, and its conservation status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are also included. Most memorable is the hoopoe's behavior, which includes rubbing foul-smelling secretions around the nest during breeding, while the nestlings hiss like snakes and squirt their droppings forcefully through a narrow nest hole. Readers learn about birds with stunning displays, extraordinary vocalizations, and stellar nest-making skills. Color illustrations of birds and their habitats appear throughout. The visual impact, including many double-page spreads, is eye-catching. The book concludes with an index and resources for more information. Fascinating and informative, this text will appeal to lay readers and bird enthusiasts alike.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Photographer Unwin (Flights of Passage) takes a tour of 80 bird species in this attractive volume. Unwin surveys a range of birds, from fierce predators such as the Harpy Eagle of South America to beautiful songbirds such as Myanmar's Gurney's Pitta. While he offers fascinating facts about, for instance, the hoatzin's unusual anatomy (which mistakenly led some to consider it the missing link between reptiles and birds), the ornate courtship display of the bird-of-Paradise, and more, Unwin distinguishes this work with his emphasis on birds' meanings to humans. For example, the chapter on the Bateleur Eagle of Zimbabwe opens with the 1889 discovery by a German hunter of eight sculptures of raptors, revered by the Sona people as messengers of the gods; Unwin makes a case that the statues were modeled after the Bateleur. Another chapter details changing perceptions of the symbiotic relationship between the African yellow-billed oxpecker and their mammal hosts, which is now believed to be less mutual than it was initially, while a section on white terns notes that they "have long proved a useful navigation aid for sailors." Unwin's evocative prose is a perfect match for the vivid illustrations. This will be a hit with birdwatchers of all stripes. (June)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Rather than compiling an exhaustive bird identification guide, conservationist Unwin (The Enigma of the Owl) focuses here on 80 species, selected for their visual impact, unique abilities, cultural importance (bald eagle; kiwi), and rarity. The geographically arranged entries describe each bird's habitat, plumage, and feeding and life cycle, along with notes on species conservation, all composed with a storyteller's touch. A characteristic entry begins, "No bird does red quite like the scarlet ibis," before moving on to discuss the scarlet ibis's breeding range and taxonomy. Miyake's charming illustrations are crucial and add enjoyment. VERDICT General audiences' enthusiasm for bird books shows no sign of waning, and this volume delights on all levels.

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