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The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology
by
Tim Birkhead
What the birds have taught us: a gorgeously rendered and comprehensive history of ornithology, from folklore to facts—the perfect gift for bird enthusiasts everywhere.
Leading ornithologist Tim Birkhead takes readers on a journey through the wonderful world of birds: conception and egg, territory and song, breeding and migration. In the process, he reveals how birders
...moreHardcover, 448 pages
Published
October 14th 2008
by Bloomsbury USA
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Superb! This one was a Christmas present and it was a joy to read. I enjoyed every page including all of the old illustrations.
If you are interested in birds and want to dig deeper into your avocation, I enthusiastically recommend “The Wisdom of Birds” by Tim Birkhead. The hefty volume traces the history of ornithology, detailing how the amateur birdwatchers, out in the field, changed the study of birds, removing it from the hands of the stuffy old museum men and their dried specime...more
If you are interested in birds and want to dig deeper into your avocation, I enthusiastically recommend “The Wisdom of Birds” by Tim Birkhead. The hefty volume traces the history of ornithology, detailing how the amateur birdwatchers, out in the field, changed the study of birds, removing it from the hands of the stuffy old museum men and their dried specime...more
I hardly know how to rate this book! I very much enjoyed parts of it, and loved the beautiful historical illustrations. The author undertook to find out how we know what we know about birds--the people whose ideas and study helped us to discover things like migration, reproduction, territory, etc. There was a LOT of evolutionary theory in the book. I sort of expected that. There was also a LOT of "bird sex" I was a little less thrilled with that. I suppose it's necessary, but it...more
just finished reading this book. it was absolutely fascinating. combining two of my favorite subjects--history and birds. what could be better than this? there were so many 'aha', 'so thats how it works' moments in this book. if you are even slightly curious about nature, birds etc. browse this book. it is written in simple english, very little scientific jargon. just the basic biology of birds is utterly fascinating.
This book answered, in broad outline, many of my questions about birds and their activities. It went on to answer some I had not thought to ask. I enjoyed this history of the study of birds, from Aristotle to today, all through the lens of the work of a late seventeenth century pioneer who anticipated many of the questions that later students of birds worked to answer. The illustrations are beautiful and relevant.
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Not quite what was advertised, but satisfactory reading. Birkhead steps through mostly early revelations about bird behavior with heavy focus on the eminent 17th century ornithologist John Ray (ca.1676) The material is arranged topically, with individual chapters on migration, infidelity, etc. the illustrations from early scholarly works are lush and don't get in the way of the text. This one is probably appropriate only for readers with a keen interest in birds.
I could not put this fascinating history of ornithology down. It is compellingly written, as much for the lay person as for the professional.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in birds; even if you don't read it, immerse yourself in the color plates of birds from all over the world, painted from medieval times to the present.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in birds; even if you don't read it, immerse yourself in the color plates of birds from all over the world, painted from medieval times to the present.
I turned this back in at the library without finishing it. The book was longer and more detailed than I wanted right now. Not that it wasn't good, because it was. But I haven't been birding in weeks, and so reading about birds just makes me sad and anxious. In search of some escapist fiction instead, I now turn to a few of my favorite YA authors...
I absolutely loved this book! Tim Birkhead loves his subject: the development of ornithology through the centuries. Included are lovely illustrations and some science made completely accessible - sheds some light on the chicken and egg conundrum.
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