The Meaning of Birds

by Simon Barnes

A gorgeously illustrated and enchanting examination of the lives of birds, illuminating their wondrous world and our connection with them.

One of our most eloquent nature writers offers a passionate and informative celebration of birds and their ability to help us understand the world we live in. As well as exploring how birds achieve the miracle of flight; why birds sing; what they tell us about the seasons of the year and what their presence tells us about the places they inhabit, The Meaning of Birds muses on the uses of feathers, the drama of raptors, the slaughter of pheasants, the infidelities of geese, and the strangeness of feeling sentimental about blue tits while enjoying a chicken sandwich.

From the mocking-birds of the Galapagos who guided Charles Darwin toward his evolutionary theory, to the changing patterns of migration that alert us to the reality of contemporary climate change, Simon Barnes explores both the intrinsic wonder of what it is to be a bird—and the myriad ways in which birds can help us understand the meaning of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Birds, Animals, Science, Natural History, Environment

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds are all around us, they are the wild creatures that we encounter every day. They have fascinated us for millennia with their mastery of the air and ability to produce the most beautiful songs. In this book, Barnes wants us to pause and consider just how much we rely on them and them on us. Covering all manner of topics, from the way that their feathers enable them to fly, how they define the seasons, their ability to navigate huge distances across the planet and how they have fed and clothed us from time immemorial.

Science owes a lot to birds as well. Darwin’s observations of birds in the Galapagos gave us the theory of evolution; engineers have studied the way that albatrosses can fly over 600 miles in a day with scarcely a flap to improve the performance of wings. Climate scientists study migration patterns and times to see glimpse the subtle changes that climate change is having. It is packed full of fascinating details and anecdotes on birds, like how the feathers can be light, waterproof and enable flight, and a subtly different feather can be the most efficient insulator we know. Modern technology helped us discover the hidden sounds in the songs and the precise speed of the Peregrines stoop.

Barnes has given us a well written, heartfelt book about the wonders of birds. It is a broadbrush look at the world of birds and the subjects are varied as the birds you can discover through your binocluars. This book will make you smile too, as nestled in amongst the science and facts is a tongue-in-cheek humour like the irony of tucking into a chicken sandwich when watching birds.. Throughout the book are lots of fine line drawings taken from Eighteenth century bird books, and I think that this lifts it from being another book about our feathered friends to make it a real pleasure to read. It is a book that can be dipped into without losing anything, and most importantly conveys his deep passion for his subject. Great stuff.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Without the wild world we are less than ourselves."

To me, Simon Barnes is a sports reporter and it has taken a while for me to get used to him also being a wildlife writer. I still think of him writing about football or cricket, but he has crafted a book here that is a delight to read for anyone interested in birds. He has a lifelong interest in birds and is passionately knowledgeable about them. He is also a talented writer.

But it is about more than birds. Barnes uses birds as a launching pad for a discussion about conservation. You can judge my feelings about birds and conservation by the fact that I was reduced to tears (yes, tears from a non-fiction book!) by the following passage:

"What would you do if you had a million pounds?"

Isabelle laughed. "I would buy an area of forest - I can show it to you-that would link up two areas of forest we already own. It is the best land, fronting onto the river, essential for wildlife. If we could secure that - well, it would be a dream."

A year later, we gave her that million quid, and she bought the land.

He is referring to a public appeal for funds that was publicised in the column he wrote for The Times and to which people responded magnificently. If you are interested in nature conservation, you will probably understand the importance of connecting corridors that join larger pieces of land and allow free movement of wildlife between those areas.

Many of us don’t have much connection with wildlife, but even those who live in city centres would struggle to go a day without seeing birds - they are perhaps our most immediate connection with nature. And even in city centres, if you keep your eyes open, you can see a lot more than sparrows and pigeons. A very large proportion of people have bird feeders in their gardens and often plant bushes and flowers specifically to attract birds. Where I live, just 5 minutes walk into open fields, birds are abundant and nearly all my neighbours have feeders out. People, in general, like birds.

Barnes’ love of birds shines through in this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in any level of birdwatching.

Finally, one plea (please pass this on to anyone you possibly can) that has been a personal cause of mine for some time and which Barnes picks up on in this book. Please, please, please don’t feed bread to the ducks. It fills them up with no nutritional value and what they don’t eat rots in the water and contributes to pollution. Instead, take a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer - by the time you get to the ducks they (the peas, not the ducks) will have thawed enough to make a tasty, nutritious snack. Or oats, or corn. Just, please, please no bread (white bread is the worst).

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, engaging, full of fascinating points. Each chapter had a central theme, but the focus would flit around a bit from paragraph to paragraph, sort of like a bird hopping from branch to branch. This style would be perfect for reading a paragraph or two in the evenings, but it was hard me to keep up with.

[Pam Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written nonfiction book about birds. Everything you would wonder about bird behavior in 15 chapters. Each chapter explains a different characteristic of birds like flight, sight, mating, and hunting. Fascinating to read and learn about the magical world of birds.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable, informative, witty, irreverent, relevant read!

[Rainier C · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book.

only problem is that it's british

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a birder, but a recent NYT book review intrigued me. I was well rewarded. I saw the world from the perspective of this author who clearly and deeply adores birds, and it is infectious. I’ve taken birds for granted and hope that I’ve now learned not to.
For some reason it seems pointless to describe the organization of this book. It is beside the point. The take away for me is appreciation I want to go out and observe these guys to share in the joy that birding brings.
I have a number of bird feeders and a nice bird bath but last year decided it was too much of a bother to put them out. This year, they are coming out. Next time I see a little bird bathing in my yard, I’ll study it with greater appreciation. I’m very glad to have read this book. It opened my vision to something I’ve been stupid about.

[Boria Sax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Barnes is a devoted bird watcher, who has practiced, and thought intensely about, this activity for decades. He is sort of like a garrulous dinner guest who, though he has interesting things to say, is unable to pace himself, let alone respond to others. The chapters are very short, but, even so, they are only precariously unified and, so far as I can tell, in no systematic order. At times, he will abruptly change the subject, with no transition, from one paragraph to the next. This lack of organization is partially concealed by his breezy, informal style. The book is full of interesting information and observations, and it will make good browsing on a lazy afternoon.

[Gael Impiazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, packed full of bird facts and anecdotes, and well organised.

[Jae Alberi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and delightfully British

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read about birds

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great books. SB writes beautifully and by the end he made me as much in love with birds as he is. He has such an ease in his writing, with nothing forced, which means he can present a wealth of fact and detail without the book feeling like a rant. Though of course it is. If we don’t do something right now so many of our birds, like nightingales, will disappear for ever

[Gwenaelle Vandendriessche · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading "The Meaning of Birds"! The author is really enthusiastic and writes very well about just how much birds mean to him.

[Christie Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great joys in life is finding a new author to love, the kind that immediately sets me on a quest to read everything else by that author. Sometimes I suspect just from reading the description of a book that I’m going to love the author, and other times it’s a complete surprise. This book is in the second category. I went to the Madison Heights library to renew my card. (I’m moving out of Michigan. But I still want to be able to check out ebooks for another year.) While at the library renewing my card, I saw this book on the new releases shelf. I was hooked by the bird drawings and had to have it, even though it was an actual book and thus it was heavy, hard to read in bed with lights out, et cetera.

I LOVE birds. I’m a future birdwatcher; I just don’t have time right now to watch them as obsessively as I would like. Simon Barnes loves birds too. And, wow, he’s amazing at writing about them. He’s that rarest of finds for me — a literary writer whose writing I enjoy. On every page I find at least one sentence worth savoring. This, for example: “Thus drab birds can be suddenly aflame with iridescence when seen in a good light. A springtime starling is perhaps the most startling example. Here is a bird with a reputation for drabness, and yet in certain lights it explodes into a heavenly creature of glowing purple, lit with deep blue and greens, all of it spangled with gold.”

(I am not the kind of person who quotes at length in book reviews, in general.)

This book covers every aspect of birds in chunks perfect for my attention span, the perfect mix of science and anecdotes. I have been educated on feathers, flight styles, singing, birds of prey, birds in mythology, birds as symbols, birds as a connection between humans and nature, birds and conservation, and birdwatchers. I was already excited about all the new birds I will see in Florida; now I am more excited. I may even have to get a pair of binoculars. As Simon Barnes says, “Every pair of binoculars that any birdwatcher ever looked through was not really manufactured by crack German precision engineers. They were actually made in Diagon Alley, by Ollivanders, the shop that sold Harry Potter his wand.” Indeed.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautifully put together, with lots of gorgeous line drawings of birds gracing it's pages, and the chapters are outlined with an eye towards the non-scientist. If you are a backyard birder (as I aspire to be) there are a lot of charming and interesting facts.
I have been preparing for a birding trip to the Galapagos, and have spent the last several months beefing up my birding knowledge, so as a result it gets harder and harder to learn something completely new. My pearl from this is that there are three things that are responsible for the color of feathers: Porphyrins, carotenoids, and melanin.
Porphyrins are produced by modifying amino acids. Although the exact chemical structure of each porphyrin differs, they all share a common trait. They fluoresce a bright red when exposed to ultraviolet light, much the way certain rocks and minerals are known to do. Porphyrins produce a range of colors, including pink, browns, reds, and greens. Porphyrins are found in some owls, pigeons and gallinaceous species. They can also produce the brilliant greens and reds of turacos.
Carotenoids are produced by plants, and are acquired by eating plants or by eating something that has eaten a plant. Carotenoids are responsible for the bright yellows seen in goldfinches and Yellow Warblers as well as the brilliant orangish yellow of the male Blackburnian Warbler. Most important for me in the short run is that they are responsible for the blue feet on the Blue Footed Booby, and that the bluer the male's feet are, the more attractive a mate he appears to be.
The final pigmenting agent is melanin. Melanin occurs as tiny granules of color in both the skin and feathers of birds. Depending on their concentration and location, melanin can produce colors ranging from the darkest black to reddish browns and pale yellows.
Melanin provides more than just coloration. Feathers that contain melanin are stronger and more resistant to wear than feathers without melanin. Feathers without any pigmentation are the weakest of all. Many otherwise all white birds have black feathers on their wings or black wingtips. These flight feathers are the ones most subject to wear and tear. The melanin causing the tips to appear black also provides extra strength.

[Julie Stielstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rambling, friendly, engaging celebration of birds: their flight, their colors, their feathers, their songs, their history, their places in the world and why some of us love them so. Even - and perhaps especially - when we cannot own or possess them, and don't even want to. Did you know that a wren sings 103 separate notes in an 8-second song? Or that in early medieval New Zealand there were no native mammals (not even us) except three species of bat? And when the humans finally got there, it was inhabited already by eagles used to hunting bipedal moa birds bigger than the humans?

Barnes, a gifted and knowledgeable writer, drops short paragraphed tidbits about all sorts of bird-related things - some lovely, some angry, some awe-inspiring, charming, and always, always loving. There is some contradiction on the old how-fast-can-a-peregrine-falcon-stoop question, a bit of repetition here and there. As a British birder who has travelled extensively in Africa and Asia, Barnes focuses heavily on birds this American birder has never seen, so it took me just a few pages to bring in the iPad to Google up the birds he mentions. The book is illustrated solely with engravings from an old British bird history volume - handsome and interesting to be sure, but you really do need to see what a carmine bee-eater looks like. He can be funny, lyrical, and grim by turns, but concludes with vignettes of hope and admiration. A delightful book which should please anyone who has some passion for birds, and also anyone who just enjoys the robin (American or European) in their back yard (or garden).

[Cheryl Gatling]

I recently read Simon Barnes’s book How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher, and this book covers some of the same ground. I actually didn’t mind that. Do you want to tell me how amazing birds are, and how intrinsically bound into human cultures? I’m up for that. Do you want to tell me again? That’s OK. I’m up for that, too.

The first few chapters are indeed about how wonderful birds are. They fly, which we have been jealous of forever. They have beautiful, colorful feathers, which we have desired, and sometimes killed them for. They sing like no other creature on earth, which has perhaps inspired us to make our own music. Birds are just so incredible that we humans can hardly stand it.

Being adapted for certain environments, birds are bound to the places we call home. Being migrants, their comings and goings are part of our experience of the seasons of the year, and of the rhythms of the day and night.

There is a chapter on our complex relationship with birds of prey. We have admired them as skilled hunters, and then shot them as pests.

There is a chapter on the domestication of the chicken, which has changed the world’s eating habits, as well as changing the future of the red junglefowl.

There is a chapter on the role birds have taken in teaching us science. There is a chapter on the extinctions of birds, and the birth of the conservation movement. Barnes ends on a hopeful note, which feels intentional, if not forced. Humans have the ability to make choices that benefit wildlife, but also to not. The future could go either way. The final word: “People need birds.”

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This:

"IT HAS LONG SEEMED to me that there are two kinds of problems in conservation. There are problems that make you sad, and there are problems that make you angry. The sad kind are the most important. Many of these problems have their roots in the enormous issue of human overpopulation. Thus we have problems with spreading towns, demands for a better life, problems of industry, problems that come from intensive agriculture and the perpetual question of what our countryside is for: whether it should be nothing more than an outdoor food factory, or whether it has a role in human happiness as well as human sustenance.

The problems that make you angry aren't complicated at all. They come from wanton destruction by a few recklessly selfish individuals.

The war with such people shouldn't dominate the conservation agenda. We have more and greater things to do. Better water management is a bigger issue than most, but it's a rather unglamorous and complex one. These important problems occupy many conservationists who do their bit for the wild world in windowless committee rooms and hotel lobbies.

All the same, there's no need to let the bastards get away with it."

[Starship · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first educational bird book I've read that isn't dry stale facts. Barnes writes like a journalist, sucking you in with beautiful conversational language. I learned so much about bird evolution from this book -- it really shifted my perspective about birds. I have always loved them as beautiful quaint creatures, but I don't think I quite realized how magnificent they really are. Everything about them serves an evolutionary purpose, shaped by their environment.

Barnes talks a lot about the _history_ of bird watching and study as well, which I found almost comforting. Oddballs who loved nature were the ones who started this movement to study and care about birds, and they were still seen as 'radical' when the bird crisis was less severe than it is now. I think this is extremely important for upcoming generations to realize - caring about the natural world was not the priority of the masses at all, but caring humans transformed that entirely.

My review is 3 stars, however, as he drifted off in many directions that sometimes weren't as interesting as others. I also found it hard to relate to the birds discussed as they aren't common to where I'm from.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnes has crafted a rich overview of birds in all their dimensions, from feathers and songs to our propensity for killing them in great numbers--and conserving them too. Anchored in Britain, the stories have a global reach, just like their subject, extending to African plains and the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

A blend of the personal and the universal, "The Meaning of Birds" is deeply felt, offering thoughtful takes on how we interact with birds and draw inspiration from them. Each chapter explores a theme, stacking neatly crafted anecdotes and observations to build to often-moving conclusions.

Barnes' tone with his personal anecdotes can occasionally come off as a bit superior, but that only heightens his the blunt passion that accompanies his appeals to save birds and the obvious pain he shows in recounting their casual destruction, notably with grouse hunts in his homeland. His book is clearly a work of passion; most readers will leave it with a new appreciation for its subject.

[David Campton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunningly engaging book, reminding me why I studied animal behaviour for my first degree more than half a lifetime ago. Written in the window between the author being fired as the Times Sports and wildlife columnist (possibly for annoying some very influential people regarding the behaviour of game shooting estate owners) and the great covid pause when everyone seemed to become aware for the first time of the sound of birds in spring, this book gives an insight into this phenomenon and many others regarding our feathered friends, with turns of phrase that are almost as beautiful as the said birdsong or the plumage of the birds of paradise he also refers to. He offers a degree of highly qualified optimism regarding our rather late-in-the-day efforts at conservation, but primarily and conclusively suggests that not only do birds need us, but we need birds.

[Grant Merry]

Hey.
This book was great.
It took my quite a while to read, because I am in Holly Springs. Not really a naturally conducive study environment.
Though, I did grind (in holly springs) through this book.
Also, I enjoyed this books 15 chapters. When I was able to focus I found out interesting facts.

Such as
the bird bone flute was the oldest instrument, dating about 8000 years ago.
ADHD can be reduced by 30% with spending time in nature.
We need birds as much as they need us.

At the end of the day this is a book presented in a semi comedic form. The author, does a good job at being informative, yet entertaining. I enjoyed his jokes, and felt this book was organized well. It was a book that enlightened me about conservation, and reminded me about how enriching interacting with birds can be.

[Hannah Buschert · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my husband asked what I thought of this book, the only thing I could think of was that it seems like a collection of paragraphs. Barnes' The Meaning of Birds is filled with interesting facts about birds, historical references, and ties our connection with birds together.

As a younger American, I am not well-versed in Barnes' background career and other writings, so I had to do a bit of catch-up when certain parts of his life are referenced.

Overall, great book and jam-packed with good bird information for beginners, experts, and non-birders.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Birdwatching as a nature enthusiast is one of those hobbies I see myself getting into, so I really wanted to like this book, to learn more about the stories and connections to place and time they provide, but it felt like this book jumped from topic to topic without ever satisfying my curiosity. My main takeaway was that we are intrigued by birds because they are so commonplace, that they share the same diurnal patterns we have, and that by design we are captivated by their flight. I'll look elsewhere to dig deeper.

[Allan Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading just for the idea that New Zealand was the land of the dinosaurs. 65 million years with no land mammals until humans arrived around 1300 and ruined it all. Six species of Moas up to 3.6m high and enormous Haast's eagles. They probably ate a few people before becoming extinct though. Good for them.

And (although Monty Python isn't mentioned), I now have a link between the Seduced Milkmen Sketch and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

Full of good stuff, written in great style and makes you want to go out and look at birds.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Pegasus Books for sponsoring the giveaway for this simply marvelous book. Anyone who enjoys bird watching should pick up a copy. What can I say? It was a delight to read and the bird engravings were lovely. Heads up to the American crowd, the author is British and the majority of his writing is geared towards the Brits and those who vacation there. However, conservation is a world wide concern and Mr. Barnes addresses this with wit and a light hand. I plan on sharing my copy.

[Baj Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the theme of the book, sorta. However, I have the constant stereotypes used throughout the book. I’ve made it to page 100 and to be honest I’m not thrilled . The main character seems flat. Like she doesn’t have much personality and she’s not that well described . When I try to picture the main character all I see is a blank canvas with a short hair cut. Also, some of the dialogue is cringe worthy. Like the characters are reading from a script the whole time.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely discussion of bird behavior, bird-watching behavior, the place of birds in their ecological niches, and basically all things relating to how people relate to birds. Barnes is British and focuses a good deal on the birds of Britain, though not exclusively. He almost lost me as I sludged through the section on Falconry. But he won me over with his description of America's wildlands, national parks, and worldwide conservation efforts.

[vicki honeyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What initially caught my attention to this wonderful exploration of the lives of birds was the gorgeous cover . . . and of course, the title. How fascinating it is to learn why birds sing, the phenomenon of their ability to fly, what they are able to tell us about seasons, their place in the world, and much much more. This beautifully illustrated book scratches at our itch and curiosity in wanting to understand what it is to be a bird.

[Bertha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating book I picked up randomly at the library. I did enjoy reading and taking notes on some of the bird facts/meaning, however due to not being from the UK I was not the target audience for a lot of the content throughout the book. I did enjoy the facts and descriptions of different birds and their contribution to the wild world, as well as the authors call for the conservation of birds and the land they occupy.

"Without the wild world we are less than ourselves."