Bird Bonds

by Gisela Kaplan

Some Australian native birds become childhood sweethearts and court for years before they get 'married'. Others divorce because of personality clashes and different skill levels. Many negotiate their parenting duties. But how do these personal life events link to long-lasting bonds, long life-spans and exceptional overall intelligence?

Professor Gisela Kaplan, an eminent voice in animal behaviour, and particularly bird behaviour, draws on the latest insights in the evolution of particular cognitive and social abilities. She uncovers motivations and attractions in partner choice that are far more complex than was once believed. She shows how humans and birds may be more alike in attachment and mating behaviour than we think - despite the enormous evolutionary distance between us.

Based on a wealth of original research and complemented by illustrations and colour photographs, Bird Bonds is a valuable resource and a beguiling insight into the world of the birds around us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds

368 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[R Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely pictures and an interesting book - but a bit too technical at times for me

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have been misled, in the spirit of capitalism, that competition is the driving force of evolution and the most worthwhile of goals in human society because it is meant to achieve the best possible outcomes. Yet there is evidence that cooperation yields the greatest rewards by fostering more stress-resistant populations capable of assessing threats and dangers more readily, by an ever-increasing capacity for problem-solving and making intelligent choices

Kaplan's books are always a treat - her passion to better understand our world through understanding Australian birds leads her to all kinds of interesting places. Australian birds are more cooperative, smarter and more likely to pair bond than most species. Kaplan draws these threads together, with a detailed understanding of various species and studies. Bird Bonds focuses on the social monogamy of Australian species, examining courtship, parenting and pair bonding. She outlines the intricate and careful courtship methods, pointing to the importance of selecting a mate for survival of the whole family unit. She looks at the costs of intensive parenting (and birthing) and how birds manage this via alloparenting, giving support to the arguments of Sarah Blaffer Hrdy around human evolution. She explores the role of culture and biology - fascinatingly, different bird communities (not species or sub-species - but territorial groupings) have staggering different rates of extra-partner mating (*cheating* cough). Despite the human parallels, birds are always the main stars here - Kaplan is interested in what birds can say about us, sure, but not in a way where birds cease to have their own, compelling, societies to study. I can't recommend Kaplan's work highly enough to Australians who love our birds - the book is far from dry and is imbued with the distinctive characters of Maggies and Cockies and Mynas and Butcherbirds.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gisela Kaplan is a national treasure, and her books on birds and their behaviour are essential reading for anyone who wants to understand something about what makes them tick.

I find her interpretation of the ways in which birds interact totally convincing. She has spent her life observing birds scientifically, but also with love and admiration. In her Epilogue, she says:

... the book has taken the risky step of deliberately comparing the ability of humans and birds to form bonds and pursuing some of the arguments that are usually made in human psychology and human neuroscience to test whether emotional bonds and strong attachments would even be biologically conceivable.

...It is now time to ... concede that the class of birds may not just have vocal learning in common with humans but, in some highly evolved species, also the emotional ability for selective and enduring attachment to others. We usually call it love, but it is rather 'pragma', based on attachment and commitment, and making possible empathy and even the controversial 'altruism'.

Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in birds, especially the birds of Australia.

[Cathryn Wellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

They appeared first here in Gondwanaland, those songbirds that now roam the world that has evolved from the ancient, massive continent. Kaplan's study of bird bonding is enlightening and frequently startling. Our human tendency to underrate our fellow creatures leaves us clueless about the wide variety of bonding behaviours.

The subjects of Kaplan's research range from birds who court for years, to those who grow apart and split up, to birds who never breed, to the common phenomenon of same-sex pairing. Though the author's expertise makes her incredibly knowledgeable about bird behaviour, she retains a refreshing humility about all that is still unknown in the field.

The book is not beach reading. It is a scholarly tome, but it is written with respect for the non-experts who will read it and admiration for the creatures who are its focus.

[Ricki Coughlan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, this book lacks any scientific rigour. I stopped reading at the doctored black swan image on page 88. Up until there I found the first 88 pages to have a considerable amount of speculation, anthropomorphism and totally false claims and inferences about about cockatoo and cassowary evolution. It also contains quite a bit of nonsense about bowerbird behaviour. This book is misleading and so it robs the reader of the true joys and glories of Australian birds. Kaplan has done her readers and the Australian environment a great disservice. I don't like to post this kind of a review but I feel it my duty to warn the potential reader.

[Patricia]

I didn’t finish this but I enjoyed what I got out of it. It is a book for serious bird scientists and it is not right for me to give it a star rating when I am just an ordinary reader. It is a study of Australian birds and not written for the average bird lover but this bird lover appreciated the insights that I could relate to.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth Kaplan book I’ve read, and as with the others, this was informative and interesting. I learned a lot. As a layperson, I didn’t feel it was overly technical. I think her books are quite accessible.

[Rachel Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

We totally underestimate these incredible creatures (we underestimate all creatures) so this well-researched and lovingly written publication was a joy to read.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very scholarly, but interesting.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm definitely more of a plant person than a bird person, but lots of interest here by an author who clearly knows her stuff - not just bird behaviour but also broader animal behaviour and brain science. I think this is trying to be a popular science book, but it looks like a compilation of scientific articles or things originally written for a different purpose. The reference style in particular put me off even though I am very familiar with it - the author (date) style gives due credit, but for a popular audience, it is not so important which particular researcher found something but the overall picture.

Also, not clear whether the book is just about birds or really about trying to show what bird behaviour tells us about humans and lessons for people. There are so many different animal species and so many different birds who all behave differently that you can pick and choose what species to use to illustrate whatever particular point you want to make about behaviour. Some key terms were used without an explanation and the meaning was only revealed later which was frustrating.

I certainly learnt a lot about Australian birds - never realised they were so different from northern hemisphere high latitude birds, but it makes sense of course. Keen to track down the author's book on clever magpies.

[Hunter Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5