The Bird Detective : Investigating the Secret Lives of Birds

by Bridget Stutchbury

A Yale-educated professor of biology and a GG finalist for Silence of the Songbirds , Bridget Stutchbury roams forests studying the social lives and sexual antics of birds, sharing with us the curious reasons for their strange behaviour, bright colouring and elaborate songs. Are birds truly faithful to their mates? Stutchbury explains the science behind the surprisingly sophisticated and often amusing habits of birds, drawing on examples from around the world.
      In The Bird Detective , the author explains why some birds readily “divorce,” why parents don’t treat their sons and daughters equally, why females sneak in quick sex with neighbouring males and why some adults forgo breeding altogether. Stutchbury writes about the territorial nature of birds and describes their nesting habits, revealing why some species prefer to live in over-crowded groups. Perhaps most important, she illuminates how climate change and other pressures of the modern world are forcing birds to change their habits as they fight for their very survival.

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals

247 pages

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many interesting facts about bird behaviour, some background on the author and her family life, but the style was dry.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

You definitely have to be a bird lover to like this book because Bridget Stutchbury gives detailed accounts of her 'research' into the behavior of birds. She gives reasons for their bright coloring and elaborate songs. She goes into their various sexual antics and social behaviors. She explains how birds get divorced and how many females sneak away to have sex with neighboring males. She talks about how birds parent and find their first home. She covers why birds live in groups and tells about the demands of migration. Lastly, she covers the question of whether birds can change with the times, especially since climate change is having an impact on their populations and very survival. All in all, an interestion read.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a nonfiction account of the author's study of birds. She looks at mating, migration, song, colour, and more for various species of bird.

It started off a little slow for me, but overall, this was good. It did pick up a bit, I thought. A lot of the species she was looking at were not ones I have seen, but it was still interesting to learn about their habits and how varied they are. She doesn't really talk much about climate change and how the environment is affecting them (she has another book for that), except in the epilogue and it was mentioned maybe once or twice otherwise. The focus of this one is simply the birds' behaviour.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bird Detective is full of fascinating stories of birds and how knowledge about them is obtained, many based on the author's own research in Pennsylvania and Panama, but also stories from remote and exotic places around the world.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please do your part to save the birds.

[Kingston WritersFest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridget Stutchbury joined us at Kingston WritersFest 2010. You can read more about Bridget and the Festival here: www.kingstonwritersfest.ca

[Megalion]

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