On Rare Birds

Product Description

Weaving together natural history & investigative reporting with mythological & cultural material, On Rare Birds tells the compelling stories of ten rare or extinct bird species
- from the tragic demise of the once-abundant Passenger Pigeon to the shooting death of the last Carolina Parakeet in the wild, & from the startling natural defences of the wilful Nightjar A” to the diverse cultural significance of the Kingfisher. Some stories bear sad witness to precious species we have lost, but they are all fascinating & often heartwarming or humorous depictions of the unique lives & loves of birds. On Rare Birds is a visually stunning volume illustrated by author Anita Albus`s own superb artwork & by images ranging over five centuries. It will delight anyone who loves birds, laments the depletion of their populations by human hands, & cares about the survival of those species that still stand a chance. With knowledge, devotion, & a true artist`s eye, Albus explains in graceful, precise prose why the decline of these bird species is a great loss both to the natural world &, unavoidably, to culture. With each species lost, a world is lost to human understanding-to our arts, our mythology, & our environment.