Sunday, June 27, 2021

Book Review - Birdpedia - Princeton University Press

 


     This is a charming book, both witty and informative. When you can have facts delivered with a sense of humour, you are off on the right foot from the get-go.
     The book is organized alphabetically, the first entry being "Abundance" and the last "Zugenruhe" - with everything else in between. Christopher Leahy covers a wonderful range of matters ornithological, from biology and science to whimsical topics such as the use of the generic name Halcyon for kingfishers, and its origins in Greek mythology. As birders we tend to revel in such arcane facts! There can never be too much grist for the ornithological mill it seems.
     Some of the sections are quite detailed, the one on Song for example, with great coverage succinctly done, touching on the various types of birdsong and their purpose. As a quick reference Birdpedia is unrivalled. It is perfect for the novice, but should not be overlooked by veteran birders and serious ornithologists. Its small size makes it very convenient to have in the car for use as a handy reference during a birding trip.
      I laughed out loud a couple of times at Leahy's sense of humour, perhaps aligned with my own twisted wit. One such instance that springs immediately to mind is "Jizz (Not what you're thinking)".
     In addition to the matters one might expect to be discussed, Leahy addresses the contemporary issue of "Birdwatching while Black", and I applaud his courage, and his social conscience, in tackling it. It is perhaps an issue to which few white birders (the vast majority) give little attention, but in the twenty-first century the time has come to ponder why black birders are under-represented and to ask ourselves whether we can assist in redressing this imbalance. Drew Lanham's book, The Homeplace: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature should be essential reading for everyone. Ask Harvard-educated Christian Cooper what happens to a black man who courteously asks a woman in Central Park to leash her dog as required? The outcome is not pleasant, but it is predictable.  There are black birders with good jobs driving a nice car who have been unreasonably stopped for suspicion that it may have been stolen. And don't dare park in a pristine white neighbourhood, and if you wear a sweatshirt to ward off the chill winds of fall, pulling up the hoodie could be dangerous to your health and well-being. The time for changes in both attitude and practice is long overdue. Bravo Christopher Leahy for including this section.
     I would be remiss if I failed to mention the charming black-and-white illustrations of Abby McBride. They are extremely well done and add immeasurably to the book.
     For anyone with even a passing interest in birds, this is a great little book, guaranteed to both inform and please.

Birdpedia - Princeton University Press
Author: Christopher W. Leahy
Illustrated by Abby McBride
US$16.95 - £9.99 - ISBN: 9780691209661
Publishing date: 6 July 2021
272 pages - 4.5 x 7.5 inches - 50 black-and-white illustrations

 

David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

38 comments:

  1. Querido David parece un libro muy interesante y a tener en cuenta. Muchas gracias. Un enorme abrazo para ti y para Miriam.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds wonderful.
    Many years ago talking to one of our home grown racists she told me that she had reported some young men to the police, giving personal descriptions and the number plate (and make and model) of their car. Their supposed crime? Car theft. It was a late model and expensive car and when she saw young aboriginal men get into it she 'knew it was stolen'. She was miffed in the extreme when the police, hearing that the young men had used a key to get into the car had refused to take any action.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hari OM
    Very interesting - book and the latter portion of your post. UK of course has its issues, but not to the same extent (except, perhaps in the large cities, which is bad enough). There is quite a movement here for BAME people to join nature groups of various kinds - hill walking, birding, wild swimming... part of it is cultural difference, of course, with no background for these things for many, but there has been a good uptake and interest. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello YAM: The term BAME was new to me. Thanks for the education. David xo

      Delete
  4. Many thanks for this review, it does sound a very good book.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does have a North American bias, but there is nevertheless much that is universal, Jan.

      Delete
  5. Good evening, dear friend, I will consider the nice suggestion
    and you know what? i never considered about that colored bird watchers theme.
    Never thought about it... must change that for sure.
    Have a nice week ahead!
    Bisous

    ReplyDelete
  6. Birds and humor - a two-fer. It sure sounds like a winning combination.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds good, humour always helps to bring information over. Glad you could review it and give this book your imprimatur! Have a great day, hugs to you both, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like a fun book (with a serious side too). When I used to lead walks in the UK we had very few black guests. It probably didn't help that all the people in the brochure were white, but as the photos were all taken on the walks there was a kind of Catch22 situation. The BBC at least are aware of the problem and have minority presenters on their nature programmes and the black birdwatcher David Lindo is often featured.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm impressed over all your book reviews, David. It sounds like a great book.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for that, David. I have now ordered it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Encore un livre qui semble très sympa! Bonne journée

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello David,

    You do provide wonderful book reviews. Sounds like a great book on birds. Thanks for sharing.
    Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sadly we have no variety of birds here in the city... Just the little ones with the yellow or red bellies and the "flying rats", and certainly ravens. But the German ones are boring - the Australian ones really chat!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Another book for the list, it sounds like is could be quite thought provoking.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This sounds like a really good one, David. Very accessible and fun!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Interesting book and with a touch of humour it just makes reading so much easier. I follow 'Birdlife South Africa' and there are a number of locals who have become very interested and add their photos to the pages. Some really great photos, and often short notes of interest go with them.
    Have a great week, Diane

    ReplyDelete
  17. It sounds as if it is a very witty and interesting compendium of bird facts for any ornithologist to own and have.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds a lovely book -- I'm heading to Amazon now! Sallie

    ReplyDelete
  19. Black and white illustrations seem to go back in time...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just to be clear, these are line drawings, not black-and-white photographs.

      Delete
  20. Sad to think being a lover of nature can be so hard for some coloured folk. I have a very good Maori friend here, who loves the natural world and is quite knowledgeable about it but is often treated like an ignoramus because of his skin colour.

    ReplyDelete
  21. There's so much to learn about birding! We love guided birding tours because the guides (whom we select with great care) so often teach many new things to the participants, and know exactly where to look for special birds. I call myself an "in the moment" birder because I don't memorize songs and other bird facts, I just enjoy seeing and listening to them. That said, I should probably look at this book.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suspect that "in the moment" birding is about as good as it gets, Mae.

      Delete
  22. Interesting!
    (And shameful - who are we, treating other humans (that once were stolen) so bad?)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Un libro muy interesante a tener en cuenta amigo David, gracias por tu reseña.
    Recibe un fuerte abrazo de este tu amigo y compadre Juan.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi David, that sounds like a beautiful book. I think you have many books. Have a nice week.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi David - this sounds a delightful bird book ... and always more easily able to be understood - with that bit of humour added in. I remember one of my #WATWB posts 'Flock Together' (September 2020) - where Covid, Instagram, and messaging enabled them to form 'Flock Together' ... and I'm sure they've carried the bird watching group on ever since. Thanks for the review - cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  26. Very interesting the birds behavior... Regards from Madrid

    ReplyDelete
  27. Otro libro muy interesante. Abrazos.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Loooks like to be an interesting book. I like very much cover design

    ReplyDelete

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land on which we are situated are the lands traditionally used by the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral People. We also acknowledge the enduring presence and deep traditional knowledge, laws, and philosophies of the Indigenous Peoples with whom we share this land today. We are all treaty people with a responsibility to honour all our relations.

Followers