Book Review - The Grassland Queen: An Avian Love Story in the American Plains - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

      Through the intermediary of her 'Zen' bird, the enigmatic Long-billed Curlew, Priyanka Kumar sheds light on the precarious state of the American grasslands necessary for the bird's breeding success (hence survival). Ironically, although its numbers have plummeted in recent years, according to the IUCN Red List it is currently classified as "Least Concern.'

     Virgin prairie was the traditional stronghold for the bird to breed, with vast colonies of  prairie dogs, enclaves of Burrowing Owls, a full suite of raptors such as Prairie Falcon and Swainson's Hawk, Mountain Plovers, longspurs, Lark Buntings, meadowlarks and others. Native vegetation supported this vast array of life. With the exception of a few remnant patches this habitat has been lost, given over to human encroachment, expanding cities, conversion to agricultural land, pollution, garbage, destructive recreational uses, and, latterly, temperatures that exceed the ability of some species to survive. The grasshopper population, essential food for developing young curlews, has crashed. 

     Kumar rightly and righteously decries these developments and hopes against hope for the restoration of conditions to permit her beloved curlews to survive. Ironically - and catastrophically - as we pursue the development of artificial intelligence, potentially sowing the seeds of our own destruction, huge swathes of remaining habitat are now being swallowed up to build data centres, which will expropriate already insufficient water supplies, further compromising the ability of nature to flourish, and prairie grasslands to survive.

     The book is illustrated by Kumar herself, a mistake in my opinion given her lack of prowess as an artist.

     The pictures are what one might expect from a grade school child, and while they maybe considered cute or endearing by some, I don't find them so.

     A few well placed colour photographs would have served better, especially views of the grassland that is the centrepiece of the book - and which we never see. 

     At the bottom of page 204, one reads, "....two thousand ring-necked and California gulls moved about." There is, of course, no such bird as a Ring-necked Gull. I assume she means Ring-billed Gull, (or perhaps a Ring-necked Duck?), but I should not be left to guess what she intended. Editorial responsibility of factual content is surely borne by the author and there is no excuse for mistakes of this nature.

     In point of fact, I reviewed Conversations with Birds in 2022, one of Kumar's earlier books, and there were egregious errors of fact in that book, too. 

     Once was already more than enough, twice is inexcusable.

     The book bears an important message. Habitat loss is the prime cause of the headlong path to extinction of species on which we are now embarked. Given our history, however, I doubt that we will make the changes necessary to restore the exquisite beauty of unspoiled nature.

     Thank you for bringing it to our attention,   Priyanka, and trying to make a difference.

The Grassland Queen: An Avian Love Story in the American Plains - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

Hardcover $US$29.95 - ISBN 9781642834550

240 pages - 6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)

12 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 03 November, 2026