The Thing with Feathers
The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human
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4.3 • 4 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"[Strycker] thinks like a biologist but writes like a poet." -- Wall Street Journal
An entertaining and profound look at the lives of birds, illuminating their surprising world—and deep connection with humanity.
Birds are highly intelligent animals, yet their intelligence is dramatically different from our own and has been little understood. As we learn more about the secrets of bird life, we are unlocking fascinating insights into memory, relationships, game theory, and the nature of intelligence itself.
The Thing with Feathers explores the astonishing homing abilities of pigeons, the good deeds of fairy-wrens, the influential flocking abilities of starlings, the deft artistry of bowerbirds, the extraordinary memories of nutcrackers, the lifelong loves of albatrosses, and other mysteries—revealing why birds do what they do, and offering a glimpse into our own nature.
Drawing deep from personal experience, cutting-edge science, and colorful history, Noah Strycker spins captivating stories about the birds in our midst and shares the startlingly intimate coexistence of birds and humans. With humor, style, and grace, he shows how our view of the world is often, and remarkably, through the experience of birds. You’ve never read a book about birds like this one.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Science writer Noah Strycker, associate editor of Birding magazine, shares his obsession with birds in this marvelous examination of avian behavior. He devotes each chapter to exploring a specific bird species—and illustrating how its habits uncannily reflect different human concepts, from memory to game theory. Strycker, who famously set a world record for spotting more than 6,000 different bird species in a single year, lovingly weaves personal anecdotes into his scientific research. The Thing with Feathers had us pondering questions like how exactly starlings “murmurate,” why nuthatches have such incredible recall, and whether carrion feeders locate their food with sight, smell…or something else. This is a treat for expert birders and casual observers alike.
