80 of the World's Most Interesting Birds
Of course, there is no such thing as an uninteresting bird.
In a new book, Around the World in 80 Birds, science writer and photographer, Mike Unwin, tells tales about dozens of bird species, each representing a country or territory where it is significant. With somewhere around 11,000 bird species in the world, Unwin had no trouble finding potential subjects. It was only difficult to whittle down his list.
"I have been lucky enough to see thousands of bird species around the world, but these days I tend not to target rare species for my list but rather aim to enjoy whatever happens to reveal itself in the place where I find myself. Birds in general are easy to find. The great advantage of watching them, compared with most other animals, is that they’re ubiquitous: Wherever you go, from tropical rainforest to the city center, you will see plenty of different species. Many are very conspicuous—not just by sight but also by sound. No other part of the animal kingdom is so vocal, so you can have a wonderful bird experience simply by listening (even here in busy little England, our spring dawn chorus is a thing of wonder).
"It was very hard to select just 80 species; I could very easily have chosen 80 others. My main aim was to showcase the diversity of the bird world and show how much birds mean to people around the globe. I wanted my selection to cover a wide range of families—from ducks and seabirds to birds of prey and songbirds—and to cover all habitats, from deserts and mountains to forests, savannahs, and oceans. I wanted to feature large birds and small birds, common birds and rare birds, popular birds, and obscure birds."
This article has lots of information as well as some of the lovely illustrations from the book.
https://www.treehugger.com/telling-story-80-worlds-most-interesting-birds-6502581
Reminder: Christmas shopping is not far off.
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