Around the World in 80 Birds

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The editors have done a good job adding non-metric equivalents for length and weight to the descriptions in the original. However, that Mike Unwin does not bother with avian evolution in Around the World in 80 Birds, that he has no section devoted to extinct birds and is in my opinion often not nearly critical and condemning enough regarding birds threatened and endangered by us humans, by our actions, by habit loss, by over-hunting, pollution and the like, this has definitely rather bothered me (and enough so that my final rating for Around the World in 80 Birds simply cannot be higher than three stars, still to be warmly recommended, but also with some caveats and reservations). From the Sociable Weaver Bird to the Bar-headed Goose of China, Unwin takes a global survey of some of the most important, intriguing and influential birds on the planet in this exquisite volume boasting gorgeous artwork from Ryuto Miyake. Oh and finally, I also think that Around the World in 80 Birds should be including distribution maps for each of the included species, for one, simply for general knowledge, of course, and for two because some of the birds being showcased in Around the World in 80 Birds actually do not only appear in the countries and areas about which Unwin is writing (and it would thus be nice if Around the World in 80 Birds would for example visually show how the northern mockingbird also ranges into Canada and that nightingales are common in much of Europe and not just in France, and well, with migratory birds, showing their wintering grounds as well as where they breed via maps is not just interesting and informative but is also rather important regarding possible conservation issues). The writing gives a lot of interesting information on the history of the birds and how people relate to them.

Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. The only thing that would make me enjoy this even more, is if it was a nature television series with Attenborough narrating. Van de meeste van de vogelsoorten heb ik nog nooit gehoord: rode rotshaan, vlaggendrongo, dwergmierpitta,… Andere ken ik wel maar in een lokale versie: Indische gans, groene gaai, grote renkoekoek,… Ik leer zo veel bij.

Yo he podido conocerlo un poquito mejor, gracias a “La vuelta al mundo en 80 aves”, un precioso libro que he ido leyendo a ratitos, y que de una manera muy atractiva y entretenida, hace un recorrido por 80 especies de aves de todos los rincones del planeta; desde el tejedor de Namibia, que construye bloques de apartamentos en medio del desierto, hasta el ánsar indio de China, un ave migratoria que atraviesa el Himalaya dos veces al año. The tiny Tororoi bailador was chosen to represent Colombia as a newly discovered species, to showcase the great variety of birds resident in that country. The concept seems a bit dated with a personal selection of best birds based on geographic representation, unusual habits and beauty.

Birds are shown in their plumage, nesting and on the hunt and at play, and occasionally in their most common interactions with human beings. The prose is wonderfully conversational, perfect for the amateur birder or naturalist (such as myself! oilbird (Venezuela), snow goose (Canada), hoopoe (Italy), cassowary (Australia), puffin (Iceland), shoebill (Uganda), kakapo (New Zealand), and many others. From the humble Robin to something a little more exotic such as the wonderfully named Resplendent Quetzal, this beautifully illustrated book looks at the lives of 80 birds, their quirks, their lifestyles, and probably.Birds lend themselves to these short snippets so well, and I learned lots of really interesting facts! And the entries on birds that were very much unfamiliar to me were absolute cornucopias of information.