Bird's-Eye View: Keeping Wild Birds in Flight

The subtitle of this book, Keeping Wild Birds in Flight, issues a challenge. If you have ever appreciated the sights and sounds of wild birds, you need to read and seriously consider what’s on these pages. Birds are under assault from all sides: they are suffering from loss of habitat for nesting, resting and feeding; they are being attacked and/or out-competed by invasive species (domestic cats are among this group); they are struggling against changes to the world’s climate affecting their food sources, breeding and migration seasons. Recent studies show drastic declines in populations of some birds, especially songbirds. Why? Human activities are largely to blame, and so we need to step up with ways to mitigate what is clearly becoming a catastrophe.

But first we have to care. Caring requires understanding. In her brief “Introduction”, Ann Eriksson offers obvious reasons to care about birds: their variety, beauty, fascinating behavior and ability to fly, and not least, their value to ecosystems. She expands upon these factors in seven chapters. The first two deal with basic details (what are bird characteristics and how have birds evolved) and their unique behaviors (migration, nesting, calls). Chapter 3 describes birding and citizen science. The fourth chapter is a meatier one focusing on the question of why wild birds matter. Chapter 5 deals with those three major threats mentioned above (habitat loss, invasive species, climate change) while Chapter 6 zooms in on specific threats, such as plastics in the ocean, pesticide use, collisions with man-made construction and hunting. The last chapter talks about projects underway around the world, like celebrations that raise awareness of bird-related issues, captive breeding programs, citizen science and careers...all of which can inspire young people to make bird-friendly choices. The book ends with an extensive Glossary, list of Resources (many of which are websites for bird conservation organizations), and an Index.

A couple of additions to the main content include “Tweets from the Flyway” – sidebars that appear frequently to offer definitions, facts extending details in the text, historical and scientific comments, tidbits of bird trivia and birding advice. These inserts are packed with facts and figures about everything bird-related. “Young Birders”, end of chapter profiles of youth, show their involvement in birding activities worldwide, often with a view to a future career in the field. Illustrative material is mainly captioned photos (subject to final selection) that are well-integrated with the text, with credits accompanying each entry.

The text is written in a conversational style, and, although the reading level is fairly high (especially in the Glossary), many facts are presented as intriguing stories. Some are personal recollections of the author, e.g. an account of a merlin snatching a hummingbird in mid-air to illustrate super-sharp vision. Others are reports of amazing bird behavior, e.g. crows seen sliding and rolling down a snowy hill, to illustrate playfulness. This accessible style encourages readers to linger and consider some of their own observations and encounters with birds. The more we think about it, the more we realize how often we’ve enjoyed birds, and that realization leads to caring about them. The chapter on birding and citizen science invites young readers to get to know birds better by putting up feeders, joining bird counts, building and putting up nest boxes—and using ethical birding manners as they observe them.

Chapter 4, “Why Wild Birds Matter”, has detail critical to engendering a caring attitude among youngsters (and adults, who should also read this book thoughtfully). Along with more familiar bird roles, such as insect control, pollination, seed distribution, and scavenging, a few other points may be less obvious but equally essential in the environment. Bioturbation is a term for the mixing of nutrients that results when robins probe for worms, burrowing owls nest in the ground, or when many birds stir up vegetation when foraging for food. And in our changing climate, the value of birds as bioindicators should not be minimized: beyond the canary in the coal mine, bird health can be a warning sign of serious fluctuations in prey populations dependent on ecosystem health, a situation that will impact human health.

Because birds are everywhere, and we likely see or hear them every day, we may assume they are doing fine. This well-researched book will open readers’ eyes to a different reality. Birds are in trouble. They are worthy of our attention and help; after all, try to imagine the world without birds. Give Bird’s-Eye View compassion for nature.