The wonder of birds : what they tell us about ourselves, the world, and a better future /
Robbins, Jim,
The wonder of birds : what they tell us about ourselves, the world, and a better future / Jim Robbins. - First edition. - xviii, 331 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-311) and index.
Part I. What birds tell us about the natural world -- Birds: the dinosaurs that made it -- Hummingbirds: the magic of flight -- Canaries and black-backed woodpeckers: birds as flying sentinels -- A murmuring of birds: the extraordinary design of the flock -- Part II. The gifts of birds -- The power of a feather -- From egg to table part one: the chicken -- From egg to table part two: wild birds -- The miracle of guano -- Nature's cleanup crew -- Part III. Discovering ourselves through birds -- Bird brain, human brain -- The surprisingly astute minds of ravens and crows -- The secret language of birds -- The bee-eaters: a modern family -- Extreme physiologies: birds, the ultimate athletes -- Part IV. Birds and the hope for a better future -- Nature's hired men: putting birds to work -- The city bird: from sidewalk to sky -- The transformational power of birds -- Birds as social workers -- Expanding our senses -- Epilogue: The future of birds.
Examines the ecologically and spiritually invaluable contributions to humans made by our feathered friends, from the hummingbird that influenced the Wright brother's airplane design to the song of the chickadee, considered to be the most sophisticated language in the animal world. --
9780812993530 0812993535
2016049366
Birds.
The wonder of birds : what they tell us about ourselves, the world, and a better future / Jim Robbins. - First edition. - xviii, 331 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-311) and index.
Part I. What birds tell us about the natural world -- Birds: the dinosaurs that made it -- Hummingbirds: the magic of flight -- Canaries and black-backed woodpeckers: birds as flying sentinels -- A murmuring of birds: the extraordinary design of the flock -- Part II. The gifts of birds -- The power of a feather -- From egg to table part one: the chicken -- From egg to table part two: wild birds -- The miracle of guano -- Nature's cleanup crew -- Part III. Discovering ourselves through birds -- Bird brain, human brain -- The surprisingly astute minds of ravens and crows -- The secret language of birds -- The bee-eaters: a modern family -- Extreme physiologies: birds, the ultimate athletes -- Part IV. Birds and the hope for a better future -- Nature's hired men: putting birds to work -- The city bird: from sidewalk to sky -- The transformational power of birds -- Birds as social workers -- Expanding our senses -- Epilogue: The future of birds.
Examines the ecologically and spiritually invaluable contributions to humans made by our feathered friends, from the hummingbird that influenced the Wright brother's airplane design to the song of the chickadee, considered to be the most sophisticated language in the animal world. --
9780812993530 0812993535
2016049366
Birds.