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BOOKS
Bird is the word
GET A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD’S MOST
FASCINATING FEATHERED FAUNA WITH THESE BOOKS
Flamingo
Biologist and photographer Claudio
Contreras Koob spent 20 years
travelling deep into the swamps
and mangrove forests of his native
Mexico — and beyond — to feed his
fl amingo fascination. This resultant
book off ers a unique window into
the behaviour and life of the fl ame-
feathered birds, with more than 120
show-stopping shots displaying their
beauty. teNeues, £35.
Around the World in 80 Birds
Inspiring myth, national pride or
scientifi c revelation, every bird has
a story to tell, from the weaver bird
building multi-nest ‘apartment
blocks’ in Namibia to the bar-headed
goose taking on a twice-yearly trans-
Himalayan journey at an extreme
altitude. Mike Unwin’s avian
tour is accompanied by exquisite
illustrations from Ryuto Miyake.
Laurence King Publishing, £22.
Birdgirl
Ornithology has been central to
the life of 19-year-old British-
Bangladeshi Mya-Rose Craig, aka
Birdgirl. Her pursuit of spotting as
many species as she can delivers
moments of joy amid her mother’s
deepening mental health crisis,
and has gifted Craig with a mindful
act to lift the heart and empower
the environmentalist spirit.
Jonathan Cape, £16.99.
Birdsong in a Time of Silence
Lovatt’s childhood love of
birdwatching was reignited in
lockdown when relative silence
descended on Britain. In this
celebration of birdsong — from
spring’s prominent singer, the
blackbird, to the summer’s orchestra
of calls — Lovatt explores the
science behind the sounds, and the
meanings attributed to birdsong over
the centuries. Particular, £12.99.
A World on the Wing
Pulitzer-shortlisted Weidensaul,
who’s at the forefront of research
into bird migration, here tracks
some of nature’s most remarkable
journeys. He sails through the
stormy Bering Sea, encounters
trappers in the Mediterranean and
visits former headhunters in north-
east India, where a bird migratory
crisis has become a conservation
success story. Pan Macmillan, £9.99.
Galapagos Crusoes:
A Year Alone With the Birds
Delve into this updated version of
the 1968 title, Galapagos: Islands of
Birds, by late ornithologist Bryan
Nelson, with previously unpublished
material from his wife, June. The
couple spent a year living on two
Galápagos islands, studying birds,
including the waved albatross. This
is their irreverent account. Bradt
Guides, £11.99. SARAH BARRELL
JUL/AUG 2022 39
SMART TRAVELLER
