What draws us to the beauty of a peacock, the flight of an
eagle, or the song of a nightingale? Why are birds so significant
in our lives and our sense of the world? And what do our ways of
thinking about and experiencing birds tell us about ourselves?
"Birdscapes" is a unique meditation on the variety of human
responses to birds, from antiquity to today, and from casual
observers to the globe-trotting "twitchers" who sometimes risk
life, limb, and marriages simply to add new species to their "life
lists."
Drawing extensively on literature, history, philosophy, and
science, Jeremy Mynott puts his own experiences as a birdwatcher in
a rich cultural context. His sources range from the
familiar--Thoreau, Keats, Darwin, and Audubon--to the
unexpected--Benjamin Franklin, Giacomo Puccini, Oscar Wilde, and
Monty Python. Just as unusual are the extensive illustrations,
which explore our perceptions and representations of birds through
images such as national emblems, women's hats, professional sports
logos, and a Christmas biscuit tin, as well as classics of bird
art. Each chapter takes up a new theme--from rarity, beauty, and
sound to conservation, naming, and symbolism--and is set in a new
place, as Mynott travels from his "home patch" in Suffolk, England,
to his "away patch" in New York City's Central Park, as well as to
Russia, Australia, and Greece.
Conversational, playful, and witty, "Birdscapes" gently leads
us to reflect on large questions about our relation to birds and
the natural world. It encourages birders to see their pursuits in a
broader human context--and it shows nonbirders what they may be
missing.
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