A Parrot Without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth by Don Stap

by Don Stap

Describes the work of two ornithologists, John O'Neill and Ted Parker, searching for unidentified species of birds in the rain forests of Peru

Genres: Birds, Nature, Nonfiction, Natural History, Biology, Travel, Ornithology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Don Stap is an American author known for his poetry and nonfiction focused on the natural world, particularly birds. Raised in rural Michigan, Stap developed a deep connection to nature early in life, an interest that has shaped much of his work. After earning a Ph.D. from the University of Utah, he taught for over three decades at the University of Central Florida, where he is now Professor Emeritus.
His books include A Parrot Without a Name, chronicling ornithological expeditions in South America, and Birdsong, which explores the science of avian vocalization through fieldwork with expert Donald Kroodsma. Stap’s prose has appeared in Audubon, Smithsonian, and Orion, and his poetry in journals such as Poetry and TriQuarterly. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite ornitho-lit books. Stap weaves a great story intertwining the life of Ted Parker and the discovery of a new breed of Parrot in the jungles of Peru. If you like adventure stories, if you are interested in birds, if you dig natural history, you'll enjoy this book.

[Noah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is probably as close as you can get to feeling like you're actually in the Amazon rainforest (without actually being there).

The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that the amount of fine detail can sometimes bog the story down a bit too much, but for the most part, it just helps to make the story incredibly vivid and bursting with life. The book immerses you in the thick jungle made up of rivers, lowland rainforest, cloud forest, remote villages, and of course, lots and lots of extraordinary and mysterious birds--plus a cast of colorful and diverse characters and plenty of other animals too.

The insights not just into the workings of the rainforest but into the day-to-day functioning of biological field research in extremely challenging conditions are fascinating. So is the glimpse into the ornithological discoveries that are painstakingly made in cramped back rooms of museums.

The whole book is a window into a world that is fascinating and thrilling, and if birds, birdwatchers, the rainforest, natural history museums, real-life wilderness adventure, or field biology are of interest to you, you will probably devour this book.

[Rosemary Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for people who are interested in wildlife and how it used to be studied, though it's not for the faint of heart about birds being killed by the thousands. What was most interesting were the descriptions of the different researchers, including Ted Parker and Al Gentry in particular. They were both killed in a plane crash in 1993 ; this book describes them as they were in 1987 and as though they are still alive which was good.

[Collin Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring look into the raw details of museum fieldwork in South America and so much of the rich history surrounding neotropical ornithology. Stap's descriptions of even menial camp tasks are vivid and critical to understanding what goes into research expeditions of this nature. In spite of my familiarity with many of the protocols and research themes introduced throughout, this fairly dense read was consistently on-point in teaching me new things about this field. The central narrative takes its time and is even interjected for several chapters to flesh out Ted Parker's story, but each decision and description has its place in setting up the next fascinating reflection. Despite being several decades old now, this book could not feel more relevant to me as each name or site mentioned seemed to connect with my own budding experience in one way or another. More than anything, reading this at a point in life where I'll soon be stepping into grad school with hopes of doing plenty of collections-based work has made me all the more excited to take that leap.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple premise with a phenomenal execution- the story of the discovery of a new species, told in a way that deeply resonates both to the scientific mind and to the individual senses. The imagery of, for example, Russet-backed Oropendolas flying across a low, muddy river really puts you in the position of the researchers, simultaneously knowing so much about the natural world but also still being dazzled by it every time. The book's descriptions of non-nature elements, like travel and logistics, are also intriguing, and the author seems to know exactly how much to describe, but also when to move along from, topics like baggage arrangements or logistical struggles. All in all, this book was incredibly pleasant; interesting, well-paced, and satisfyingly realistic- I won't spoil further than this, but there's no "Eureka" moment, no champagne bottles or fireworks, and honestly that makes it all the more rewarding.

[Christian Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for a birder!

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is terrific so far. I didn't know that Peru has 18 percent of the world's birds on less than 1 percent of Earth's surface. The book is about birdwatchers and the science of taxonomy. About the 1700 species of birds are known in Peru--that's double the species found in all of Norte America.

I love the description of the river Shesha and chopping their way through the jungle. All the birds, animals and botany! Can't wait to finish.

I am so glad I read this book before I went to Peru. The best guide is Birds of Peru written by several authors, two of them Ted Parker and John O'Neill, contributed to the guide. I used the guide many times during the visit to Machu Picchu and Puerto Maldonado. But read about the significance of bird research in the neotropics gave me a better understanding of how much these scientists achieved.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating story of discovery in the deep jungle of Peru. Stap writes well and expertly weaves in history and folklore of ornithology and bird watching. Any lover of nature and/or birder must read this book. John O'Neill and Ted Parker are legends.

Ted Parker's death a few years after this book was published was a terrible loss to science and conservation biology specifically. He was a wealth of knowledge and unfortunately most of the information died with him since he published rarely.

[Biskit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after finding out that it was required reading for the wilderness guides at the Tambopata Research Center in Peru when we were there. It also didn't hurt that the whole story centers around finding a new species of Parrotlet in the jungle. Mostly well written, it will make a birder out of anyone.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very engaging inside look at the lives and work of some of tropical ornithology's giants...beware of the field work fever it inspires!! I will never get over how unsettling it was to read writing on Ted Parker while he was still alive; this is the first time I've encountered writing on him that is not posthumous.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're interested in birds, this is a fascinating account of a birding trip to the rainforest of Peru.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good read, great to travel vicariously with a team of scientists "naming" new species in disappearing forests

[Oma Eagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

have 1990 ed.