The Unfeathered Bird

by Katrina Van Grouw

There is more to a bird than simply feathers. And just because birds evolved from a single flying ancestor doesn't mean they are structurally all the same. With over 385 stunning drawings depicting 200 species, The Unfeathered Bird is a richly illustrated book on bird anatomy that offers refreshingly original insights into what goes on beneath the feathered surface. Each exquisite drawing is made from an actual specimen and reproduced in sumptuous large format. The birds are shown in lifelike positions and engaged in behavior typical of the species: an underwater view of the skeleton of a swimming loon, the musculature of a porpoising penguin, and an unfeathered sparrowhawk plucking its prey. Jargon-free and easily accessible to any reader, the lively text relates birds' anatomy to their lifestyle and evolution, examining such questions as why penguins are bigger than auks, whether harrier hawks really have double-jointed legs, and the difference between wing claws and wing spurs. A landmark in popular bird books, The Unfeathered Bird is a must for anyone who appreciates birds or bird art.



A unique book that bridges art, science, and history

Over 385 beautiful drawings, artistically arranged in a sumptuous large-format book

Accessible, jargon-free text--the only book on bird anatomy aimed at the general reader

Drawings and text all based on actual bird specimens

Includes most anatomically distinct bird groups

Many species never illustrated before

Genres: Science, Art, Birds, Natural History, Ornithology, Nonfiction, Biology

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[CAW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happily roosting between artistic anatomy text and light scientific introduction to everything aviform, the pictures are clear, scientifically identifiable and often exquisite.

A mild tendancy to slide into casual and distractingly Americanised language from mostly clean-cut and acessible prose and the simple fact of there not being more of it are all that prevent this book being a five-star, everyone-drop-your-teacups-go-get-this-now kind of volume. It is a life's work of stunning beauty, and worth exhibiting as example to anyone whose interest in natural form and function has not yet been awakened.

edit: rating nudged up partly as I adjust my star system, partly as recent conversations strike me with horror at how little people know about what the inside of a bird looks like/does.

[Peter Roscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, beautifully written and brilliantly illustrated. Every venture into it's pages opens up magic within it's covers. I then go on to discover more treasures. A joy to own. PJR.

[ScienceSkink · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book about the anatomy and relationships between bird families. The illustrations are beautiful works of art and incredibly informative.

[Soulinaearthsuit · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully illustrated book about birds without there feathers, great reference and informative.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminded of this last evening, and so glad I have a copy. Re-read always a lovely thing. Excellent drawings, solidly informative and interesting text.

[Barrita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precioso

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heft this book, open it at random, and your first reaction might be, "Ah, a coffee-table book." And it could well be, but this is much more than just a coffee-table book, even as birds are much more than just their feathers.

The birds in Katrina van Grouw's astonishing book have been defeathered, often skinned and disassembled right down to their musculature or their skeletons, but they are always fully recognizable as birds. Their unfeathered selves are real specimens that are posed in the act of flying, walking, or standing, even as they would have in life.

Ms. van Grouw has rendered them in monochromatic drawings that are remarkably detailed and absolutely mesmerizing. The author hastens to assure us that "no birds were harmed" in the production of the book. She has taken specimens that were already dead and prepared them for her drawings.

If that were all there was to this book, it could pass as a beautiful art book, but it is really much more than that. The text is informative and is written with great good humor. It tells us much about the lives of these birds and how they go about making their livings. It is almost as riveting as the drawings, and it is the perfect accompaniment to them.

Now, I am an avid birder, so perhaps it is not surprising that I should find a book about how their bodies are put together and how they work to be a fascinating bit of work. But I really don't think that you need be even very interested in birds to be able to enjoy this book. If you simply possess a modicum of curiosity about the natural world; if you are charmed by art that depicts animals, especially birds; if you enjoy erudite and witty writing, then I think you are the perfect audience for the book.

Katrina van Grouw is a gifted writer and artist who obviously knows her birds. As a former curator of the ornithological collection at London's Natural History Museum, she also knows her bird art. She says that the creation of The Unfeathered Bird has been her lifetime's ambition. It was a worthy ambition and she has fulfilled it beautifully.

(A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book. They are so many different bird species illustrated that you really do see how they are so structurally different but they still tend to have many biological things in common. Def for a bird and art lover. I found it very interesting to see the different shaped skulls of the different bird species, they are not something that is very common amongst skull collections for drawing due to their being so fragile.

[Science For The People]

Featured on Skeptically Speaking show #213 on May 17, 2013, during an interview with author Katrina van Grouw. http://skepticallyspeaking.ca/episode...

Recommended by Josh Witten on Science for the People show #243 on December 13, 2013. http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/epi...

[Kitri Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing work on the study of the anatomy of birds. It has hand-drawn works of skin, muscle, and bone structure, often in life-life positioning, with text to go with a description to understand the individual species and the larger group that it is within. It is a great way to understand birds, anatomy and the wonders that art can contribute to the world of science.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large format collection of hundreds of drawings of bird anatomy of about 200 different bird species. The author's discussion of each bird relates their anatomy to their evolution and behavior. A brilliant project.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As amazing a book as all the paleontologists said it would be.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Limited range of birds; but very nicely executed. The accompanying text is quite weak.

[Cheyenne Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The details in this book were amazing. there was alot of facts that were interesting. all in all this was a great book.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly gorgeous, this book is both art and science. I'll use it as reference, but with reverence.

[Sjúrður Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning piece of creative work that really makes you appreciate the limits of scientific inquiry where human creativity has to take over to bring you to the next level

[Dylan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quality of the art is excellent, and the information that accompanies is accurate, informative, and well written.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful book I've ever read.