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Critical Perspectives on Animals: Theory, Culture, Science, and Law
Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction
A leading figure in the emerging field of extinction studies, Thom van Dooren puts philosophy into conversation with the natural sciences and his ethnographic encounters to vivify the cultural and ethical significance of modern-day extinctions. Unlike other meditations on the subject, Flight Ways incorporates the particularities of real animals and their worlds, drawing philosophers, natural scientists, and general readers into the experience of living among and losing biodiversity.
Each chapter of Flight Ways focuses on a different species or group of North Pacific albatrosses, Indian vultures, an endangered colony of penguins in Australia, Hawaiian crows, and the iconic whooping cranes of North America. Written in eloquent and moving prose, the book takes stock of what is lost when a life form disappears from the world―the wide-ranging ramifications that ripple out to implicate a number of human and more-than-human others. Van Dooren intimately explores what life is like for those who must live on the edge of extinction, balanced between life and oblivion, taking care of their young and grieving their dead. He bolsters his studies with real-life accounts from scientists and local communities at the forefront of these developments. No longer abstract entities with Latin names, these species become fully realized characters enmeshed in complex and precarious ways of life, sparking our sense of curiosity, concern, and accountability toward others in a rapidly changing world.
Each chapter of Flight Ways focuses on a different species or group of North Pacific albatrosses, Indian vultures, an endangered colony of penguins in Australia, Hawaiian crows, and the iconic whooping cranes of North America. Written in eloquent and moving prose, the book takes stock of what is lost when a life form disappears from the world―the wide-ranging ramifications that ripple out to implicate a number of human and more-than-human others. Van Dooren intimately explores what life is like for those who must live on the edge of extinction, balanced between life and oblivion, taking care of their young and grieving their dead. He bolsters his studies with real-life accounts from scientists and local communities at the forefront of these developments. No longer abstract entities with Latin names, these species become fully realized characters enmeshed in complex and precarious ways of life, sparking our sense of curiosity, concern, and accountability toward others in a rapidly changing world.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
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722 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 8, 2024
My goodness, one of the best books I've ever read. This is such an INCREDIBLE account of DEATH and EXTINCTION I can't even bear it. From a philosophical pov, this is a great work based on Rose, Derrida, Haraway, Despret, Plumwood as well as many other not-so-known; from an ethological one, it's precise yet beautiful. I'm about to do my master's degree final work on how to relate to death and extinction, and so this has been just perfect. I feel that within van Dooren's words and narratives, full worlds of life and death inhabit... this is magical, definitely more-than-humanlike.
July 5, 2016
In Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction, environmental philosopher Thom van Dooren tells the stories of five species of bird:
Albatross
Little Penguin
Indian Vulture
Whooping Crane
Hawaiian Crow
Each species sheds light on a different “extinction story.” We begin with the albatross — birds that spend most of their lives gliding inches above the sea, ingesting plastics and other contaminants that they in turn feed to their offspring, resulting in increased numbers of dead offspring. Fishing lines have had an equally devastating effect on the adults. Most humans may never set eyes on an albatross, but by eating seafood or by simply participating in a global economy that relies on shipping plastic stuff, we have all had an impact on these majestic birds.
As van Dooren writes, “Our flight ways have crossed, and each of us has become implicated in the fate of the other.” He continues:
Standing among a colony of albatrosses along a windy cliff top on the island of Kaua’i, I was reminded of the shifting and consequential nature of this entanglement. … I reflected that perhaps what is most tragic about the current situation is not the “failure” of albatrosses to adjust or adapt to new threats and an altered environment … Rather, what is most tragic is another failure to adapt. Our own failure … Perhaps it is we who have not yet “evolved” into the kinds of beings worthy of our own inheritances.
We move on to the little penguin, which has for many years nested along the outer shores of Sydney, Australia — shores that are now lined with homes and sea walls, presenting obstacles and predators that have driven this species to the edge. This story is one of place — how animals not only lose real estate to humans but also their future. And humans, the late arrivals, too often view these penguins, simply searching for their old homes, as pests.
The Indian Vulture presents a tragic irony — a bird long associated with death now facing the death of its species, due largely to chemicals fed to cattle that may lengthen the life of cattle only to poison the birds. Vultures have long lived symbiotically with humans, playing the role of garbage collector — and, for the ethnic group known as the Parsee, vultures dispose of the human dead as well. But as the vultures pass away from sight, dogs and rats take up their role and, in turn, bring diseases back to the human communities. Extinction doesn’t just impact the species itself — its impact can be felt far and wide.
The story of the whooping crane is one that I thought I understood until reading this book. You might have seen videos of this human-assisted migration — an ultralight plane being used to teach young birds how to migrate south. But there is a darker, sadder story underneath the “feel-good” story — one of significant bird suffering. The birds selected for breeding never get to leave captivity. And other birds have been sacrificed over the years (sandhill cranes, chickens) to incubate the eggs, with limited success. Finally, the result of human intervention has been largely unsuccessful; that is, the captive-raised birds have not been particularly good at rearing their young, which raises doubt about the long-term viability of this conservation model. Van Dooren doesn’t suggest that we should stop trying to save this species, but he does urge a greater awareness for the costs that birds must pay to support this effort.
Finally, there is the Hawaiian Crow — a bird that does not exist outside of captivity. There are roughly 100 birds left alive — and humans are doing their very best to reintroduce the species into the wild. It is a story of hope.
Van Dooren writes about the “dull edge of extinction,” a phrase that captures the slow-motion disaster that is extinction. What we see here are examples of birds living on this edge, some perhaps destined to cross over, some perhaps not. And humans are playing violent and benevolent roles along the way. Van Doren highlights the inherent tensions between animal conservation and animal welfare. At what point is the cure worse than the disease?
This is an academic book, heavily footnoted, but the annotations do not get in the way of the stories, which are enlightening, albeit sad. Van Dooren does an excellent job of going beyond the science to the emotional experience of observing and spending time among the birds. The author is keenly aware of the role that stories play in raising awareness and, more important, empathy. This book is another example of the growing importance of environmental humanities in pushing society forward.
(Originally published on EcoLit Books: www.ecolitbooks.com)
Albatross
Little Penguin
Indian Vulture
Whooping Crane
Hawaiian Crow
Each species sheds light on a different “extinction story.” We begin with the albatross — birds that spend most of their lives gliding inches above the sea, ingesting plastics and other contaminants that they in turn feed to their offspring, resulting in increased numbers of dead offspring. Fishing lines have had an equally devastating effect on the adults. Most humans may never set eyes on an albatross, but by eating seafood or by simply participating in a global economy that relies on shipping plastic stuff, we have all had an impact on these majestic birds.
As van Dooren writes, “Our flight ways have crossed, and each of us has become implicated in the fate of the other.” He continues:
Standing among a colony of albatrosses along a windy cliff top on the island of Kaua’i, I was reminded of the shifting and consequential nature of this entanglement. … I reflected that perhaps what is most tragic about the current situation is not the “failure” of albatrosses to adjust or adapt to new threats and an altered environment … Rather, what is most tragic is another failure to adapt. Our own failure … Perhaps it is we who have not yet “evolved” into the kinds of beings worthy of our own inheritances.
We move on to the little penguin, which has for many years nested along the outer shores of Sydney, Australia — shores that are now lined with homes and sea walls, presenting obstacles and predators that have driven this species to the edge. This story is one of place — how animals not only lose real estate to humans but also their future. And humans, the late arrivals, too often view these penguins, simply searching for their old homes, as pests.
The Indian Vulture presents a tragic irony — a bird long associated with death now facing the death of its species, due largely to chemicals fed to cattle that may lengthen the life of cattle only to poison the birds. Vultures have long lived symbiotically with humans, playing the role of garbage collector — and, for the ethnic group known as the Parsee, vultures dispose of the human dead as well. But as the vultures pass away from sight, dogs and rats take up their role and, in turn, bring diseases back to the human communities. Extinction doesn’t just impact the species itself — its impact can be felt far and wide.
The story of the whooping crane is one that I thought I understood until reading this book. You might have seen videos of this human-assisted migration — an ultralight plane being used to teach young birds how to migrate south. But there is a darker, sadder story underneath the “feel-good” story — one of significant bird suffering. The birds selected for breeding never get to leave captivity. And other birds have been sacrificed over the years (sandhill cranes, chickens) to incubate the eggs, with limited success. Finally, the result of human intervention has been largely unsuccessful; that is, the captive-raised birds have not been particularly good at rearing their young, which raises doubt about the long-term viability of this conservation model. Van Dooren doesn’t suggest that we should stop trying to save this species, but he does urge a greater awareness for the costs that birds must pay to support this effort.
Finally, there is the Hawaiian Crow — a bird that does not exist outside of captivity. There are roughly 100 birds left alive — and humans are doing their very best to reintroduce the species into the wild. It is a story of hope.
Van Dooren writes about the “dull edge of extinction,” a phrase that captures the slow-motion disaster that is extinction. What we see here are examples of birds living on this edge, some perhaps destined to cross over, some perhaps not. And humans are playing violent and benevolent roles along the way. Van Doren highlights the inherent tensions between animal conservation and animal welfare. At what point is the cure worse than the disease?
This is an academic book, heavily footnoted, but the annotations do not get in the way of the stories, which are enlightening, albeit sad. Van Dooren does an excellent job of going beyond the science to the emotional experience of observing and spending time among the birds. The author is keenly aware of the role that stories play in raising awareness and, more important, empathy. This book is another example of the growing importance of environmental humanities in pushing society forward.
(Originally published on EcoLit Books: www.ecolitbooks.com)
December 22, 2021
Finally made the time to finish this. I should have done so earlier. You know when you read something and the author, miraculously, seems to be thinking the same things you are, only articulating it in a way that makes you understand your own thoughts for the first time? This book was that way for me, and is helping me sharpen and define my philosophy as a scholar and a writer.
Personal edification aside, this book is absolutely incredible. A beautiful mix of engaging writing with stories, natural science (especially ethology and conservation), and philosophy. All the rigor of an academic work without the jargon, instead a refreshingly readable and accessible meditation on birds, extinction, and the ecological transformations of be 21st century. Can’t recommend enough.
Personal edification aside, this book is absolutely incredible. A beautiful mix of engaging writing with stories, natural science (especially ethology and conservation), and philosophy. All the rigor of an academic work without the jargon, instead a refreshingly readable and accessible meditation on birds, extinction, and the ecological transformations of be 21st century. Can’t recommend enough.
November 20, 2020
An incredibly well written book that invites us to go beyond human exceptionalism when thinking about extinction and realize how interconnected we are with each living being whose way of live dies out because of our actions. Van Dooren has a gift for combining science with beauty, and his language use represents what this book is calling out for. For people to learn more about the ways of lives of animals that are both extinct/at the edge of exctinction and alive in order to appreciate them and their purpose as our equal co-inhabitants of the earth.
May 23, 2021
This book helped me reexamine philosophical arguments I was already familiar with, but helped emphasize how integrated every species and individual is to the surrounding world, and how humans are no exception. The book is a strong argument against human exceptionalism and a great book for those not familiar with this idea.
April 23, 2023
As with Donna Haraway, this book works at its best when it places the "fanciness" of its theories (in this case, the concept of "flight ways") in a secondary place, and focus on ethnographical-ecological evidence and observation. Luckily, this is what happens throughout most of the book: a keen exploration of the multiple, entangled, messy, multi-species consequences of extinction events. To focus on grief and mourning in the last chapter is a sound idea, as it expertly conveys the profound sadness that this time of loss brings, and why it matters.
November 25, 2018
van Dooren takes a humanistic approach towards distinctly nonhuman subjects —5 bird species threatened by extinction. The stories he tells about these birds are compelling and sorrowful and reveal a level of avian agency and autonomy that we humans often fail to recognize or ignore. Although his argument is fascinating to understanding humanity's role and relationship to animals and the environment, he seemingly supports this argument through a repetition of terms and ideas. For those not already sympathetic to the environment or rethinking "human exceptionalism," this argument through repetition may not be robust enough to change minds. Nevertheless, I personally like birds so this was a worthwhile read.
July 28, 2014
This is a beautifully written, important book about fragile multispecies relations and ethics in the age of mass extinction.
August 2, 2019
What is extinction and what does it mean for any species to become extinct? What is our role in what van Dooren calls this "dull edge of extinction"? How can our knowledge of our own implication move us to change our relation to the non-human world, to find new "flight ways"?
These questions are central to van Dooren's work Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction. He follows the stories of the Whooping Cranes and Little Penguins among other birds facing the edge of extinction. This book doesn't throw many facts and figures at you, it does something much more powerful. It helps you contemplate our relationship with the world and the life that inhabits it alongside us. It pushes you to feel something for not just the loss of that last bird of a particular species or indeed the end of the species itself, but a loss of a way of living that often occurs long before the last bird falls.
These questions are central to van Dooren's work Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction. He follows the stories of the Whooping Cranes and Little Penguins among other birds facing the edge of extinction. This book doesn't throw many facts and figures at you, it does something much more powerful. It helps you contemplate our relationship with the world and the life that inhabits it alongside us. It pushes you to feel something for not just the loss of that last bird of a particular species or indeed the end of the species itself, but a loss of a way of living that often occurs long before the last bird falls.
April 6, 2023
It’s not news that human actions cause extinctions, but how do those extinctions in turn affect people? This is one question Thom van Dooren is trying to answer in Flight Ways by looking at five bird species that are on the edge of disappearing. On Midway Atoll, millions of years of albatross evolution is being overwhelmed by hundreds of years of chemicals and plastics. In India, people have relied on vultures to help dispose of carcasses, but medicines used to treat cattle are leading to their disappearance. Little penguins are persistently returning to their nesting locations in Sydney despite development. In Wisconsin and Maryland, humans transform their appearance to raise whooping cranes in captivity, but also utilize more common birds in service of that goal. Hawaiian crows—nearly gone in the wild--appear to demonstrate grief at loss to a greater extent than human societies largely unaware of their deadly impact. This book is a marrying of nature writing and philosophy, trying to broaden our perspective on more than human lives. I hope that books like this can help change humanity’s learned behaviors.
September 4, 2025
A thoughtful, intelligent book that braids natural history with ethics. Van Dooren writes beautifully about grief, responsibility and time, and the “flight ways” idea is genuinely illuminating. Yet I often felt the frame of “inevitable” violence in conservation slid by too easily: alternatives (and the institutions that foreclose them) remain under-examined. Likewise, colonial-capitalist continuities surface at the margins, only to retreat just when the analysis might bite. In the urban chapters, dogs and cats end up carrying a fair share of blame, whilst property regimes, planning and tourism receive lighter scrutiny. And the emphasis on charismatic, show-able birds risks recentring what already commands attention, leaving more ordinary, farmed or lab-bound lives offstage. Even so, the narrative care here is real, and the book opens space for better questions. A valuable, compelling read that I admired (whilst wishing it pushed harder on power, land and law).
November 4, 2018
An elegiac look at five bird species on "the dull edge of extinction" and their entanglements with humans. I liked his bold forays into avian psychology and recognition of ethical problematics and tradeoffs between individual and species survival and happiness. Occasionally I felt he went against his own thinking by imposing normative ideas of how birds "should be" based on their evolutionary history onto individual birds - for instance, citing two male Whooping Cranes helping rear a Sandhill Crane couple's chick as evidence of problematic behavior caused by captive breeding; it certainly is for the species, but I'm not convinced it is for the individual.
Important reading for those interested in extinction, especially natural scientists who want a humanities perspective on the issue.
Important reading for those interested in extinction, especially natural scientists who want a humanities perspective on the issue.
March 5, 2024
The road to extinction is examined by looking at five bird species. They all have great stories, the two that will stick with me a long time concern Little Penguins and Long-billed Vultures. The other three species, Laysan Albatross, Hawaiian Crow, and Whooping Crane all have interesting and enlightening stories. I don’t know what is about penguins and vultures, but their stories affected me much more. Highly recommended.
April 16, 2025
I adore this book to my bones. It led me into worlds I didn’t know existed and awakened in me a deep awe for writing that is both nuanced and reverent about places, lives, and philosophies I had never encountered in this way before.
Most importantly, it ends with a call for stories, a call that each of us is uniquely equipped to answer in our own way. After this transformative read, I fully intend to do my part. I highly recommend letting yourself become entangled in these stories!
Most importantly, it ends with a call for stories, a call that each of us is uniquely equipped to answer in our own way. After this transformative read, I fully intend to do my part. I highly recommend letting yourself become entangled in these stories!
November 5, 2025
Very accessible format. Love the storytelling as well as his explanation and arguments in favour of the form of storytelling. Some sections were better than others - the vulture chapter for example was much better than the albatross chapter but on some level this is to be expected. Could’ve done more with the albatross chapter imo. Overall would recommend for light reading on a topic which very easily encourages existentialism or pessimism.
January 26, 2022
No esperaba que un libro sobre la extinción de distintas especies de pájaros pudiera ser tan hermoso. Entre Donna Haraway, Jacques Derrida y Kornad Lorenz, van Dooren construye una filosofía para el "borde romo" del apocalipsis. Un libro esencial para pensar temas como el duelo, la extinción y el cuidado desde una perspectiva diferente.
May 12, 2023
From the perspective of birds experience of extinction, these five case studies prompt deep questions about the more-than-human basis of caring, story telling and sense of place, mourning; about the intricacies of our entanglement with species around the world; in conversation with Haraway, how to live in discomfort with our best choices' complications.
January 1, 2022
This is a gorgeous, thoughtful, challenging book. The writing is really engaging - very narrative, and really compelling. It has really stuck with me in the month since I've read it - I find myself returning often to examples and themes.
January 3, 2019
Sad but different. I loved the story of these birds, which are also the story of us.
February 25, 2019
Had to read for class. Very philosophical/ethical point of view to animal studies. Not bad. I liked some of the stories. Some were very sad. Well, okay, all of them were very sad.
February 19, 2020
Great to read aloud!
October 1, 2024
Educational, and truly shines a light on the global effects and systems, and traditons in place that harm ecosystems that we don't know about.
March 22, 2025
For my environmental literature class - a really interesting book on bird extinctions that evaluates our human relationship with nature!
March 11, 2015
Beautiful work furthering ideas on decentering the human, staying with ecological ethical issues, and thinking with new ways of living and seeing.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews