What do you think?
Rate this book
Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds
The story of one woman’s remarkable work with a trio of charismatic, endangered bird species—and her discoveries about the devastating threats that imperil them.
In Feather Trails, wildlife biologist and birder Sophie A. H. Osborn reveals how the harmful environmental choices we’ve made—including pesticide use, the introduction of invasive species, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction—have decimated Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors.
In the Rocky Mountains, the cloud forests of Hawai’i, and the Grand Canyon, Sophie and her colleagues work day-to-day to try to reintroduce these birds to the wild, even when it seems that the odds are steeply stacked against their survival.
With humor and suspense, Feather Trails introduces us to the fascinating behaviors and unique personalities of Sophie’s avian charges and shows that what endangers them ultimately threatens all life on our planet.
More than a deeply researched environmental investigation, Feather Trails is also a personal journey and human story, in which Sophie overcomes her own obstacles—among them heat exhaustion, poachers, rattlesnakes, and chauvinism.
Ultimately, Feather Trails is an inspiring, poignant narrative about endangered birds and how our choices can help to ensure a future not only for the rarest species, but for us too.
In Feather Trails, wildlife biologist and birder Sophie A. H. Osborn reveals how the harmful environmental choices we’ve made—including pesticide use, the introduction of invasive species, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction—have decimated Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors.
In the Rocky Mountains, the cloud forests of Hawai’i, and the Grand Canyon, Sophie and her colleagues work day-to-day to try to reintroduce these birds to the wild, even when it seems that the odds are steeply stacked against their survival.
With humor and suspense, Feather Trails introduces us to the fascinating behaviors and unique personalities of Sophie’s avian charges and shows that what endangers them ultimately threatens all life on our planet.
More than a deeply researched environmental investigation, Feather Trails is also a personal journey and human story, in which Sophie overcomes her own obstacles—among them heat exhaustion, poachers, rattlesnakes, and chauvinism.
Ultimately, Feather Trails is an inspiring, poignant narrative about endangered birds and how our choices can help to ensure a future not only for the rarest species, but for us too.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2024
9 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 31, 2024
This is going to be a ranting, rambling review full of animal liberationist opinions as it's impossible for it not to be with how many feelings, some old and some new, were awakened by this beautiful book. The author and I have many agreements and a few disagreements, so be careful not to project all of my opinions onto her writing if I happen to convey this jumbled mess without enough organization. Sophie A. H. Osborn's Feather Trails is a standout in the genres it spans (memoir, nature writing, science, and more.) The writing is excellent, engrossing, and drew me in completely, making me feel like I was there. Her ability to immerse the reader with details about locations, visuals, feelings, experiences, etc is strengthened by her simultaneous ponderings on what things are like for the individual birds of the species she worked to support and conserve. Her passion about birds and conservation is clear and reading this book added to my own passion and understanding.
Learning Osborn's history with peregrine falcons had me thinking of every time I have had the luxury of seeing this no longer endangered bird with the awe of knowing they may never have had a chance without people like her and the challenging work they did. The stories of the alala crows tore at and touched my heart. You can tell from my name that I have a soft spot for corvids and to know these crafty creatures are extinct in the wild is devastating. Learning how the remaining individuals in captivity still maintain some wildness and ability to enjoy life makes the reality easier to digest. The section on the California condors was by far the hardest, yet still full of beauty. The pitfalls and absolute cruelty and callousness of so many humans, how they killed so many birds, and damaged conservation efforts over and over has infuriated and haunted me since.
Frankly, I already found the propaganda of hunters all being the "greatest conservationists" to be gross. Taking a history where regulations had to be created and rigidly enforced because hunting drove many species to, or close to, extinction (including deer, canada geese, and other now abundant species,) then rebranding the entire story with hunters as the heroes is dishonest at best. (Not to mention how current subsets of conservation that are partly funded by hunting licenses end abruptly when their ability to kill who they want when they want, or the profits of loggers and ranchers, are affected.) After Osborn telling the stories of lead poisonings, individual condor by condor, all dying extremely prematurely, while the NRA and "conservationist" hunters clung (and still cling) to lead shot because "gun rights" frankly made me so infuriated by this hunting propaganda that I could barely breathe. For the record, Osborn herself does not claim to be anti-hunting, just anti-lead ammunition. Osborn's stories of individual birds, their relationships, explorations and adventures, and the short lives they did get to lead made out for a book that is not purely trauma. However, it is never easy to read sensitive, thoughtful, honest accounts of how we got here, where we have succeeded, and where we have failed. That honesty leads me to my next point.
I often go in to books about the greater than human world open-minded but with low expectations. There are tons of books out there that disappoint, not so much in their lack of research and information, but in their objectification of their subjects. I am so tired of reading books that treat birds and other animals as a monolith of beings with no personalities and only a single minded focus (usually reproduction.) I did not know much about Osborn before this book (because I am out of touch, she is in fact a rather large name in ornithology and conservation.) I was pleasantly surprised by how she told these stories for a variety of reasons.
Despite sometimes falling into the dreaded "it" designation that many humans continue to give animals, Osborn focuses on each bird that she worked with and knew as an individual being. We learn about their personalities, how they interact with one another in different ways, how human interference affects things, and so on. She also does not shy away from the ethical conundrums of working with endangered birds. While I don't always agree with her, I found so much value in her discussion of the realities of how righting human wrongs can be very complicated. From DDT and lead contamination to the introduction of feral cats and killing birds to feed other birds, Osborn does not shy away from discussing her feelings and overall ethics (topics often woefully absent in science literature.) She discusses her uneasiness with the practice of killing quail to save falcons and how seeing a feral cat be killed to protect other species taught her to transition her own cats to be indoor only. I did not notice her analyzing the killing of cows for condors, though, which I think could have pushed the ethical convo further when discussing animal agribusiness and its contributions to climate change and species extinction- especially given the focus on hunting (which presently has less overall impact than animal exploitation agribusiness.) Not only do the wastefulness, greenhouse gases, land use, groundwater pollution, etc, cause issues, but many vulture species have become endangered due to poisoning from drugs given to cows, but I digress.
She discusses the human fault for introducing non native species in much more honest ways than many scientists, though in my opinion she still put too much blame on said species at times for endangering other animals by condoning their slaughter. The big picture is more complicated than that. In reality, humans (aside from introducing said species in the first place) have far worse impacts than any feral cat. Overfishing/hunting, habitat destruction, pollutions, animal agribusiness, etc are all massive threats to birds and other animals. Even the first humans who traveled outside Africa to colonize other continents began to cause imbalances, extinctions, etc upon arrival (no shade to folks just trying to survive without this knowledge centuries ago.) With European colonization, industrialization, etc, those problems were intensely magnified. Yet, humans believe that we and our luxuries are worth more, so we call the other animals "invaders" and blame it all on them. Osborn is unafraid to have this discussion which I truly appreciate, even if she and I disagree on a fraction of the solutions.
Osborn also is willing to acknowledge the ethical conundrums in terms of conservation, study, and breeding of endangered species. She does not shy away from the reality that handling birds is stressful. I have seen bird banding posts with people taking selfies with terrified animals or claiming they're "smilin for the camera!" (I support banding research efforts, for the record, and respect the efforts of scientists to reduce stress as much as possible. Unfortunately, nonconsensual contact with other animals is sometimes needed for conservation and research. I also support questioning everything we do without another animal's consent and how we characterize those actions.) Osborn discusses the practice of separating animals who choose one another as partners in order to place them with another animal with a higher chance of breeding. This is a practice I oppose, but I see the logic. She does not discuss artificial insemination as much as one should as it ranges from stressful to horrific depending on the species. I think zoos playing a part increases the problem (reminder: wherein the majority of animals are not endangered and are bred/purchased just for entertainment/profit.) Zoos tend to want to breed species so that they have more of that species to display in captivity, despite the fact that the stresses of the zoo tend to hinder various species interest in breeding. You can see the difference between zoo-run conservation and other types not driven by profit in this book and elsewhere. Even so, the Alala crow efforts are important and sometimes a zoo will hold the only members of an endangered or extinct-in-the-wild species available and thus one must work with them in order to participate.
In terms of herself, Osborn is excellent at describing her strengths, shortcomings, successes, and mistakes along the way. She discusses being a woman in the sciences and which people were her allies vs which ones treated her as subservient. She interrogates her own biases and examines her feelings. Rather than drawing conclusions that all emotion is bad in science, she examines which way her emotions may lead her and why. I don't know if she realized she was using this sort of wisdom around feelings or if it is just evident to me as an outsider. Afterall, isn't the desire to care for and conserve an entire species partly an emotional one? Humans are an extremely emotional species, much like many other animals. I think we benefit far more from these discussions than we do from humans who think that emotion has no place in the sciences (as if that would even be possible with us involved.) But, again, I digress.
I've written plenty and have filled this review with so much of what this book brought up for me because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it every day since I finished. I hope that Osborn's style is a trend in writing that will continue in science, conservation, nature, etc topics. It not only draws people into the worlds of other animals, but it pushes us more towards possible solutions. The planet would not have lost so many of its species with more efforts like that of Osborn. With her and those like her still out there, maybe many still have a chance.
This was also posted to my blog and storygraph.
Learning Osborn's history with peregrine falcons had me thinking of every time I have had the luxury of seeing this no longer endangered bird with the awe of knowing they may never have had a chance without people like her and the challenging work they did. The stories of the alala crows tore at and touched my heart. You can tell from my name that I have a soft spot for corvids and to know these crafty creatures are extinct in the wild is devastating. Learning how the remaining individuals in captivity still maintain some wildness and ability to enjoy life makes the reality easier to digest. The section on the California condors was by far the hardest, yet still full of beauty. The pitfalls and absolute cruelty and callousness of so many humans, how they killed so many birds, and damaged conservation efforts over and over has infuriated and haunted me since.
Frankly, I already found the propaganda of hunters all being the "greatest conservationists" to be gross. Taking a history where regulations had to be created and rigidly enforced because hunting drove many species to, or close to, extinction (including deer, canada geese, and other now abundant species,) then rebranding the entire story with hunters as the heroes is dishonest at best. (Not to mention how current subsets of conservation that are partly funded by hunting licenses end abruptly when their ability to kill who they want when they want, or the profits of loggers and ranchers, are affected.) After Osborn telling the stories of lead poisonings, individual condor by condor, all dying extremely prematurely, while the NRA and "conservationist" hunters clung (and still cling) to lead shot because "gun rights" frankly made me so infuriated by this hunting propaganda that I could barely breathe. For the record, Osborn herself does not claim to be anti-hunting, just anti-lead ammunition. Osborn's stories of individual birds, their relationships, explorations and adventures, and the short lives they did get to lead made out for a book that is not purely trauma. However, it is never easy to read sensitive, thoughtful, honest accounts of how we got here, where we have succeeded, and where we have failed. That honesty leads me to my next point.
I often go in to books about the greater than human world open-minded but with low expectations. There are tons of books out there that disappoint, not so much in their lack of research and information, but in their objectification of their subjects. I am so tired of reading books that treat birds and other animals as a monolith of beings with no personalities and only a single minded focus (usually reproduction.) I did not know much about Osborn before this book (because I am out of touch, she is in fact a rather large name in ornithology and conservation.) I was pleasantly surprised by how she told these stories for a variety of reasons.
Despite sometimes falling into the dreaded "it" designation that many humans continue to give animals, Osborn focuses on each bird that she worked with and knew as an individual being. We learn about their personalities, how they interact with one another in different ways, how human interference affects things, and so on. She also does not shy away from the ethical conundrums of working with endangered birds. While I don't always agree with her, I found so much value in her discussion of the realities of how righting human wrongs can be very complicated. From DDT and lead contamination to the introduction of feral cats and killing birds to feed other birds, Osborn does not shy away from discussing her feelings and overall ethics (topics often woefully absent in science literature.) She discusses her uneasiness with the practice of killing quail to save falcons and how seeing a feral cat be killed to protect other species taught her to transition her own cats to be indoor only. I did not notice her analyzing the killing of cows for condors, though, which I think could have pushed the ethical convo further when discussing animal agribusiness and its contributions to climate change and species extinction- especially given the focus on hunting (which presently has less overall impact than animal exploitation agribusiness.) Not only do the wastefulness, greenhouse gases, land use, groundwater pollution, etc, cause issues, but many vulture species have become endangered due to poisoning from drugs given to cows, but I digress.
She discusses the human fault for introducing non native species in much more honest ways than many scientists, though in my opinion she still put too much blame on said species at times for endangering other animals by condoning their slaughter. The big picture is more complicated than that. In reality, humans (aside from introducing said species in the first place) have far worse impacts than any feral cat. Overfishing/hunting, habitat destruction, pollutions, animal agribusiness, etc are all massive threats to birds and other animals. Even the first humans who traveled outside Africa to colonize other continents began to cause imbalances, extinctions, etc upon arrival (no shade to folks just trying to survive without this knowledge centuries ago.) With European colonization, industrialization, etc, those problems were intensely magnified. Yet, humans believe that we and our luxuries are worth more, so we call the other animals "invaders" and blame it all on them. Osborn is unafraid to have this discussion which I truly appreciate, even if she and I disagree on a fraction of the solutions.
Osborn also is willing to acknowledge the ethical conundrums in terms of conservation, study, and breeding of endangered species. She does not shy away from the reality that handling birds is stressful. I have seen bird banding posts with people taking selfies with terrified animals or claiming they're "smilin for the camera!" (I support banding research efforts, for the record, and respect the efforts of scientists to reduce stress as much as possible. Unfortunately, nonconsensual contact with other animals is sometimes needed for conservation and research. I also support questioning everything we do without another animal's consent and how we characterize those actions.) Osborn discusses the practice of separating animals who choose one another as partners in order to place them with another animal with a higher chance of breeding. This is a practice I oppose, but I see the logic. She does not discuss artificial insemination as much as one should as it ranges from stressful to horrific depending on the species. I think zoos playing a part increases the problem (reminder: wherein the majority of animals are not endangered and are bred/purchased just for entertainment/profit.) Zoos tend to want to breed species so that they have more of that species to display in captivity, despite the fact that the stresses of the zoo tend to hinder various species interest in breeding. You can see the difference between zoo-run conservation and other types not driven by profit in this book and elsewhere. Even so, the Alala crow efforts are important and sometimes a zoo will hold the only members of an endangered or extinct-in-the-wild species available and thus one must work with them in order to participate.
In terms of herself, Osborn is excellent at describing her strengths, shortcomings, successes, and mistakes along the way. She discusses being a woman in the sciences and which people were her allies vs which ones treated her as subservient. She interrogates her own biases and examines her feelings. Rather than drawing conclusions that all emotion is bad in science, she examines which way her emotions may lead her and why. I don't know if she realized she was using this sort of wisdom around feelings or if it is just evident to me as an outsider. Afterall, isn't the desire to care for and conserve an entire species partly an emotional one? Humans are an extremely emotional species, much like many other animals. I think we benefit far more from these discussions than we do from humans who think that emotion has no place in the sciences (as if that would even be possible with us involved.) But, again, I digress.
I've written plenty and have filled this review with so much of what this book brought up for me because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it every day since I finished. I hope that Osborn's style is a trend in writing that will continue in science, conservation, nature, etc topics. It not only draws people into the worlds of other animals, but it pushes us more towards possible solutions. The planet would not have lost so many of its species with more efforts like that of Osborn. With her and those like her still out there, maybe many still have a chance.
This was also posted to my blog and storygraph.
April 21, 2025
Five stars! Sophie Osborn is a total boss.
I heard Osborn speak about her work last year at a Chicago Ornithological Society Zoom meeting and have been meaning to read her book. I ended up listening to the audiobook.
I loved hearing Osborn's story of her work on endangered bird captive breeding and release projects: peregrine falcon, Hawaiian crow, and California condor. She did a great job describing the birds, their individual stories, and the many threats they face: DDT, pathogens from mosquitos, lead bullets, trash, house cats and other invasive predators, climate change, etc. Her work sounds really challenging, sometimes rewarding and often heartbreaking. What humans have done and are still doing to our planet and its life makes me so upset--a third of all birds lost in less than a century.
Just when I didn't think I could hate the NRA more, I learned they fought to keep lead bullets legal for hunters despite 600+ peer reviewed scientific reports about the danger of these bullets on the environment, especially for scavengers like condors. It was a great idea for conservationists to provide safe bullet alternatives for hunters as a free trade in, but Osborn points out that even if 2 percent of hunters continue to use lead bullets, the condor population would still go extinct without monitoring and interventions like catching the birds with signs of lead poisoning and flushing their systems. Glad that by 2019 at least California had banned lead hunting ammunition.
Osborn is a hero. Such important work.
Finished 4.12.25
I heard Osborn speak about her work last year at a Chicago Ornithological Society Zoom meeting and have been meaning to read her book. I ended up listening to the audiobook.
I loved hearing Osborn's story of her work on endangered bird captive breeding and release projects: peregrine falcon, Hawaiian crow, and California condor. She did a great job describing the birds, their individual stories, and the many threats they face: DDT, pathogens from mosquitos, lead bullets, trash, house cats and other invasive predators, climate change, etc. Her work sounds really challenging, sometimes rewarding and often heartbreaking. What humans have done and are still doing to our planet and its life makes me so upset--a third of all birds lost in less than a century.
Just when I didn't think I could hate the NRA more, I learned they fought to keep lead bullets legal for hunters despite 600+ peer reviewed scientific reports about the danger of these bullets on the environment, especially for scavengers like condors. It was a great idea for conservationists to provide safe bullet alternatives for hunters as a free trade in, but Osborn points out that even if 2 percent of hunters continue to use lead bullets, the condor population would still go extinct without monitoring and interventions like catching the birds with signs of lead poisoning and flushing their systems. Glad that by 2019 at least California had banned lead hunting ammunition.
Osborn is a hero. Such important work.
Finished 4.12.25
August 11, 2025
Feather Trails is a fascinating and eye-opening book. The firsthand accounts of the heroic efforts to reintroduce three captivating endangered bird species to the wild are told from the heart. I felt I was right alongside the author on the front lines and shared in the same feelings of suspense, triumph and tragedy following the fates of these amazing birds, along the way learning a lot about their natural history and the many threats they face. Beautifully written, Feather Trails weaves together personal stories, field biology, and environmental science in a highly engaging and thoughtful way. This journey of discovery among endangered birds is a truly inspirational story on many levels. One of the best books I have read in a long time.
February 5, 2025
As a fledgling birder, this book was exactly what I was looking for. Osborn insightfully reflects on the formative experiences of her career, giving readers a view into what it feels like to be a biologist. If anyone is considering becoming a biologist, I recommend reading this book as a way to understand the good, the bad, the ugly, and the joyous parts of the job. Her relationship with wildlife is awe inspiring.
The book carefully connects human caused issues to bird populations and helps readers understand birds as a vital sign to the health of our planet. This piece of literature takes another step to dismantling the imaginary barrier between the places humans live and work and wild habitat.
The book carefully connects human caused issues to bird populations and helps readers understand birds as a vital sign to the health of our planet. This piece of literature takes another step to dismantling the imaginary barrier between the places humans live and work and wild habitat.
April 21, 2025
Through her work as a wildlife biologist, Osborn recounts her experiences working with endangered birds in various reintroduction programs. Retelling the stories of her field work with peregrine falcons, Hawaiian crows, and California condors, this book touches on the successes and sometimes inevitable heartaches of conservation biology.
I hadn’t known much of the plight of the peregrine falcon or the extinction (in the wild) of the Hawaiian crow before reading this book. While the efforts to boost peregrine falcon numbers were successful, the extinction of the Hawaiian crow is a bleak reminder of how human activities can consistently thwart native wildlife.
My favorite part of this book was the section on California Condors. I’ve always had a soft spot for vultures and after reading about all the perils of reintroduction after almost going extinct makes me an even bigger supporter of these beautiful birds.
I hadn’t known much of the plight of the peregrine falcon or the extinction (in the wild) of the Hawaiian crow before reading this book. While the efforts to boost peregrine falcon numbers were successful, the extinction of the Hawaiian crow is a bleak reminder of how human activities can consistently thwart native wildlife.
My favorite part of this book was the section on California Condors. I’ve always had a soft spot for vultures and after reading about all the perils of reintroduction after almost going extinct makes me an even bigger supporter of these beautiful birds.
August 2, 2025
The author shares an important and heartfelt story of her field work with endangered birds. From peregrine falcons, to the Hawaiian crow and California condor this is a story that needs to be heard. This is our story - one of peril, discovery and hope. Highly recommend.
March 26, 2025
we love you peregrine falcons we love you ʻalalā we love you california condors….
December 15, 2024
A compelling, inspiring, and frequently heartbreaking account of attempts to conserve and restore three endangered species - peregrine falcons, Hawaiian crows and California condors. Osborn does a great job weaving together her personal experiences with broader information about the species, and although the details might be too much for some people, I found them engrossing. I feel hope and fear and grim determination about the future of birds, and our planet. Also, it was extra poignant to see two peregrines in the middle of reading this book - the product of so much work and determination, flying free.
May 3, 2024
This book was awesome! An incredible and perfect mix of storytelling, memoir, science, conservation, and endangered species. The writing is beautiful and I was immediately swept up in the fascinating world of birds that Sophie Osborn writes about! Peregrine falcons, Hawaiian crows, and California condors…species that represent the challenges facing bird conservationists across the globe. Sophie combines wonderful storytelling, personal experiences, and easy to understand science and has created an inspirational, exciting, engaging, and illuminating book!
June 10, 2024
This is an amazing book full of adventure and personal accounts of individual birds you will come to know, love, and root for. Throughout it all is an incredibly detailed and researched account of the perils these species face, and ultimately the dangers they hold for us as well. A must read if you love animals and care about the environment.
November 18, 2025
A fantastic journey through one biologist’s experiences working with/for three imperiled bird species. Despite my opinion that this book should’ve undergone another edit/review phase before being released, I would recommend it to any reader, biologist and non-biologist alike. I really enjoyed the author’s tender blending of personal anecdotes and the joys of observing wild individuals with scientific context, history, and the discouraging reality facing these species and animals. It was hard not to feel hopeless listening to all the challenges that these birds face, among countless other species. I appreciated the author’s attempt to instill hope throughout the book and at the end. I fought tears at many points throughout the three parts and, as a biologist myself, related to the author at more than one point as she described being an inexperienced and experienced biologist doing her best in a sometimes intimidating career.
November 21, 2025
This is a great book! Sophie Osborn weaves her story beautifully. She strikes a perfect balance of telling her personal experience in the field and describing current research on threats to her study animals. FEATHER TRAILS is as engaging as it is informative. As the reader, you never doubt that you are in good, trustworthy hands.
July 17, 2024
Sophie Osborn's Feather Trails takes us through the trials and tribulations that several endangered species have faced on their road to recovery. Osburn's first hand account of chasing Hawaiian Crows through the forests, entering California Condor nests to remove plastic debris, and sitting precariously on a ledge in hopes of seeing juvenile Peregrine Falcons return to the hacking box will instill the drive for conservation in anyone.
To many, field biology may seem like a great unknown. There is a select group of folks willing to brave the elements and enter the unknown to help protect and conserve some of the world's most precious species. Osborn gives us a glimpse at some of the struggles and joys that field biology provides and the dedication it often takes.
This book is a must read for folks who appreciate birds, conservation, or wildlife in general. Osborn is a wonderful storyteller who will draw you in. Thank you Chelsea Green Publishing and Sophie Osborn for collaborating with me for a podcast episode on the Bird Nerd Book Club.
To many, field biology may seem like a great unknown. There is a select group of folks willing to brave the elements and enter the unknown to help protect and conserve some of the world's most precious species. Osborn gives us a glimpse at some of the struggles and joys that field biology provides and the dedication it often takes.
This book is a must read for folks who appreciate birds, conservation, or wildlife in general. Osborn is a wonderful storyteller who will draw you in. Thank you Chelsea Green Publishing and Sophie Osborn for collaborating with me for a podcast episode on the Bird Nerd Book Club.
May 3, 2025
An immersing tale of conservation and love of birds and nature that highlights the dedication and hope to bring back species from the brink of extinction. We are drawn into the fieldwork of this incredible biologist as she works to save endangered birds and learn more about their habitat and habits in nature.
April 30, 2024
This book is a collection of stories about bird conservation and the experiences of a wildlife biologist (the author Sophie A. H. Osborn) and her experiences working with endangered birds. It focuses on three unique and fascinating species: Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors.
Osborn provides intimate details about the birds she worked with. As she describes their unique antics, you get a feel for their personalities and can't help but root for each one.
The settings of her work (the Rocky Mountains, the cloud forests of Hawai’i, and the Grand Canyon) are unique and unfamiliar to me. I enjoyed Osborn's descriptions of them and felt that the locations made the narrative even more enjoyable.
Osborn also gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the people who worked to help these endangered birds. Their work is inspiring, and it made me feel that if this could be done with these three species, it could be done with other birds that are in trouble (and there are many).
Osborn warns of the dangers birds currently face and suggests ways to improve the world for all creatures.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in birds and bird conservation.
Thank you Chelsea Green Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Osborn provides intimate details about the birds she worked with. As she describes their unique antics, you get a feel for their personalities and can't help but root for each one.
The settings of her work (the Rocky Mountains, the cloud forests of Hawai’i, and the Grand Canyon) are unique and unfamiliar to me. I enjoyed Osborn's descriptions of them and felt that the locations made the narrative even more enjoyable.
Osborn also gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the people who worked to help these endangered birds. Their work is inspiring, and it made me feel that if this could be done with these three species, it could be done with other birds that are in trouble (and there are many).
Osborn warns of the dangers birds currently face and suggests ways to improve the world for all creatures.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in birds and bird conservation.
Thank you Chelsea Green Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews