The Social Lives of Birds: Flocks, Communes, and Families

by Joan E. Strassmann

An exploration of all the ways in which birds are social creatures—from breeding to nesting to babysitting

In The Social Lives of Birds, evolutionary biologist and author of Slow Birding Joan Strassmann examines what it means for birds of a feather to flock together. Some birds sleep together. Some join the foraging groups of other species. Some are only social during breeding season, forming nesting colonies in trees, cliffs, and sandbanks. Some are altruistic, helping to rear young that are not their own. Some males perform mating dances together.

Strassmann explains how flocks provide safety in numbers, roosts offer warmth and shelter, and colonies allow for protected breeding. But group behavior is not without its costs—including increased competition, tick infestations, and more. Strassmann exposes the conflicts birds face and the many ways in which they resolve these conflicts.  

With stories of birds from around the world—from broad-winged hawks that migrate south together in the fall, tree swallows that roost together in the thousands, and guira cuckoos that nest in communes—The Social Lives of Birds explores the different kinds of bird groups and what to look for when watching them. Above all, it reveals this solitary life, it seems, is not for the birds.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Birds, Nature, Audiobook, Animals

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 23, 2025

Reviews

[Ross Mckinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept behind this book was interesting, a description of various aspects of the social lives of birds. The execution was less strong. Strassmann seems more interested in name-dropping other researchers who work on social lives of birds than describing themes. She spends lots of times on individual experiments researchers have done, but the overall themes and outcomes of the experiments take second place. It’s not an awful book, but I found it hard to motivate myself to pick it up despite being interested in the topic.

[Czytajez · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Społeczne życie ptaków. Stada, kolonie, superrodziny i ich niezwykłe historie” to książka pełna ciekawych informacji o najróżniejszych zachowaniach ptaków - ich relacjach, nawykach, strategiach przetrwania i niezwykłych strukturach społecznych. Autorka szczegółowo omawia badania naukowe, przytaczając wiele przykładów z różnych części świata. To publikacja bogata w wiedzę i pokazująca, jak złożone i fascynujące potrafi być życie ptaków.

Jednocześnie lektura wymaga skupienia i czasu. Duża liczba gatunków, ciągłe przechodzenie od jednego przykładu do drugiego oraz liczne odniesienia do badań sprawiają, że momentami książka przypomina zbiór naukowych szkiców bardziej niż spójną opowieść. Przejścia między tematami bywają nagłe, a techniczny charakter niektórych fragmentów może sprawić, że czyta się je dość powoli. Trudno było mi utrzymać stałą motywację do czytania, mimo że sam temat bardzo mnie interesuje.

Zabrakło mi również zdjęć ptaków - przy tak dużej liczbie omawianych gatunków wizualne wsparcie bardzo pomogłoby w uporządkowaniu wiedzy i zapamiętywaniu faktów. W pewnym momencie informacje zaczęły się mieszać.

To nie jest zła książka - wręcz przeciwnie, zawiera wiele wartościowych i fascynujących treści. Jednak wymaga czytania „na raty” i cierpliwości. Dla osób, które lubią popularnonaukowe publikacje z mocnym oparciem w badaniach, może być interesującą lekturą, choć niekoniecznie lekką i wciągającą od pierwszej do ostatniej strony.

[Mark Fajet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of knowledge. Pretty interesting.

[Dev (lit.lark) · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you PRH audio for this gifted copy!

[Kathryn Holmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this book. The writing felt disjointed and hard to follow, with constant shifts between bird species and heavy use of research references. Instead of a cohesive narrative, it read more like scattered facts, and the author’s passion for the subject never really came through. Disappointing b/c it’s a subject I’m very interested in.

[Rossdavidh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds, are often social. Not every species, not all the time, but we have all seen large groups of birds (especially, but not only, conspecifics) flying or hanging out in close proximity. Pigeons, grackles, monk parakeets, and a hundred other species in human cities, even. What we are less likely to spend much time thinking about is, why do they do that?

Perhaps this is because humans are a social species, and it is something so obviously useful that the question doesn't occur to us. But, humans have language. While birds can communicate some information via vocalization (how much and what exactly is the subject of active research), they clearly cannot communicate on as wide a range of topics as humans. So, one of the principal reasons why humans (think we) socialize so much, does not apply to birds with nearly as much force (probably). Therefore, it is a more interesting question than normally realized, to ask why birds socialize as much as (many of their species) do.

Broadly speaking, the structure of the book is that each chapter addresses a different motive for/method of bird socialization:

- flocking
- sleeping together (roosting)
- keeping watch for dangers
- staying close to the food source
- rearing young together
- showing off for females/checking out the males showing off
- nesting, including fledglings helping out with the next year's young

Each of these has a different species (or three) that best illustrates the benefits (and problems) of doing this together. Joan Strassmann does a good job of delivering facts and human interest stories about the people who spend large portions of their lives studying these birds to figure out those facts. The illustrations by Anthony Bartley are also top-notch.

It probably helps, in order to enjoy this book, if you find birds interesting already. However, one of the reasons why this book is interesting is that each of these chapters encourages us to think about the analogous activity in humans. We don't, exactly, have "leks", where males gather to show off and females gather to observe them, but, you know, we kind of do. Older children do sometimes help out with the raising of younger ones. People cluster together where the good jobs are. Living far away from other humans does, absolutely, make a difference in how you deal with guaranteeing your personal safety (owning a gun vs calling the police). Seeing these same basic biological issues through a "bird's-eye view", allows us to think more clearly (because a little less emotionally) about the tradeoffs involved in sociality. So, while it helps if you are interested in birds, it isn't actually necessary in order to find this book interesting. It is not talking about social issues in order to talk about birds, so much as vice versa.

[Wystukanerecenzje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Czytacie literaturę faktu? Dla mnie to jedne z książek, po które chętnie sięgam by oderwać się od brutalnych kryminałów, czy kosmicznego sci-fi. I to właśnie te związane ze zwierzętami są dla mnie najciekawsze więc gdy zobaczyłam "Społeczne życie ptaków" wiedziałam, że muszę ją przeczytać.

Ptaki, jak wiele innych zwierząt potrafią zaskoczyć nie tylko wyglądem, bo przecież mamy okazję obserwować ich całe mnóstwo, od papug kolorowych, mniejszych i większych, przez sowy równie zróżnicowane, aż po wróbelki czy gołębie, które mijamy codziennie. Co w ich życiu dzieje się na co dzień?

Zapewne wiele osób widziało w telewizji programy, gdzie zapaleni obserwatorzy ptaków potrafią godzinami czekać, leżeć w błocie by zobaczyć i uchwycić na filmie czy zdjęciu bardzo rzadko spotykane gatunki. Ale kiedy oprócz różnorodności zewnętrznej zagłębimy się w to, co robią one w swoim społeczeństwie, możemy doznać lekkiego szoku. No bo czy wiedzieliście, że potrafią one tworzyć grupy międzygatunkowe? Osobiście byłam przekonana, że np. papużki trzymane razem w wielkich wolierach po prostu siebie tolerują, a okazuje się, że być może wcale tak nie jest, a wręcz tworzą swego rodzaju rodziny.

Któż by też pomyślał, że patrząc na tańce godowe wielu ptaków, gdzie samce potrafią się puszyć, pokazywać przepiękne skrzydła, kolory, czubki głów następuje... rywalizacja na późniejszym etapie, gdzie jedne osobniki podkradają partnerów innym. One wręcz ze sobą flirtują!

Oczywiście nie mogło też zabraknąć wielu informacji o Raniuszkach, które zyskały ogromną popularność w tym roku i nie bez powodu, a są to naprawdę ciekawe ptaszki. Maleńkie, leciutkie, a jednak radzą sobie doskonale także w trudnych, zimowych warunkach.

Kurczę, muszę przyznać, że ta książka to jedna z ciekawszych, jakie ostatnio zostały wydane i naprawdę napisana z wyczuciem, z całym ogromem informacji, ciekawostek, a przy tym nie ma się odczucia, że czyta się podręcznik. To pozycja dla osób interesujących się zarówno amatorsko, jak i nieco bardzie profesjonalnie ptaszkami!

Dla mnie to mistrzostwo, gdzie naprawdę tylko momentami spoglądam na ptaki, a jednak mnie niezwykle fascynują. Dowiedziałam się z niej bardzo dużo i jedyne, co mogłoby tutaj być na plus to... zdjęcia! Mnóstwo zdjęć, bo momentami trzeba sprawdzać, szukać w internecie jak konkretne gatunki wyglądają.

Recenzja powstała we współpracy z Copernicus Center Press.

[Anne Halgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became fascinated by the social interactions of birds while watching my chickens; they graze together, sleep together, maintain distinct hierarchies, and warn each other of predators. I sought out "The Social Lives of Birds" to gain a greater understanding of the nuances and broader aspects of bird social structure.

Strassmann has rigorously and meticulously researched her subject, dividing the book into chapters on flocks, communal roosts, mixed-species flocks, colonies, seabird colonies, leks, mate choice and parental care, families with helpers, communal nesters, and supersocial groups. The book provides a compilation of studies on each of these topics, laying clear the exhaustive research that goes into animal behavior studies. Though the science is abundant, it remains accessible, entertaining, and digestible, not dense or off-putting.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderately interesting but no more than that.

I agree with another 3-star reviewer that there's a fair amount of name-dropping of fellow scientists, and not all of them ornithologists. (For that matter, she's not an ornithologist herself; she's an animal behavioralist, with probably something like population biology being her second area of note without being mentioned.) I also agree that the book was somewhat disjointed, beyond the name-dropping, and came off as semi-academic and generally not "grabbing."

So-so sketches and no photos, as far as artwork, added to the relatively low interest level.

[William Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

While promising, this book seemed to be about 1/3 substance, 1/3 personal anecdote, and 1/3 flexing connections and namedropping various associates of the author. I know the author's intent was to strengthen her credibility by establishing personal connection to many of the researchers, but it almost gives the impression that she just asked random people she knew who happened to be in the field, rather than that she knew top people in the field through her networking prowess. Worthwhile read, but about 2x longer than it needed to be. Perhaps a good candidate for casual skimming. There are definitely more detailed and approachable books on this topic out there though.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my style of writing. It's basically a summary of a bunch of scientific journal articles, but then every once in awhile there's a random story from the author, but they seem to pop up and randome places. Transition between topics feels abrupt. Some interesting research presented, but a little too technical making it a dry read.

[Corrie Haffly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Social Lives of Birds by Joan Strassmann has a few charming illustrations and some occasional fun facts that tingled my brain, but most of it felt like a bit of a slog to read as it summarized various pieces of research that lead to insights on birds and the way they relate with each other. Someone more science-y than me might have enjoyed it more.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I preferred her backyard birds book because when you try to approach the social nature of birds it can sometimes feel like such a vast topic, you don't really dig into any specific bird. However, it's enjoyable, well written, and interesting.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4

[Foggygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and educational read about the ins and outs of the social lives of birds.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many birds live in families, flocks or communities to guard against predators.
There's a hierarchy to where each can roost.

[Jarrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

All great stories and research but it almost felt like too much information, I as overwhelmed at times maybe with some of it.

[Shayla Cauldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me!