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The Book of Birds
A great thinning of the skies is underway. Around 50% of bird species are in decline worldwide. Our dawns and springs are quieter each year than the last. An almost unimaginable abundance has been lost. It does not have to be this way –– but we will not save what we do not love.
The Book of Birds is a compendium of forty-nine bird species, from Avocet to Yellowhammer, all of which are presently declining or endangered in Britain. Inspired by the classic bird-books with which the authors grew up, this is a field guide with a difference. It asks not ‘What is that bird?’, but ‘Who is that bird?’ It shows its readers how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them.
With lyrical precision and playfulness, Robert Macfarlane evokes each bird’s habits and habitats –– their patterns of flight and of song, how they hunt and gather, how they nest and raise their young, the stories and myths which attend them, the threats which shadow them, and how their wild lives intersect with our own. And on every page we encounter Jackie Morris’s exhilarating artwork, painted in watercolour and gold and animated by an extraordinary attention to detail and sense of life. Set among this dazzling flock of species are seven sections celebrating the 'Seven Wonders' that together make up the everyday miracle of 'Bird': Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration.
Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky. From Dipper to Dunnock and Kestrel to Kingfisher, from mountain to ocean and city to river, Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species. This is a book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference.
The Book of Birds is a compendium of forty-nine bird species, from Avocet to Yellowhammer, all of which are presently declining or endangered in Britain. Inspired by the classic bird-books with which the authors grew up, this is a field guide with a difference. It asks not ‘What is that bird?’, but ‘Who is that bird?’ It shows its readers how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them.
With lyrical precision and playfulness, Robert Macfarlane evokes each bird’s habits and habitats –– their patterns of flight and of song, how they hunt and gather, how they nest and raise their young, the stories and myths which attend them, the threats which shadow them, and how their wild lives intersect with our own. And on every page we encounter Jackie Morris’s exhilarating artwork, painted in watercolour and gold and animated by an extraordinary attention to detail and sense of life. Set among this dazzling flock of species are seven sections celebrating the 'Seven Wonders' that together make up the everyday miracle of 'Bird': Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration.
Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky. From Dipper to Dunnock and Kestrel to Kingfisher, from mountain to ocean and city to river, Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species. This is a book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2026
About the author
Robert Macfarlane
121 books4,783 followersRobert Macfarlane is a British nature writer and literary critic.
Educated at Nottingham High School, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Magdalen College, Oxford, he is currently a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and teaches in the Faculty of English at Cambridge.
Robert Macfarlane is the author of prize-winning and bestselling books about landscape, nature, people and place, including Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination (2003), The Wild Places (2007), The Old Ways (2012), Holloway (2013, with Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards), Landmarks (2015), The Lost Words: A Spell Book (with the artist Jackie Morris, 2017) and Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019). His work has been translated into many languages, won prizes around the world, and his books have been widely adapted for film, television, stage and radio. He has collaborated with artists, film-makers, actors, photographers and musicians, including Hauschka, Willem Dafoe, Karine Polwart and Stanley Donwood. In 2017 he was awarded the EM Forster Prize for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Educated at Nottingham High School, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Magdalen College, Oxford, he is currently a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and teaches in the Faculty of English at Cambridge.
Robert Macfarlane is the author of prize-winning and bestselling books about landscape, nature, people and place, including Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination (2003), The Wild Places (2007), The Old Ways (2012), Holloway (2013, with Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards), Landmarks (2015), The Lost Words: A Spell Book (with the artist Jackie Morris, 2017) and Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019). His work has been translated into many languages, won prizes around the world, and his books have been widely adapted for film, television, stage and radio. He has collaborated with artists, film-makers, actors, photographers and musicians, including Hauschka, Willem Dafoe, Karine Polwart and Stanley Donwood. In 2017 he was awarded the EM Forster Prize for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 10, 2026
If The Lost Words was the size of a processional gospel and The Lost Spells reminded me of a pocket psalter, The Book of Birds has the heft of a study Bible, complete with charts in the back. The sheer yet costly abundance of the project seems to be a tribute of love to the abundance of bird life, an abundance which feels taken for granted as it fades. Macfarlane’s writing is terrific throughout, a prose which is filled with internal rhymes. He said that he tried to match the rhythm of each entry with the bird itself, and that verbal dexterity pays off. This is a book which teaches us to contemplate.
June 21, 2026
Well, I must admit that with regard to Robert Macfarlane's text and Jackie Morris' artwork for their May 2026 The Book of Birds, I indeed am somewhat and in fact if truth be told more than somewhat conflicted, that I am therefore vacillating between intense reading joy and a frustration that is sometimes even bordering on massive annoyance (and that my average rating of three stars for The Book of Birds is as such and in my humble opinion thus also totally justified and is equally so rather generous on my part).
Yes, Jackie Morris’s meticulously detailed (but also not ever pedantic and visually overly tight) avian paintings for The Book of Birds are with regard to her artistry and her glowingly realistic yet also visually emotional expressiveness absolutely, totally aesthetically spectacular, and that how Morris uses watercolour and gold leaf to bring the featured birds of The Book of Birds gloriously to life, this really and truly does make ALL of the illustrations for The Book of Birds magical and delightful. However, and this having been said, even though I obviously totally visually speaking adore Jackie Morris' exquisite artwork in and for The Book of Birds, sorry, but I also do rather hugely miss there not being any photographs at all of the showcased birds (and that for me, for every species showcased in The Book of Birds, there should be both Morris' illustrations and also at least one accompanying photographic image featured as well, and that while the total absence of avian photographs in and throughout The Book of Birds is not in any way something major, something hugely, massively problematic, this still is at least in my humble opinion somewhat of a visual shortcoming for The Book of Birds).
Now with regard to Robert Macfarlane's text in The Book of Birds, both his writing style and his featured, his presented bird-themed contents are delightfully lyrical and how rather than just teaching avian facts Macfarlane throughout The Book of Birds wonderfully and feelingly asks his readers not just to physically identify forty-nine British birds (and just to point out that not all of these these species occur only in the UK either) but to also and emotionally speaking identify WITH birds, exploring their myths, habitats, nests, songs etc., and with The Book of Birds through this also carrying an important conservation message, mourning the loss (the horrible thinning out) of bird populations while the same time also encouraging readers to love nature enough to protect it. But yes, I do kind of wonder why Robert Macfarlane would in The Book of Birds consider both house sparrows and starlings as being possibly vulnerable, since they are so so numerous worldwide (although maybe Macfarlane is not barking up the wrong proverbial tree here either, since the passenger pigeon was actually in the 19th century considered one of the most abundant species of birds in North America and was sadly extinct by 1914).
But as much as I have massively enjoyed the lyricism of The Book of Birds and equally so hugely appreciate (as well absolutely agree with) the strong conservation message Robert Macfarlane textually shows, there are also some parts of The Book of Birds that tend to make me rather internally growl with frustration and even some minor but still important and necessary anger (not all-encompassingly so, but still, I am most definitely rather annoyed and do stand by my above mentioned three star rating). For one, The Book of Birds is in my opinion rather misleading as a title, since it kind of (and wrongly) assumes that considerably more than forty-nine bird species will be textually covered by Macfarlane and visually accompanied by Jackie Morris (and that I ordered the book because The Book of Birds to me seemed to claim and to indicate a much broader avian scope). For two, The Book of Birds is such a large and such a heavy tome that due to its massive size and lack of portability (and actually also because of its poetic style) The Book of Birds is for me and in my humble opinion not really a bona fide field guide and is of course thus also not really all that useful for actual birdwatching either (for going out into nature book in hand and observing, recoding birds) and that since in The Book of Birds Robert Macfarlane also replaces traditional photographic or rigidly diagrammed identification charts with metaphor, poetry, and with Jackie Morris/ watercolours, this for and to me also makes The Book of Birds pretty much impractical for actual bird identification (and this both while out and about and also at home, inside so to speak, not something massively problematic to be sure, but I do find this quite bothersome since The Book of Birds is also labelled as being a field guide by Macfarlane even though it clearly is not a field guide). And finally, for three (and probably also the main reason why my rating for The Book of Birds is not four but only three stars) sorry, but I absolutely and totally, I massively (and all-encompassingly) despise how majorly unorganised and therefore equally so how ridiculously and horridly user-unfriendly Robert Macfarlane's bibliography for The Book of Birds is and that I for one consider how he is showing his primary and his secondary sources as completely eliminating and destroying any and all supplemental research value of and for The Book of Birds.
Yes, Jackie Morris’s meticulously detailed (but also not ever pedantic and visually overly tight) avian paintings for The Book of Birds are with regard to her artistry and her glowingly realistic yet also visually emotional expressiveness absolutely, totally aesthetically spectacular, and that how Morris uses watercolour and gold leaf to bring the featured birds of The Book of Birds gloriously to life, this really and truly does make ALL of the illustrations for The Book of Birds magical and delightful. However, and this having been said, even though I obviously totally visually speaking adore Jackie Morris' exquisite artwork in and for The Book of Birds, sorry, but I also do rather hugely miss there not being any photographs at all of the showcased birds (and that for me, for every species showcased in The Book of Birds, there should be both Morris' illustrations and also at least one accompanying photographic image featured as well, and that while the total absence of avian photographs in and throughout The Book of Birds is not in any way something major, something hugely, massively problematic, this still is at least in my humble opinion somewhat of a visual shortcoming for The Book of Birds).
Now with regard to Robert Macfarlane's text in The Book of Birds, both his writing style and his featured, his presented bird-themed contents are delightfully lyrical and how rather than just teaching avian facts Macfarlane throughout The Book of Birds wonderfully and feelingly asks his readers not just to physically identify forty-nine British birds (and just to point out that not all of these these species occur only in the UK either) but to also and emotionally speaking identify WITH birds, exploring their myths, habitats, nests, songs etc., and with The Book of Birds through this also carrying an important conservation message, mourning the loss (the horrible thinning out) of bird populations while the same time also encouraging readers to love nature enough to protect it. But yes, I do kind of wonder why Robert Macfarlane would in The Book of Birds consider both house sparrows and starlings as being possibly vulnerable, since they are so so numerous worldwide (although maybe Macfarlane is not barking up the wrong proverbial tree here either, since the passenger pigeon was actually in the 19th century considered one of the most abundant species of birds in North America and was sadly extinct by 1914).
But as much as I have massively enjoyed the lyricism of The Book of Birds and equally so hugely appreciate (as well absolutely agree with) the strong conservation message Robert Macfarlane textually shows, there are also some parts of The Book of Birds that tend to make me rather internally growl with frustration and even some minor but still important and necessary anger (not all-encompassingly so, but still, I am most definitely rather annoyed and do stand by my above mentioned three star rating). For one, The Book of Birds is in my opinion rather misleading as a title, since it kind of (and wrongly) assumes that considerably more than forty-nine bird species will be textually covered by Macfarlane and visually accompanied by Jackie Morris (and that I ordered the book because The Book of Birds to me seemed to claim and to indicate a much broader avian scope). For two, The Book of Birds is such a large and such a heavy tome that due to its massive size and lack of portability (and actually also because of its poetic style) The Book of Birds is for me and in my humble opinion not really a bona fide field guide and is of course thus also not really all that useful for actual birdwatching either (for going out into nature book in hand and observing, recoding birds) and that since in The Book of Birds Robert Macfarlane also replaces traditional photographic or rigidly diagrammed identification charts with metaphor, poetry, and with Jackie Morris/ watercolours, this for and to me also makes The Book of Birds pretty much impractical for actual bird identification (and this both while out and about and also at home, inside so to speak, not something massively problematic to be sure, but I do find this quite bothersome since The Book of Birds is also labelled as being a field guide by Macfarlane even though it clearly is not a field guide). And finally, for three (and probably also the main reason why my rating for The Book of Birds is not four but only three stars) sorry, but I absolutely and totally, I massively (and all-encompassingly) despise how majorly unorganised and therefore equally so how ridiculously and horridly user-unfriendly Robert Macfarlane's bibliography for The Book of Birds is and that I for one consider how he is showing his primary and his secondary sources as completely eliminating and destroying any and all supplemental research value of and for The Book of Birds.
June 9, 2026
If I have never gifted you a Robert Macfarlane book, do I really love you or have you never invited me to your birthday party? Another gem from Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, the team who previously gave us The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, two books I devoured physically because those illustrations are truly emotive, and audibly because all three books have impeccable production. You truly, truly need both physical and audio copies. The Book of Birds gives us actual bird songs. And again, the illustrations are fantastic. These books are deeply spiritual in a way I don't know how to explain. It is the way nature feels truly seen. The noticing feels deep and a bit witchy - in the best way possible. A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss is such a great and telling subtitle. There is awe and grief and hope. If you are following along on my solarpunk reading journey this summer, this is a must read. And for everyone else, it is a gift you give yourself. Thank you to everyone involved and NetGalley for the audioARC. Will I be adding this to my Macfarlane library? Absolutely.
June 26, 2026
The Book of Birds is everything that we bird-y folk love: Information. Illustrations. Beauty. Cleverness. Wonder. And, of course, birds.
It's a book of birds, told in magnificent poetry-prose, depicted with magnificent illustrations.
It's a field guide organized by the most amazing wonders of birds: their nests, their eggs, their beaks, their songs, their feathers, their flights, and their migrations. The book highlights fifty bird species that were once common and are now less so.
If you are already in love with birds, you will come away from this book feeling obsessed with birds.
I lingered over this book for three months. I did not want to get to the end.
It's a book of birds, told in magnificent poetry-prose, depicted with magnificent illustrations.
It's a field guide organized by the most amazing wonders of birds: their nests, their eggs, their beaks, their songs, their feathers, their flights, and their migrations. The book highlights fifty bird species that were once common and are now less so.
If you are already in love with birds, you will come away from this book feeling obsessed with birds.
I lingered over this book for three months. I did not want to get to the end.
June 5, 2026
I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of this book. The perfect combination of words and art bringing to life some of the birds we have nearly lost. A book to return to again and again.
June 9, 2026
“We will not save what we do not love, and we rarely love what we cannot name.” This is gorgeously written and illustrated field guide of sorts that not only gives information about birds but tells the story, but gives a deeper awareness of the birds that are slowly slipping towards extinction. This helps us name, love and hopefully save these birds. Flip this book open and be pulled into the poetry and magic flying all around us.
June 11, 2026
What a beauty ❤️
May 31, 2026
Wow, this is an incredible book full to bursting of WONDER. Brilliant.
It contains some of the best poetry I’ve ever encountered! The words and rhymes are delightful, but it also captures the personality of the bird described.
I loved listening to the audiobook because hearing an author read his work, is wonderful and each poem has the bird calls/songs of the bird the poem is about. But to see the artwork of each bird, would be incredible too. I’d recommend finding a copy of the book and the audiobook.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook. It was a special gift.
It contains some of the best poetry I’ve ever encountered! The words and rhymes are delightful, but it also captures the personality of the bird described.
I loved listening to the audiobook because hearing an author read his work, is wonderful and each poem has the bird calls/songs of the bird the poem is about. But to see the artwork of each bird, would be incredible too. I’d recommend finding a copy of the book and the audiobook.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook. It was a special gift.
April 18, 2026
For my fellow bird and nature lovers, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris created a beautiful field guide that asks not “what” but “who is that bird?”
It begins:
“There are seven wonders of Bird.”
What follows are 49 bird species, each with a short description and multiple paintings depicting their habits and habitats, how their lives intersect with ours, and how they are threatened my our modern world. Macfarlane poetically provides data, but also shares stories and folklore to help readers not just identify birds but to identify with the birds. His words are as much of a painting as Morris’ actual paintings of birds nesting, in flight, and more (the tawny owl!!).
The Book of Birds is exquisite, written as a love letter to nature. It reminded me of The Language of Trees, injecting a sense of wonder into my day every time I picked it up.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the eARC!
It begins:
“There are seven wonders of Bird.”
What follows are 49 bird species, each with a short description and multiple paintings depicting their habits and habitats, how their lives intersect with ours, and how they are threatened my our modern world. Macfarlane poetically provides data, but also shares stories and folklore to help readers not just identify birds but to identify with the birds. His words are as much of a painting as Morris’ actual paintings of birds nesting, in flight, and more (the tawny owl!!).
The Book of Birds is exquisite, written as a love letter to nature. It reminded me of The Language of Trees, injecting a sense of wonder into my day every time I picked it up.
Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the eARC!
Review of advance copy
”The Book of Birds” is an enjoyable journey into the biodiversity of England. In this book which is about 320 pages there are 49 birds, some of them have been extincted and others are under threaten, it includes pictures of the birds which have been drawned by illustrator Jackie Morris and dr. Robert Macfarlane who is an academian at University of Cambridge has written the genus and species of birds and other essays. This book is useful if anny reader wants to recognise these 49 birds who as we said above are living in England. I decided to buy dr. Macfarlane’s book because a year ago I read ”Is a River alive?” , a book has written by him and I like it a lot.
Some of these birds are living in Arctic or in Atlantic Ocean or Ireland and they love to live there. However, sometimes the climate is changing for instance when the weather in Arctic become colder in winter, then some birds migrate in another countries where is much hotter in order to make their nests and give birth to their eggs. Other birds prefer to live near the city and eat the food which humans throw in the baskets. For example in London of England. And other birds live into the forest and in case of a human is living for a night in the forest the noise these birds make is frightening. The reasons that these birds are being threaten with extincted are: a) maybe is hunter period, which that is something legal in West Europe or b) some people try to take advantage of the meat of birds which is very tasteful for them.
Generally ”The Book of Birds” by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane make the reader who is going to read the book, to understand how important these species are for biodiversity of England and can help the reader to recognise any of these birds if finds them in nature. The work of this book by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane is great. So i suggest you to read the book.
Some of these birds are living in Arctic or in Atlantic Ocean or Ireland and they love to live there. However, sometimes the climate is changing for instance when the weather in Arctic become colder in winter, then some birds migrate in another countries where is much hotter in order to make their nests and give birth to their eggs. Other birds prefer to live near the city and eat the food which humans throw in the baskets. For example in London of England. And other birds live into the forest and in case of a human is living for a night in the forest the noise these birds make is frightening. The reasons that these birds are being threaten with extincted are: a) maybe is hunter period, which that is something legal in West Europe or b) some people try to take advantage of the meat of birds which is very tasteful for them.
Generally ”The Book of Birds” by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane make the reader who is going to read the book, to understand how important these species are for biodiversity of England and can help the reader to recognise any of these birds if finds them in nature. The work of this book by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane is great. So i suggest you to read the book.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
The Book of Birds is nothing short of a marvel, part field guide, part poem, part work of art, and wholly a celebration of the fragile, astonishing lives that share our skies.
Robert Macfarlane’s words are wonderful, lyrical, precise, and full of reverence for the natural world. He doesn’t simply describe birds; he invites us into relationship with them, asking not just what they are, but who they are. Each entry feels alive with movement, sound, and story, expanding beyond observation into something more intimate and essential.
But the real magic happens when Jackie Morris’ illustrations join those words on the page. Her artwork is breathtaking, delicate yet vivid, grounded in close attention but infused with a kind of quiet enchantment. Together, text and image create an experience that feels almost sacred, as though you are being asked to slow down, look closer, and remember what wonder feels like.
As a reader in the U.S., I haven’t encountered many of these particular species in real life, but that didn’t diminish the experience, in fact, it deepened it. I welcomed the chance to learn about birds beyond my immediate landscape, to see the shared threads of fragility, resilience, and beauty that connect them all. The book subtly reminds us that conservation is not local, it’s global, and it begins with attention and care.
I was lucky enough to read an ARC, but this is absolutely a book I will be buying and returning to again and again. It’s not just something to read once; it’s something to pore over, to revisit, to treasure. A future classic, and a powerful reminder that we will not save what we do not love.
Thank you to Edelweiss and W.W. Norton & Co. for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 9, 2026.
Robert Macfarlane’s words are wonderful, lyrical, precise, and full of reverence for the natural world. He doesn’t simply describe birds; he invites us into relationship with them, asking not just what they are, but who they are. Each entry feels alive with movement, sound, and story, expanding beyond observation into something more intimate and essential.
But the real magic happens when Jackie Morris’ illustrations join those words on the page. Her artwork is breathtaking, delicate yet vivid, grounded in close attention but infused with a kind of quiet enchantment. Together, text and image create an experience that feels almost sacred, as though you are being asked to slow down, look closer, and remember what wonder feels like.
As a reader in the U.S., I haven’t encountered many of these particular species in real life, but that didn’t diminish the experience, in fact, it deepened it. I welcomed the chance to learn about birds beyond my immediate landscape, to see the shared threads of fragility, resilience, and beauty that connect them all. The book subtly reminds us that conservation is not local, it’s global, and it begins with attention and care.
I was lucky enough to read an ARC, but this is absolutely a book I will be buying and returning to again and again. It’s not just something to read once; it’s something to pore over, to revisit, to treasure. A future classic, and a powerful reminder that we will not save what we do not love.
Thank you to Edelweiss and W.W. Norton & Co. for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 9, 2026.
June 10, 2026
A deeply meditative and poetic expression of nature writing!
Rather than a dry academic text, it strikes a perfect balance with being deeply interesting and informative, yet written with a lyrical precision that reads like a beautifully crafted love letter to the natural world. Listening to this book felt less like consuming a text and more like taking a slow, meditative walk through a forest.
The dual narration by authors Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris provides a great rhythm for this poetic style. The split between the male narrator exploring individual species and the female narrator mapping out the miraculous cycle of the "seven wonders" of birds from nest to migration works well.
What truly elevates this beyond a standard audiobook is the brilliant integration of background bird sounds. Far from being a distraction, these sounds are highly educational, aligning perfectly with whichever species is being discussed at the time. It turns the listening experience into something completely immersive, multi-sensory, and unique.
It loses just one star because of the natural trade-offs of the audio format. While it is unfortunate to lose the beautiful physical artwork and illustrations, you obviously cannot have those alongside the live audio sounds. Additionally, I found that the educational facts occasionally got a bit lost in the highly lyrical delivery.
Despite those minor formatting trade-offs, this remains highly recommended for anyone looking to slow down and truly connect with nature!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rather than a dry academic text, it strikes a perfect balance with being deeply interesting and informative, yet written with a lyrical precision that reads like a beautifully crafted love letter to the natural world. Listening to this book felt less like consuming a text and more like taking a slow, meditative walk through a forest.
The dual narration by authors Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris provides a great rhythm for this poetic style. The split between the male narrator exploring individual species and the female narrator mapping out the miraculous cycle of the "seven wonders" of birds from nest to migration works well.
What truly elevates this beyond a standard audiobook is the brilliant integration of background bird sounds. Far from being a distraction, these sounds are highly educational, aligning perfectly with whichever species is being discussed at the time. It turns the listening experience into something completely immersive, multi-sensory, and unique.
It loses just one star because of the natural trade-offs of the audio format. While it is unfortunate to lose the beautiful physical artwork and illustrations, you obviously cannot have those alongside the live audio sounds. Additionally, I found that the educational facts occasionally got a bit lost in the highly lyrical delivery.
Despite those minor formatting trade-offs, this remains highly recommended for anyone looking to slow down and truly connect with nature!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2026
This is such a beautiful book, both in presentation and in contents. If you have any interest in art or nature, you need this book in your life.
The life, the beauty, the wonder of 49 different bird species, but not the usual dry recitation of facts and figures, but the poetry, and the life of the birds. Each one starts with a portrait, not just of the bird, but of the egg, as is not egg one of the wonders of the bird. A description follows, more poetic, and emotional than what would normally be expected.
But this is not enough, we must truly wonder in the form so a full double page spread follows on
Along side all this are little essays on the 7 wonders of bird, Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration.
This is the perfect fusion of art and nature, the Illustrations of Jackie Morris aligns with the words of Robert Macfarlane making the birds come to life on the page. You can see why it took 7 years to make
Can not recommend this book enough
The life, the beauty, the wonder of 49 different bird species, but not the usual dry recitation of facts and figures, but the poetry, and the life of the birds. Each one starts with a portrait, not just of the bird, but of the egg, as is not egg one of the wonders of the bird. A description follows, more poetic, and emotional than what would normally be expected.
But this is not enough, we must truly wonder in the form so a full double page spread follows on
Along side all this are little essays on the 7 wonders of bird, Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration.
This is the perfect fusion of art and nature, the Illustrations of Jackie Morris aligns with the words of Robert Macfarlane making the birds come to life on the page. You can see why it took 7 years to make
Can not recommend this book enough
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Book of Birds is a love letter that feels like an eulogy. The beauty of the poetry and the unrelenting sense of loss to the way the stories of the different species are strung together is relentless in audiobook form in a way that left me feeling heartsick. The art of the written version of the book likely offers a respite and pause that is not quite present in audiobook form. It can make really appreciating the writing a little more difficult, which is a bit of a shame.
The poetry of the book is genuinely beautiful and informative. You will get an education on a variety of birds that range from the familiar to the exotic, though most seem to be Northern Hemisphere natives. A sense of humor occasionally peeks out along with personal anecdotes. There isn't a single doubt in my mind that the authors love bird and are desperate for the world to see and love them too. Playing the songs of the birds is a thoughtful detail, other than the few times when the mix made it hard to hear the narrators. The narrators themselves are excellently emotive keeping things genuinely heartfelt.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC of this book.
The poetry of the book is genuinely beautiful and informative. You will get an education on a variety of birds that range from the familiar to the exotic, though most seem to be Northern Hemisphere natives. A sense of humor occasionally peeks out along with personal anecdotes. There isn't a single doubt in my mind that the authors love bird and are desperate for the world to see and love them too. Playing the songs of the birds is a thoughtful detail, other than the few times when the mix made it hard to hear the narrators. The narrators themselves are excellently emotive keeping things genuinely heartfelt.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC of this book.
June 17, 2026
“There are seven wonders of bird, and the first of these is nest.”
The production value of the audiobook is spectacular. Each track has a backdrop of bird calls, and sometimes those were the star of the show. The different hoots and squawks and cheeps really helped illuminate the subject of each essay. I LOVED the audiobook… but I still wish I had the book physically. I want to see the paintings of each bird! Upon further reflection, this is a book that could benefit from tandem reading both the audiobook and the physical book, and I would highly recommend getting both. I have only peeked at the Amazon listing for the physical book, and I’m blown away. It’s definitely going on my wishlist.
If you have to choose one, I’m not mad at the audiobook. In life, I’m often more likely to hear birds than see them. Both narrators are fabulous. The bird song is amazing. I love audiobooks because you can multitask. It was really fun listening to the audiobook while out for a walk, and hearing bird noises from the book and from real birds. I kept pausing the book to see if I could really hear them.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.
The production value of the audiobook is spectacular. Each track has a backdrop of bird calls, and sometimes those were the star of the show. The different hoots and squawks and cheeps really helped illuminate the subject of each essay. I LOVED the audiobook… but I still wish I had the book physically. I want to see the paintings of each bird! Upon further reflection, this is a book that could benefit from tandem reading both the audiobook and the physical book, and I would highly recommend getting both. I have only peeked at the Amazon listing for the physical book, and I’m blown away. It’s definitely going on my wishlist.
If you have to choose one, I’m not mad at the audiobook. In life, I’m often more likely to hear birds than see them. Both narrators are fabulous. The bird song is amazing. I love audiobooks because you can multitask. It was really fun listening to the audiobook while out for a walk, and hearing bird noises from the book and from real birds. I kept pausing the book to see if I could really hear them.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.
June 20, 2026
**4.5 stars**
This book made my nerdy little heart happy.
After a steady diet of dystopian fiction and the kind of dark, heavy nonfiction that leaves you staring into the void, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. It's a celebration of curiosity, observation, language, memory, and the natural world—equal parts field guide, meditation, and love letter to birds.
The author has a gift for finding meaning in small things and reminding us to slow down and pay attention. The book never feels preachy or academic, despite being packed with fascinating information. Instead, it invites you to look more closely at the world around you and to consider what is lost when we stop noticing it.
I cannot recommend the audiobook strongly enough. The narration is poetic and perfectly suited to the material, and each chapter is accompanied by matching birdsong that creates an immersive listening experience.
If, like me, you've been buried in grim news, bleak histories, or end-of-the-world fiction, this is a wonderful palate cleanser. Thoughtful, beautiful, and quietly moving, it's a reminder that there is still plenty of wonder left in the world if we're willing to pay attention.
This book made my nerdy little heart happy.
After a steady diet of dystopian fiction and the kind of dark, heavy nonfiction that leaves you staring into the void, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. It's a celebration of curiosity, observation, language, memory, and the natural world—equal parts field guide, meditation, and love letter to birds.
The author has a gift for finding meaning in small things and reminding us to slow down and pay attention. The book never feels preachy or academic, despite being packed with fascinating information. Instead, it invites you to look more closely at the world around you and to consider what is lost when we stop noticing it.
I cannot recommend the audiobook strongly enough. The narration is poetic and perfectly suited to the material, and each chapter is accompanied by matching birdsong that creates an immersive listening experience.
If, like me, you've been buried in grim news, bleak histories, or end-of-the-world fiction, this is a wonderful palate cleanser. Thoughtful, beautiful, and quietly moving, it's a reminder that there is still plenty of wonder left in the world if we're willing to pay attention.
Review of advance copy
"Absence is harder to track and feel than presence. The ghosts of gone birds fade quickly from memory . . . It does not have to be this way -- but we will not save what we do not love, and we rarely love what we cannot name." "Ours is a field guide with a difference, though. It asks not 'What is that bird? but Who is that bird?' It wishes to help its readers to identify birds, of course, but also to identify with themm. Instead of photographs paint. Alongside data - metaphor, story, poetry. In place of definition -- relation. As well as classification -- something like love."
The Book of Birds brings together again Robert Macfarlane, who paints with words, and Jackie Morris, an exquisite painter with traditional mediums. It's a field guide of sorts - not meant to be comprehensive but evocative, to respond to the dramatic reduction in bird populations and to remind us not only of what we are losing, but why it matters. Every page and paragraph in here is a work of art for your eyes and for your heart.
The Book of Birds brings together again Robert Macfarlane, who paints with words, and Jackie Morris, an exquisite painter with traditional mediums. It's a field guide of sorts - not meant to be comprehensive but evocative, to respond to the dramatic reduction in bird populations and to remind us not only of what we are losing, but why it matters. Every page and paragraph in here is a work of art for your eyes and for your heart.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book had an emotional pull that I wasn't expecting - but how could it not when it's primarily about our thinning skies? I was saddened to read about the birds that were at risk of becoming extinct... some of them not for the first time, for the second time. This incredible volume focuses not on identification but rather the spirit of each bird, their habitats, myths and the threats that they face. It's a lesson, a reminder, an education and ultimately a call to action which should not be ignored.
Each bird is brought to life in the pages of this book through paintings by Jacqui Morris and words from Robert Macfarlane. From the Avocet to the Yellowhammer, forty-nine species of birds on the British red or amber list of declining or endangered birds, are explored, illustrated and celebrated.
This book must be in the hands of as many people as possible, for without action we are at risk of these wonderful birds becoming part of history instead of our present and future.
Each bird is brought to life in the pages of this book through paintings by Jacqui Morris and words from Robert Macfarlane. From the Avocet to the Yellowhammer, forty-nine species of birds on the British red or amber list of declining or endangered birds, are explored, illustrated and celebrated.
This book must be in the hands of as many people as possible, for without action we are at risk of these wonderful birds becoming part of history instead of our present and future.
June 19, 2026
The audiobook of The Book of Birds by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris is a meditation on birds and our relationship with them. I loved that the audiobook incorporates ambient bird sounds, like bird calls, songs, and the flapping of wings, which creates an incredibly immersive listening experience. Macfarlane and Morris bring a poetic quality to their narration, and their partnership as researchers, writers, and performers feels perfectly matched. Their passion for birds and their vital role in the environment shines through every chapter.
The book is organized into sections focused on eggs, nests, birdsong, feathers, flight, and migration. Morris narrates each section's opening preface, while Macfarlane takes the lead on the birds themselves, creating a rhythm that feels both informative and lyrical.
But don't mistake their beautiful and engaging performances for a romanticized depiction of birds. The species highlighted throughout the book teach us not only about beauty and our connection to nature, but also about the brutality and violence that can exist in the avian world. I appreciated that Macfarlane and Morris explore birds that are both majestic and revered alongside those that steal nests, prey on other birds, or kill the young. This balance creates a fuller, more honest portrait of bird life.
If you're a bird lover, this audiobook is a wonderful companion to other books on birds. Through Macfarlane and Morris's captivating performances, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the majesty, complexity, and resilience of these remarkable creatures— and why they deserve both our admiration and our respect!
Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
The book is organized into sections focused on eggs, nests, birdsong, feathers, flight, and migration. Morris narrates each section's opening preface, while Macfarlane takes the lead on the birds themselves, creating a rhythm that feels both informative and lyrical.
But don't mistake their beautiful and engaging performances for a romanticized depiction of birds. The species highlighted throughout the book teach us not only about beauty and our connection to nature, but also about the brutality and violence that can exist in the avian world. I appreciated that Macfarlane and Morris explore birds that are both majestic and revered alongside those that steal nests, prey on other birds, or kill the young. This balance creates a fuller, more honest portrait of bird life.
If you're a bird lover, this audiobook is a wonderful companion to other books on birds. Through Macfarlane and Morris's captivating performances, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the majesty, complexity, and resilience of these remarkable creatures— and why they deserve both our admiration and our respect!
Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
[I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
This is a truly beautiful and poetic book, filled with stunning vivid illustrations. About half of the birds featured are species from the Old World, which I personally loved.
The book is structured around seven chapters, each dedicated to a unique wonder of birds, such as song, flight, migration, and more. These sections are interwoven with poetic pieces about different bird species. As a birdwatcher, I especially appreciated that many of these birds are familiar and can be observed and photographed in real life.
You can really feel how much love and care went into creating this book. I would be very happy to have a physical copy in my library.
This is a truly beautiful and poetic book, filled with stunning vivid illustrations. About half of the birds featured are species from the Old World, which I personally loved.
The book is structured around seven chapters, each dedicated to a unique wonder of birds, such as song, flight, migration, and more. These sections are interwoven with poetic pieces about different bird species. As a birdwatcher, I especially appreciated that many of these birds are familiar and can be observed and photographed in real life.
You can really feel how much love and care went into creating this book. I would be very happy to have a physical copy in my library.
June 6, 2026
The Book of Birds is pure Nature worship, bringing birds from our backgrounds and sidelines into the centre, and hallowing them. The 'Seven Wonders of Bird' elements interspersed throughout have a liturgical tone; it would feel right for people to gather together and read them aloud.
The 49 vignettes, each covering a species of bird found in Britain, are vibrant sensory overloads, vividly conjouring the birds' physical appearance, and weaving in elements of their behaviour, biology, and folklore, mythology and etymology. Shot through with sadness at the 'thinning of the skies' and songs falling silent, and the guilt of our part in bringing this about, this book exalts the beauty of these birds, and leaves a sense of mournfulness at their decline.
The 49 vignettes, each covering a species of bird found in Britain, are vibrant sensory overloads, vividly conjouring the birds' physical appearance, and weaving in elements of their behaviour, biology, and folklore, mythology and etymology. Shot through with sadness at the 'thinning of the skies' and songs falling silent, and the guilt of our part in bringing this about, this book exalts the beauty of these birds, and leaves a sense of mournfulness at their decline.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh gosh, I completely adored this.
We know from The Lost Words and The Lost Spells that when Robert Macfarlane’s words and Jackie Morris’ illustrations collide… some kind of alchemy happens.
The Book of Birds flies onto the shelves at bookstores very soon (it’ll be front and centre in mine if I have anything to do with it!) and I am so excited for everybody to discover it.
I was lucky enough to attend a special bookseller dinner with Rob and Jackie (thanks Hamish Hamilton) a few months back where I received an early copy of the book, and I have spent the last 3 months slowly meandering my way through it. Much like the rapid arrivals of the spring migrants at the moment, I couldn’t resist rushing through the latter sections over the past few days. Bird after bird, each just as stunning (and as stunningly portrayed) as the last.
Where Words and Spells sit somewhere between children’s writing on nature and poetry on our shelves, this one is pitched as a bird guide. I’ve acquired a few bird guides over the last few years, but none quite as beautiful as this - though the Readers Digest Book of British Birds, which I rescued from a charity shop for 50p, comes a close second.
It covers 49 species of bird that you might see in the UK (some more easily than others) - all of which are in trouble, with declining numbers in our country. Jackie’s unique art sits alongside Rob’s words. Rob might not use a paint brush but he paints such beautiful imagery with his words nonetheless. There is poetry and rhythm in his writing, as with Words and Spells, but here each bird has a slightly longer entry. They vary from bird to bird - they’re funny, heartfelt, full of folklore and of history, full of unashamed adoration for these magical creatures with which we are lucky to share the planet, and a helping of despair at the situation that they all find themselves in, so often through our own actions. The end of the book features ‘bird tables’ full of all sorts of marvellous facts and figures. Wait til you see the eggs. Can I say stunning again?
This is a book made for bird lovers - and a book that will make a bird lover of everybody else.
I am, once again, so incredibly thankful to have had an early copy to treasure, and I can’t wait to share it with readers.
My love of birds has really flourished in the last few years, and so much of that has genuinely been inspired by the work of Rob and of Jackie. I am *fairly* sure that they spent the last 7 years working on this book solely for me, but I hope that the rest of you will enjoy it too.
I cannot wait to see The Book of Birds soar!
We know from The Lost Words and The Lost Spells that when Robert Macfarlane’s words and Jackie Morris’ illustrations collide… some kind of alchemy happens.
The Book of Birds flies onto the shelves at bookstores very soon (it’ll be front and centre in mine if I have anything to do with it!) and I am so excited for everybody to discover it.
I was lucky enough to attend a special bookseller dinner with Rob and Jackie (thanks Hamish Hamilton) a few months back where I received an early copy of the book, and I have spent the last 3 months slowly meandering my way through it. Much like the rapid arrivals of the spring migrants at the moment, I couldn’t resist rushing through the latter sections over the past few days. Bird after bird, each just as stunning (and as stunningly portrayed) as the last.
Where Words and Spells sit somewhere between children’s writing on nature and poetry on our shelves, this one is pitched as a bird guide. I’ve acquired a few bird guides over the last few years, but none quite as beautiful as this - though the Readers Digest Book of British Birds, which I rescued from a charity shop for 50p, comes a close second.
It covers 49 species of bird that you might see in the UK (some more easily than others) - all of which are in trouble, with declining numbers in our country. Jackie’s unique art sits alongside Rob’s words. Rob might not use a paint brush but he paints such beautiful imagery with his words nonetheless. There is poetry and rhythm in his writing, as with Words and Spells, but here each bird has a slightly longer entry. They vary from bird to bird - they’re funny, heartfelt, full of folklore and of history, full of unashamed adoration for these magical creatures with which we are lucky to share the planet, and a helping of despair at the situation that they all find themselves in, so often through our own actions. The end of the book features ‘bird tables’ full of all sorts of marvellous facts and figures. Wait til you see the eggs. Can I say stunning again?
This is a book made for bird lovers - and a book that will make a bird lover of everybody else.
I am, once again, so incredibly thankful to have had an early copy to treasure, and I can’t wait to share it with readers.
My love of birds has really flourished in the last few years, and so much of that has genuinely been inspired by the work of Rob and of Jackie. I am *fairly* sure that they spent the last 7 years working on this book solely for me, but I hope that the rest of you will enjoy it too.
I cannot wait to see The Book of Birds soar!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
More than a traditional field guide, this book invites readers to connect with nearly fifty bird species whose numbers are in decline. Through lyrical essays and detailed artwork, it explores their lives, habitats, behaviors, and relationships with people. Both a celebration of birdlife and a call to conservation, it highlights the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
This book is beautifully written and illustrated. It’s more poetry than science, and might best be treated as an art book. The audiobook narration is well done, and it’s a good choice for winding down before sleep.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This book is beautifully written and illustrated. It’s more poetry than science, and might best be treated as an art book. The audiobook narration is well done, and it’s a good choice for winding down before sleep.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
June 20, 2026
I could have hurtled through this book in a day… but chose to draw it out, to savour the magic within its pages. An enchanting, and captivating ode to Bird, that felt more like storytelling than cold wrote fact. It creates wonder, and inspires a thirst for more.
We do not love what we do not know, and we do not save what we do not love. This book inspires love, and the feeling that you know Bird. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, to both those coming with, and without, a deep relationship with nature, because regardless of what you arrive with, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding, and connection with Bird. I adored it, and know you will too.
We do not love what we do not know, and we do not save what we do not love. This book inspires love, and the feeling that you know Bird. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, to both those coming with, and without, a deep relationship with nature, because regardless of what you arrive with, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding, and connection with Bird. I adored it, and know you will too.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is more a book of poetry than it is a guide to bird identification. Each chapter presents a different species and I listened to the audiobook. It was absolutely thrilling to hear the bird song at the start and end of each chapter. The authors provide useful information, but it is in such lyrical and emotional prose that the reader becomes immersed in the life of the osprey, the eagle and so many other birds who have faced extinction. A stunning and creative way to open the door to the novice birder or naturalist.
Want to Read
June 14, 2026"It is love that radiates from the pages of Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris's exquisite Book of Birds (public library) a passionate and rigorous subjectifying of the wonder of the winged, seven years in the making, part field guide and part ode, animated by an I/Thou relationship that implicates both reader and read by addressing each bird directly as a subject rather than explicating an object. ...accompanied by almost unbearably beautiful paintings." from https://www.themarginalian.org/2026/0...
June 20, 2026
Fascinating. I bought it on a momentary hope that I could learn how to better identify birds that I see out and about. Probably cannot identify them any better, not yet, but deepened respect for birds.
The division into 'treasures' (nest, egg, song, feather, beak, flight, migration) was initially a bit strange. But as a classification mechanism, it worked really well. Similar to the tone of the writing. I think I had expectations of a rather dry, factual explanation. The poetic language contravened expectations, but MacFarlane and Morris write really well.
The division into 'treasures' (nest, egg, song, feather, beak, flight, migration) was initially a bit strange. But as a classification mechanism, it worked really well. Similar to the tone of the writing. I think I had expectations of a rather dry, factual explanation. The poetic language contravened expectations, but MacFarlane and Morris write really well.
June 22, 2026
Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have crafted an absolute masterpiece with this book. Far more than a standard guide, it asks not "what is that bird?" but "who is that bird?" Macfarlane’s lyrical, essays weave together science, folklore, and memoir, while Morris’s watercolor and gold leaf illustrations are pure beauty. It's a stunning, celebration of the winged world, yet the motif throughout is that even your common UK garden bird is at the real risk of dying out - a clarion call for our emptying skies! A proper treasure for any bird lover's bookshelf.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was provided by NetGalley for free in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
A stunning collection of illustration, facts, and poetry The Book of Birds is a loving tribute to their inspiration. The intersectionality of the three disciplines makes reading this book verge in meditation in a way. Very peaceful and informative, The Book of Birds would make a fine addition to any bird loving reader’s collection.
A stunning collection of illustration, facts, and poetry The Book of Birds is a loving tribute to their inspiration. The intersectionality of the three disciplines makes reading this book verge in meditation in a way. Very peaceful and informative, The Book of Birds would make a fine addition to any bird loving reader’s collection.
June 18, 2026
I loved this Book of Birds. It is more than a field guide. More than a coffee table book. It is poetic, literary and a delight not only for the words you will read but also for the beautiful paintings by Jackie Morris. This will be in my top 5 books I have read this year!! Bravo!! Robert Macfarlane.
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