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The Lives of Birds: The Birds of the World and Their Behavior
Describes hundreds of bird species from around the world, chronicles their lives, and examines their relations to humans
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 3, 2025
What an informative and educational book on birds. I'm not a bird watcher. I'm what I call a bird noticer: when I hear or see a bird flying by me, I stop and notice it. I enjoy watching it and sometimes I'm able to identify its species. I'm delighted by birds more than any other type of animal.
If you're similar to me and like birds and you're not just obsessed with finding them to check off a list, this is the best book you'll read on birds. It explains every aspect of a bird's life: from nests and eggs, to being fed as chicks, to learning to fly, foraging for food, mating, as well as communicating and social interactions.
For each stage of life, Short gives information on various ways in which different types of birds live and conduct themselves. For instance, he talks about how some birds perch next to each other, touching, while some require a minimum distance -- watch a few dozen starlings sitting on an electrical wire and how they shift as a new bird joins them, then compare that to how other birds perch together and apart.
Short tells of amazing facts about birds, like how a small patch of feathers fall off a bird just before laying eggs so that they can press their skin against the eggs to warm them. He explains how the ears of some owls are slightly out of line so that they can triangulate the location of prey in the dark while swooping down to snatch them.
You'll appreciate birds so much more if you read this book. It's delightful and enlightening.
If you're similar to me and like birds and you're not just obsessed with finding them to check off a list, this is the best book you'll read on birds. It explains every aspect of a bird's life: from nests and eggs, to being fed as chicks, to learning to fly, foraging for food, mating, as well as communicating and social interactions.
For each stage of life, Short gives information on various ways in which different types of birds live and conduct themselves. For instance, he talks about how some birds perch next to each other, touching, while some require a minimum distance -- watch a few dozen starlings sitting on an electrical wire and how they shift as a new bird joins them, then compare that to how other birds perch together and apart.
Short tells of amazing facts about birds, like how a small patch of feathers fall off a bird just before laying eggs so that they can press their skin against the eggs to warm them. He explains how the ears of some owls are slightly out of line so that they can triangulate the location of prey in the dark while swooping down to snatch them.
You'll appreciate birds so much more if you read this book. It's delightful and enlightening.
Displaying 1 of 1 review