Tales of Remarkable Birds

May 15, 2015

In this worldwide survey of selected birds that exhibit unusual behavior, Couzens, a British author of more than 30 wildlife books, engagingly describes five or more birds from all seven continents plus some noncontinental islands. The gamut of behaviors includes bigamy, nest-robbing, physical intimidation, group-living, duetting, brood parasitism, communal foraging, and much more, but this dry listing does not do justice to the amazing variety of avian lifestyles the author explores. Backing up Couzens's lively text are 120 color photographs of the predominantly dramatic species he has chosen to highlight, including ostriches, hummingbirds, albatrosses, penguins, crows, gulls, hawks, chickadees, wrens, and sparrows. Others are less familiar but equally enchanting. The photographs, augmented by substantial captions, are of high quality. The brief bibliography may be seen as fatuous because 13 of the 37 titles are multivolume handbooks and should have consisted of two citations. VERDICT Recommended for birders and those interested in natural history and animal behavior.--Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Birds never cease to fascinate us. If it isn't their ability to fly, then it's their beautiful plumage or their intriguing behaviors. In this celebration of the complexity and diversity of the lives of birds, author Couzens (The Secret Life of Puffins, 2014) focuses on the latter. In eight sections (differentiated geographically), Couzens describes 40 species of birds, each of which exhibits an interesting behavioral trait. In Europe, tiny northern wrens must band together in a roost on cold winter nights to survivebut these notably feisty birds are very choosy about whom to let in. The African boubous tend to sing interminably throughout the day, but the song is actually a duet that is so beautifully coordinated between a pair of birds that it sounds like the vocalization of one. The marbled murrelet is a small North American seabird whose nest wasn't discovered until more than 100 years of searchingturns out it doesn't nest on islands or sea cliffs, like all of its kin, but on the moss-covered branches of old-growth forests. Beautifully illustrated with color photos, Couzens' deft stories of these sometimes baffling birds are told in a chatty style that will absorb any nature lover.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)