Bird Day
A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives
9780226819402
9780226819419
Bird Day
A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives
An hourly guide that follows twenty-four birds as they find food, mates, and safety from predators.
From morning to night and from the Antarctic to the equator, birds have busy days. In this short book, ornithologist Mark E. Hauber shows readers exactly how birds spend their time. Each chapter covers a single bird during a single hour, highlighting twenty-four different bird species from around the globe, from the tropics through the temperate zones to the polar regions. We encounter owls and nightjars hunting at night and kiwis and petrels finding their way in the dark. As the sun rises, we witness the beautiful songs of the “dawn chorus.” At eleven o’clock in the morning, we float alongside a common pochard, a duck resting with one eye open to avoid predators. At eight that evening, we spot a hawk swallowing bats whole, gorging on up to fifteen in rapid succession before retreating into the darkness.
For each chapter, award-winning artist Tony Angell has depicted these scenes with his signature pen and ink illustrations, which grow increasingly light and then dark as our bird day passes. Working closely together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Hauber and Angell have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two—and a true gift for readers, amateur scientists, and birdwatchers.
From morning to night and from the Antarctic to the equator, birds have busy days. In this short book, ornithologist Mark E. Hauber shows readers exactly how birds spend their time. Each chapter covers a single bird during a single hour, highlighting twenty-four different bird species from around the globe, from the tropics through the temperate zones to the polar regions. We encounter owls and nightjars hunting at night and kiwis and petrels finding their way in the dark. As the sun rises, we witness the beautiful songs of the “dawn chorus.” At eleven o’clock in the morning, we float alongside a common pochard, a duck resting with one eye open to avoid predators. At eight that evening, we spot a hawk swallowing bats whole, gorging on up to fifteen in rapid succession before retreating into the darkness.
For each chapter, award-winning artist Tony Angell has depicted these scenes with his signature pen and ink illustrations, which grow increasingly light and then dark as our bird day passes. Working closely together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Hauber and Angell have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two—and a true gift for readers, amateur scientists, and birdwatchers.
Reviews
Table of Contents
Preface
Artist’s Note
Midnight: Barn Owl (Worldwide)
1 AM: Little Spotted Kiwi (New Zealand)
2 AM: Oilbird (South America)
3 AM: Kākāpō (New Zealand)
4 AM: Common Nightingale (Eurasia)
5 AM: Brown-Headed Cowbird (North America)
6 AM (Sunrise): Silvereye (Australasia)
7 AM: Bee Hummingbird (Caribbean)
8 AM: American Robin (North America)
9 AM: Eclectus Parrot (Australasia)
10 AM: Indian Peafowl (Asia, Introduced Worldwide)
11 AM: Common Pochard (Eurasia)
Noon: Ocellated Antbird (Central America)
1 PM: Secretary Bird (Africa)
2 PM: Emperor Penguin (Antarctica)
3 PM: Superb Starling (Africa)
4 PM: Common Cuckoo (Eurasia)
5 PM: Indian Myna (Asia, Introduced Worldwide)
6 PM (Sunset): Standard-Winged Nightjar (Africa)
7 PM: Great Snipe (Eurasia)
8 PM: Bat Hawk (Africa and Asia)
9 PM: Black-Crowned Night Heron (Worldwide)
10 PM: Cook’s Petrel (New Zealand)
11 PM: European Robin (Eurasia)
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Further Reading
Index
Artist’s Note
Midnight: Barn Owl (Worldwide)
1 AM: Little Spotted Kiwi (New Zealand)
2 AM: Oilbird (South America)
3 AM: Kākāpō (New Zealand)
4 AM: Common Nightingale (Eurasia)
5 AM: Brown-Headed Cowbird (North America)
6 AM (Sunrise): Silvereye (Australasia)
7 AM: Bee Hummingbird (Caribbean)
8 AM: American Robin (North America)
9 AM: Eclectus Parrot (Australasia)
10 AM: Indian Peafowl (Asia, Introduced Worldwide)
11 AM: Common Pochard (Eurasia)
Noon: Ocellated Antbird (Central America)
1 PM: Secretary Bird (Africa)
2 PM: Emperor Penguin (Antarctica)
3 PM: Superb Starling (Africa)
4 PM: Common Cuckoo (Eurasia)
5 PM: Indian Myna (Asia, Introduced Worldwide)
6 PM (Sunset): Standard-Winged Nightjar (Africa)
7 PM: Great Snipe (Eurasia)
8 PM: Bat Hawk (Africa and Asia)
9 PM: Black-Crowned Night Heron (Worldwide)
10 PM: Cook’s Petrel (New Zealand)
11 PM: European Robin (Eurasia)
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Further Reading
Index
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