Reviews
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
This was such a good time to listen to. The narrator is the author which is always so fun and she does a really great job. There are so many absolutely fascinating examples given in this book that I have told to every single person who will listen.
My favorite example was of the kite birds in Australia that have been proven to start fires get the animals that evacuate the land and how it might also be happening in the US. I live in a drought stricken state that is prone to massive wildfires and the idea that birds could be a small percentage of the fires is wild and fascinating in a scary way. Im absolutely going to deep dive into this.
There was one main problem I had though. There are so so so many examples given that I couldn't process it all. In every chapter, Ackerman would name at least a dozen examples before focusing on 2 or 3, and while I appreciate that focus, having so many names and behaviors thrown at me every chapter left me struggling to catch up and remember what long example we were on.
Having recently listened to Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan C Slaght, I was overjoyed to have a section on him and the Blackiston's fish owl with quotes from him. The author is great at giving quotes from experts and making it clear when evidence or explanations aren't hers but rather an experts.
My favorite example was of the kite birds in Australia that have been proven to start fires get the animals that evacuate the land and how it might also be happening in the US. I live in a drought stricken state that is prone to massive wildfires and the idea that birds could be a small percentage of the fires is wild and fascinating in a scary way. Im absolutely going to deep dive into this.
There was one main problem I had though. There are so so so many examples given that I couldn't process it all. In every chapter, Ackerman would name at least a dozen examples before focusing on 2 or 3, and while I appreciate that focus, having so many names and behaviors thrown at me every chapter left me struggling to catch up and remember what long example we were on.
Having recently listened to Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan C Slaght, I was overjoyed to have a section on him and the Blackiston's fish owl with quotes from him. The author is great at giving quotes from experts and making it clear when evidence or explanations aren't hers but rather an experts.
aishaaj's review against another edition
5.0
This is a GREAT book. I surprisingly laughed out loud many times. I wish it came with links to YouTube videos showing the behaviors
mccanizales's review against another edition
4.0
BIRDS ARE SO SMART AND COOL!!! It was a little tricky to follow the structure and which bird was brining talked about, but overall loved all the bird facts!
wildblackberrydays's review against another edition
2.0
This book could have been half the size and just as impactful. The content was fascinating, but the author tends to go on redundant rants and repeats herself to exhaustion.
atamano's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual content, Animal death, Confinement, and Excrement
Minor: Murder, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault