Summary of Jennifer Ackerman's The Bird Way

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Birds are the great communicators of the animal world. They speak with their voices, their bodies, and their feathers. They may not have the facial musculature we primates use to express ourselves, but they can powerfully communicate their inner states with head and body movements.

#2 The quelea bird’s facial plumage is extremely variable, and scientists have struggled to find any correlation between fitness and color. However, the birds know who they are, and they know who is trustworthy, so they can stop harassing one another and get down to the business of nest building.

#3 The dawn chorus is a baffling behavior that occurs in the dark hours before dawn, when many birds sing at the same time. It may be because cool temperatures, calm air, and less ambient noise from insects allow their songs to travel farther.

#4 bird songs and calls range from the odd comical cluck and rattle of the willow ptarmigan to the elfin chucklings of Leach’s storm petrels. They are a tapestry of vocal behaviors that helps birds coexist and become the wildly successful and diverse group they are.