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Birds and Us

A 12,000 Year History, from Cave Art to Conservation

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Birds and Us

By: Tim Birkhead
Narrated by: Tim Birkhead
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Since the dawn of human history, birds have stirred our imagination, inspiring and challenging our ideas about science, faith, art and philosophy.

Looking to the skies above, we have variously worshipped them as gods, hunted them for sustenance, adorned ourselves in their feathers, studied their wings to engineer flight and, more recently, attempted to protect them.

In Birds and Us, award-winning writer and ornithologist Tim Birkhead takes us on an epic and dazzling journey through this mutual history with birds, from the ibises mummified and deified by Ancient Egyptians to Renaissance experiments on woodpecker anatomy, from Victorian obsessions with egg-collecting to the present fight to save endangered species and restore their habitats.

Weaving in stories from his own life as a scientist, including far-flung expeditions to wondrous Neolithic caves in Spain and the bustling guillemot colonies of the Faroe Islands, this rich and fascinating book is the culmination of a lifetime's research and unforgettably shows how birds shaped us and how we have shaped them.

©2022 Tim Birkhead (P)2022 Penguin Audio Animals Biological Sciences Environment Outdoors & Nature Science Conservation Natural History Ancient History

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All stars
Most relevant
A sweeping survey of the place of birds in human history. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Al Tajo Cave and of the bird harvesting cultures of The Faroes and St Kilda.

Cave art to conservation

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A little slow to start perhaps, but the later chapters were absolutely excellent. Tim Birkhead's knowledge and passion shone through, especially when he tackled areas that he is intimately involved in.

Excellent review of our relationship with birds

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This is a brilliant and emotive exploration of the history of humanity's relationship with birds.

Fantastic

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The book can be hard to follow when it switches from fact to story, re listening to sections is a must

I loved all the different topic this book focuses on and how they are are brought together

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