Birds and People

Starred review from September 15, 2013

Discussing his latest work in the Guardian, Cocker (Birders: Tale of a Tribe) referred to the "immodesty" of his ambition. The book, eight years in the writing and even longer in preparation, explores the "tangle of connections" between humans and birds. Much is considered: 146 of more than 200 families of the world's avifauna seen through the prism of humankind's art, literature, history, sport, and gastronomy. No less impressive is Cocker's handling of vox populi--the volume includes an international chorus of some 650 correspondents from 81 countries who tell of their relations to birds, much as they did in the author's Birds Britannica. Photographer Tipling (The Bird Photography Field Guide) provides a global array of unique images. The result is an inexhaustibly rich collection of ornithology, folklore, and etymology that will appeal to more than just bird lovers. Cocker's account of the pigeon and dove family, one of the longest sections in the book, offers a compelling demonstration of how a bird species distributed worldwide has also "colonized" the human imagination with its complex symbolic associations. VERDICT One simply runs out of superlatives appraising this title. From its glorious photography to its astonishingly wide frame of cultural references, this book will long resonate with readers.--Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2013
Birds have been important in human cultures from earliest times. That continues today with the popularity of birding (bird-watching) and the rise of ecotourism around the world. There are approximately 10,500 bird species in the world, and many of them have significant relationships to peoplefood, recreation, art, origin stories, research, and religion, to name a few. Hundreds of birders from around the world flocked together to assist Cocker via stories and observations, building this fascinating compilation of significant human-bird relationships. Entries represent 146 bird families, while another 59 families with no known cultural importance are listed in an appendix. Tipling's photographs (and others) supplement the text with beautiful images and informative content. This is both a reference book and a book to be read for enjoyment. The quotations, extensive bibliography, detailed endnotes, and indexes (species and general) provide access beyond the family-group arrangement of the text. Readers will learn fascinating facts: humans have long adorned themselves with feathers and imitated avian dances; swallow nests near homes are symbols of natural blessings in many countries; rollers have capitalized on human structures as perches from which to hunt insects. This thoughtful and handsome book records many of the stories that bind humans and birds together in the environment they share. Recommended for most public and academic libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)