10,000+ Books 📚 | Overnight NZ Shipping

Christmas Shopping? Try our Gift Wrap Service 🎁

The Bird Way

4.22 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 3,586 ratings, 559 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman explores the complex and fascinating behaviours of birds, highlighting their intelligence, creativity, and social structures. Ackerman delves into the latest scientific discoveries, revealing the diverse ways birds communicate, mate, parent, and survive. The book offers a captivating look into the avian world, challenging many traditional assumptions about these creatures.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4000
OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by the complex behaviours, intelligence, and social dynamics of birds. It offers a fresh perspective on birdlife, exploring their communication, mating rituals, and problem-solving skills with engaging storytelling backed by scientific research.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The Bird Way

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman is a transformative dive into the intricate and exceptional world of birds. Building upon the success of her previous bestseller, The Genius of Birds, Ackerman offers readers a fresh perspective on avian life by exploring the latest scientific studies that challenge our traditional understanding. This book delves into the myriad ways birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, and survive—often revealing behaviours strikingly similar to our own.

From the moment you begin reading, Ackerman takes you on a global journey, drawing from her personal visits to diverse habitats: the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia, the secluded woodlands of northern Japan, the picturesque hills of lower Austria, and the islands of Alaska's Kachemak Bay. These immersive travel anecdotes serve as a backdrop for examining the wild diversity found in bird species, proving that there isn't just one bird way of being but an astonishing array of lifestyles and behaviours.

The book revolves around a profound premise: “There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.” This statement, made by a scientist in Ackerman’s narrative, underscores the unique and sophisticated wiring of bird brains. Recent scientific discoveries reveal that birds possess not only the intelligence to perform complex tasks but also social behaviours once thought unique to humans, such as deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, infanticide, ingenious communication, cooperation, collaboration, altruism, culture, and play.

Ackerman expertly blends the latest research with her rich, anecdotal storytelling. She sheds light on how birds have evolved to thrive in their specific niches, displaying a wide array of plumages, forms, songs, flights, lifestyles, and behaviours. This diversity and complexity are what captivate bird enthusiasts, and Ackerman captures this fascination beautifully.

The insights in The Bird Way invite readers to look at birds in a new light, appreciating their uniqueness and the sophisticated social structures underlying their existence. Whether you are a seasoned ornithologist or a casual bird watcher, this book will deepen your understanding and appreciation of these extraordinary creatures.

"A wonderful read. Every page will increase your awe of birds." – Tim Low

"After reading Ackerman (The Genius of Birds), you may listen harder to the various chirps, cheeps and coos coming from your backyard. Her new book reminds us that we have a lot in common with birds—like us, they are capable of deception and manipulation, not to mention cooperation, culture and communication." – The Washington Post

"In The Bird Way, Jennifer Ackerman digs deeper and ranges farther into bird behaviour, pulling tasty stories out of rich ground as she hops across the continents... Like a bowerbird, Ms. Ackerman gathers and displays treasures to amaze and delight—then lets the scientists' stories take centre stage... Refreshingly, Ackerman spotlights a number of female researchers." – The Wall Street Journal

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman has received positive reviews for its engaging and informative exploration of bird behaviour. Critics praise Ackerman's ability to blend scientific research with captivating storytelling, making complex ornithological concepts accessible to a broad audience. Reviewers appreciate her detailed observations and the way she highlights the diverse and often surprising behavioural traits of various bird species.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925713763

Publisher: Scribe Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 2020

Country: Australia

Imprint: Scribe Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 233.0mm

Weight: 481g

Pages: 368

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)

About the Author

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science, nature, and human biology for almost three decades. Her most recent books include Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream- a day in the life of your body; Ah-Choo- the uncommon life of the common cold; Chance in the House of Fate- a natural history of heredity; The Genius of Birds; and Birds by the Shore. A contributor to Scientific American, National Geographic, The New York Times, and many other publications, Ackerman is the recipient of an National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Also by Jennifer Ackerman

View all

More from Science & Nature

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent specialist on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our cozy 200m2 warehouse in Auckland holds over 10,000 books in-stock so you're not waiting for books to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Pick Ups

Auckland Pick Ups

We're an online-only store but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Reviews from our customers