A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World’s Smartest Birds of Prey
- Downloads：7577
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-26 18:33:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jonathan Meiburg
- ISBN：1101875704
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Patrick Book
，
Meiburg’s fascination with the natural world is as evident here as it is in his music， and his passion for the caracaras is downright infectious。 What a curious bird indeed！
Nicholas
，
A lush and poetic treatment of a family of birds long overdue for a closer look。
Miya
，
Review forthcoming from the Chicago Audubon Society！
Genie Mitchell
，
Nature is fascinating and we have just scratched the surface。 An amazing study of a unique bird， the caracara。
Heather
，
I had never heard of caracaras。 I feel like a failure admitting that。 How have I missed them？ Caracaras live mostly in South America with a few outposts in central Florida and in Texas。 This book uses the writings of Charles Darwin and William Henry Hudson to introduce them。 Darwin saw them in the Falkland Islands and realized that they were different to other birds of prey。 They were curious。 Most falcons hunt。 They don't branch out much。 This attitude always reminds me of this quote from M*A* I had never heard of caracaras。 I feel like a failure admitting that。 How have I missed them？ Caracaras live mostly in South America with a few outposts in central Florida and in Texas。 This book uses the writings of Charles Darwin and William Henry Hudson to introduce them。 Darwin saw them in the Falkland Islands and realized that they were different to other birds of prey。 They were curious。 Most falcons hunt。 They don't branch out much。 This attitude always reminds me of this quote from M*A*S*H。 https://flic。kr/p/2kTAyeA That's the attitude of most birds of prey。Caracaras are different。 They explore。 They are able to problem solve。 They will eat absolutely anything even remotely edible that they can find。 William Henry Hudson was a man from Argentina who moved to England。 He wrote a lot about South American wildlife。 I'd never heard of him either but he was a very popular writer in his day。 The author of this book used his writings often during his journey around South America in search of caracaras。 https://flic。kr/p/2kTAd1m That search took him on a one month trip up a river into the jungles of Guyana in search of caracaras。 He was accompanied by three Guyanese guides/forest experts along with an endearingly enthusiastic American scientist who gets super excited about insects。 There are several species of caracaras。 Each occupies a specific niche in South America but they are starting to move around a bit。 Their creativity allows them to do this where other bird species can't。 They are even starting to be seen in the northern U。S。 and Canada。 I learned quite a bit about the development of different American animals in this book。 As North and South America first came into contact with each other， there was a large shift of animals from one land mass to another。 I also learned that Antarctica was a temperate haven for animals in the aftermath of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs。 Different animals in different parts of the world can be traced back and followed to see how they got from the area where they evolved to where they live now。 This was a fascinating book about more than just the caracaras。 This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story 。。。more
Megan
，
*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review。* Ordinarily I love this sort of book — being involved in falconry， raptor rehabilitation， and having a deep interest in birds。 But I felt like this one wandered too much。 I was hoping to learn more about caracaras， but much of the book branched out into discussions of evolutionary theory that didn't seem necessary to me。 *I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review。* Ordinarily I love this sort of book — being involved in falconry， raptor rehabilitation， and having a deep interest in birds。 But I felt like this one wandered too much。 I was hoping to learn more about caracaras， but much of the book branched out into discussions of evolutionary theory that didn't seem necessary to me。 。。。more
Cav
，
A Most Remarkable Creature was an interesting account of a unique bird of prey。Author Jonathan Meiburg is an American musician and writer， best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Shearwater。 Jonathan Meiburg: A Most Remarkable Creature is an in depth look into a species of falcon native to South America; specifically - the book focuses on the caracaras （pronounced either "cair-uh-cair-uh"， or "car-uh-car-uh"） of the Falkland Islands， also known as "The Johnny Rooks"。 A Most Remarkable Creature was an interesting account of a unique bird of prey。Author Jonathan Meiburg is an American musician and writer， best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Shearwater。 Jonathan Meiburg: A Most Remarkable Creature is an in depth look into a species of falcon native to South America; specifically - the book focuses on the caracaras （pronounced either "cair-uh-cair-uh"， or "car-uh-car-uh"） of the Falkland Islands， also known as "The Johnny Rooks"。 The Southern Crested Caracara: I enjoyed the writing here。 Meiburg writes with an easy and engaging style; making this one very readable。 The audiobook version I have was also read by him; a nice touch that I always appreciate。 He did a great job of the narration as well。The end of the book also features many colour photographs， which helped bring context to this story。 I've included a few of them below。Much of Meiburg's writing centers around the work of naturalist and ornithologist William Henry Hudson。 An early pioneer in his field; Meiburg writes of Hudson's opposition to the scientific orthodoxy around behaviorism。 Using many case studies and anecdotes， Meiburg tells the reader of the great intelligence and unique character of the caracara。 William Henry Hudson: A Most Remarkable Creature talks about a particularly unique and intelligent caracara named Tina。 Owned by falconer Geoff Pearson， she enjoyed to play， and often stole food and trinkets from spectators while being displayed。 She also would not wear hoods and covers; tearing them off in an irritated display。 The book also gives the reader a brief background on evolutionary biology; Darwinian descent with modification， speciation， and the linage of the caracara are covered here by Meiburg。 Meiburg made many journeys to South America， and he also writes of his adventures there in these pages; including many interesting anecdotes told to him by his guides。Interested to see the quirky and mischievous nature of the caracara for myself， a quick Google search turned up this amusing short （~3min） YouTube video by National Geographic， captioned:"A bird called the Johnny Rook gets right 'in your face。' Known as the Falkland Island's 'flying devils' -- these clever animals band together in their youth to terrorize creatures great and small。"Another interesting short YouTube video of a captive caracara can be found here， for anyone interested。 A Most Remarkable Creature was an interesting and well-written book， that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested。 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Jon
，
Caracaras are my favorite birds now。
Mortisha Cassavetes
，
I really enjoy books learning about things and I love nature & wildlife nonfic so I knew this book was for me。 The book follows the life of the Caracara， a bird discovered by Darwin in the Falkland Islands and Jonathan Meiburg went on the chase to find these birds。 I highly recommend it to everyone who is a bird lover like me。
Foggygirl
，
I had never even heard of these birds before I started reading this book but they sound absolutely fascinating， entertaining and terrifying at the same time。
Tama
，
The day I started listening to the digital audio， read by the author himself， I received my regular Powell’s email announcing he would be having a Zoom event with them the next day。 You guys—it was amazing。 I was already half done with the book， which is ~full~ of delicious evolutionary facts。 I was already obsessed。 Already telling my nonfiction people。 Now I’ve juuuuuust finished。 Meiburg is a great storyteller—it often better when the author reads their book aloud， but not always。 In this cas The day I started listening to the digital audio， read by the author himself， I received my regular Powell’s email announcing he would be having a Zoom event with them the next day。 You guys—it was amazing。 I was already half done with the book， which is ~full~ of delicious evolutionary facts。 I was already obsessed。 Already telling my nonfiction people。 Now I’ve juuuuuust finished。 Meiburg is a great storyteller—it often better when the author reads their book aloud， but not always。 In this case it was a huge win。 His writing has all the care of someone who’s read a lot of good books and can step up to the plate。 It’s a home run。 。。。more
Caroline Horgan
，
Fascinated by the intelligence and behavior of crows， I was eager to read about caracaras， a species I was not familiar with until I picked up this book。 What a wonderful introduction to these said remarkable birds！ I enjoyed both the naturalist and historical perspectives， as well as Meiburg's incredible experience， told in wonderfully rich detail。 I was pleased that the book also included a wide range of birds and wildlife of Tierra del Fuego and other regions--some familiar， some new， all int Fascinated by the intelligence and behavior of crows， I was eager to read about caracaras， a species I was not familiar with until I picked up this book。 What a wonderful introduction to these said remarkable birds！ I enjoyed both the naturalist and historical perspectives， as well as Meiburg's incredible experience， told in wonderfully rich detail。 I was pleased that the book also included a wide range of birds and wildlife of Tierra del Fuego and other regions--some familiar， some new， all intriguing。 Admittedly， I consulted eBird and a Birds of South America guide throughout the reading。 I found it helpful to have a look and a listen to the different species of caracaras and other birds that Meiburg encountered in his travels 。 How sad that the caracaras are on the long list of diminishing creatures。 That these clever and opportunistic birds could conceivably make their way to North America and adapt to urban areas would not surprise me。 An interesting and enjoyable read for all - not just bird enthusiasts！ I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher， Alfred A。 Knopf and Edelweiss。 。。。more
Shai
，
What is a Caracara？ I， like many others had never heard of this creature prior to picking up “A Most Remarkable Creature” by Jonathan Meiburg。 A book dedicated to the study of a specific bird may not sound like an exciting read， but Meiburg manages to keep our interest by interspersing stories of scientists’ first encounters with it。 The mix of history and scientific knowledge is balanced and so you are entertained as you are learning more about the Caracara， （which is quite an intriguing creatu What is a Caracara？ I， like many others had never heard of this creature prior to picking up “A Most Remarkable Creature” by Jonathan Meiburg。 A book dedicated to the study of a specific bird may not sound like an exciting read， but Meiburg manages to keep our interest by interspersing stories of scientists’ first encounters with it。 The mix of history and scientific knowledge is balanced and so you are entertained as you are learning more about the Caracara， （which is quite an intriguing creature in and of itself）。Meiburg first met the Caracara during his “adventurous youth” on one of the Falkland Islands。 Shocked by their lack of fear （and a propensity to steal his belongings）， he becomes intrigued and seeks to learn more about them。If you are a fan of Darwin， travel， birds， or just want to read an interesting story of a man’s quest to learn more about the world around him， I would highly recommend reading this book。I received an advanced copy of this book from Knopf。 。。。more
Angie Boyter
，
A most remarkable blend of history， science， natural science， and birdwatching！Caracara is a genus of falcons， and Jonathan Meiburg’s descriptions of them makes it clear why he calls them “remarkable。” Their appearance varies， but many sound stunningly beautiful。 Describing the red-throated caracaras， he says the “bare skin of their faces and throats is scarlet; their eyes are an even deeper shade of red; the tips of their bluish beaks are bright yellow; and their plumage is black except for a s A most remarkable blend of history， science， natural science， and birdwatching！Caracara is a genus of falcons， and Jonathan Meiburg’s descriptions of them makes it clear why he calls them “remarkable。” Their appearance varies， but many sound stunningly beautiful。 Describing the red-throated caracaras， he says the “bare skin of their faces and throats is scarlet; their eyes are an even deeper shade of red; the tips of their bluish beaks are bright yellow; and their plumage is black except for a spray of white feathers above their red legs---an outfit that makes them both striking and slightly ridiculous， like weaponized chickens。” They have adapted to their varying environments in notable ways。 For example， they manage to avoid a lot of conflict with other animals by living on odd diets like venomous wasps and carrion that other animals shun。 Their curiosity reveals a surprising intelligence， and they seem to be adept at solving puzzles as well as keen on exploring new things， often to the consternation of researchers， who find the “cheeky pests” stealing their hats， pens， and other items。Caracaras have attracted the interest of many people over the centuries， and Meiburg tells about people like Charles Darwin， whom we all know， and turn-of-the-century naturalist and author William Henry Hudson 。Meiburg’s observations and experiences as he travels through some of the most remote parts of the Americas looking for caracaras are awe-inspiring。 The wonderful sights and sounds are extremely appealing…until you hear about the conditions under which he traveled。 Better him than me; I’ll just read about it。There is so much wide-ranging information in A Most Remarkable Creature that occasionally I wanted it to focus more on the caracaras themselves， but the side trips were usually relevant and always interesting。Aside from the descriptions of the beautiful， intelligent ， delightful birds， my favorite part of the book was the discussion of phylogeography， which is the connection of the biological journeys of living things with the geological history of the earth。 It was fascinating to read about caracaras （and other life） during the period when North America was separated from South America and the Great American Biotic Interchange （GABI） when tectonic drift reunited the continents。 Other readers might be drawn more to the history or the beauty of the areas the birds inhabit， but for anyone with curiosity about our natural world there will be a lot to like in this book and in these remarkable creatures。I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher， Alfred A Knopf， and Edelweiss。 。。。more
Haley
，
I received a galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。A Most Remarkable Creature is an erudite， accessible， and engaging read about the caracaras， their history， their future， and one William Henry Hudson， who bastioned the birds as nature's unsung heroes。 The caracaras （pronounced care-uh-CAR-uhs） are intelligent， adaptable， mischievous， and opportunistic -- the epitome of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection。 However， as Meiburg discusses， these amazing birds I received a galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。A Most Remarkable Creature is an erudite， accessible， and engaging read about the caracaras， their history， their future， and one William Henry Hudson， who bastioned the birds as nature's unsung heroes。 The caracaras （pronounced care-uh-CAR-uhs） are intelligent， adaptable， mischievous， and opportunistic -- the epitome of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection。 However， as Meiburg discusses， these amazing birds are becoming threatened due to human intervention: development in their natural habitat， bounties on their beaks， and competition from other birds of prey。 For years， caracaras were relegated to the "back of the room"， so to speak， by scientists who disdained the birds pretty heavily。 Because of this bias， not much is really known about them - something the author wished to remedy during his sponsored trip to Guyana。 His descriptions of the environs and the people he encountered there were so astute I felt as though I was in the rainforest and rivers beside him。As much as I loved this book， there were parts - particularly when Hudson was involved - that lost my interest。 Hudson's inclusion was understood， but the latter quarter of the book focuses almost entirely on the rather melancholic man when I would have rather had learned more about the author's rainforest escapades or about the caracaras themselves。 Ultimately， I was left with more questions than answers， but I still found this book incredibly interesting。 What's more， my parents have a pair of crested caracaras hanging out on their land and appreciate their antics （eating the field mice is another bonus for them， I'm sure）！I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in natural history， ornithology， or just want a good story！ I have put this author on the watch list， as his writing is just too good to pass up。 。。。more
Anna
，