A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World’s Smartest Birds of Prey
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- Create Date：2021-06-03 10:53:00
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- Author：Jonathan Meiburg
- ISBN：1101875704
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Summary
An enthralling account of a modern voyage of discovery as we meet the clever， social birds of prey called caracaras， which puzzled Darwin， fascinate modern-day falconers， and carry secrets of our planet's deep past in their family history。
In 1833， Charles Darwin was astonished by an animal he met in the Falkland Islands: handsome， social， and oddly crow-like falcons that were "tame and inquisitive…quarrelsome and passionate，" and so insatiably curious that they stole hats， compasses， and other valuables from the crew of the Beagle。 Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America， sensing a larger story， but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it。 Almost two hundred years later， Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase。 He takes us through South America， from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana， in search of these birds: striated caracaras， which still exist， though they're very rare。 He reveals the wild， fascinating story of their history， origins， and possible futures。 And along the way， he draws us into the life and work of William Henry Hudson， the Victorian writer and naturalist who championed caracaras as an unsung wonder of the natural world， and to falconry parks in the English countryside， where captive caracaras perform incredible feats of memory and problem-solving。 A Most Remarkable Creature is a hybrid of science writing， travelogue， and biography， as generous and accessible as it is sophisticated， and absolutely riveting。
In 1833， Charles Darwin was astonished by an animal he met in the Falkland Islands: handsome， social， and oddly crow-like falcons that were "tame and inquisitive…quarrelsome and passionate，" and so insatiably curious that they stole hats， compasses， and other valuables from the crew of the Beagle。 Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America， sensing a larger story， but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it。 Almost two hundred years later， Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase。 He takes us through South America， from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana， in search of these birds: striated caracaras， which still exist， though they're very rare。 He reveals the wild， fascinating story of their history， origins， and possible futures。 And along the way， he draws us into the life and work of William Henry Hudson， the Victorian writer and naturalist who championed caracaras as an unsung wonder of the natural world， and to falconry parks in the English countryside， where captive caracaras perform incredible feats of memory and problem-solving。 A Most Remarkable Creature is a hybrid of science writing， travelogue， and biography， as generous and accessible as it is sophisticated， and absolutely riveting。
Reviews
Matthew Budman
，
As a longtime Shearwater fan， of course I knew that Meiburg is both brilliantly lyrical and obsessed with wildlife and birds in particular。 But I didn't expect A Most Remarkable Creature to be so rich and scholarly， so information-dense while staying compulsively readable throughout。 The book basically looks at the geologic history of much of the earth through the evolutionary history of one species of falcon， and much of it is absolutely riveting， with the author in total command of his materia As a longtime Shearwater fan， of course I knew that Meiburg is both brilliantly lyrical and obsessed with wildlife and birds in particular。 But I didn't expect A Most Remarkable Creature to be so rich and scholarly， so information-dense while staying compulsively readable throughout。 The book basically looks at the geologic history of much of the earth through the evolutionary history of one species of falcon， and much of it is absolutely riveting， with the author in total command of his material whether depicting life tens of millions of years ago or narrating a boat trip through the South American tropics。 Meiburg gives us any number of memorably colorful facts and anecdotes and a sense of wistfulness for the biodiversity we've lost over the millennia—and will continue to lose。（It's only a small quibble that Meiburg includes so many passages about naturalist and author William Henry Hudson， whose 19th-century musings are poignant but ultimately less illuminating than hoped。） 。。。more
Chris
，
Some great storytelling going on in this book。 It’s informative but the language is meant for lay people。 You get some great insight into the science and the geography through a series of stories about the author’s journey。
Lydia Kass
，
Have gained a new appreciative perspective about this unassuming bird of prey。 Can't wait to hear him join our ACBOP book group as a guest author。 Massive amounts of research and time went into this endeavor by this renaissance man。 Have gained a new appreciative perspective about this unassuming bird of prey。 Can't wait to hear him join our ACBOP book group as a guest author。 Massive amounts of research and time went into this endeavor by this renaissance man。 。。。more
Diane
，
Loved it。 I had this book on my library Hold list， and until I had it in my hands， imagined it to be a scholarly work on the intelligence of crows。WRONG！ A Remarkable Creature is an amalgamation of everything I love—birds， geography， islands， geology， evolution， extinction， Darwin， travel， exploration， culture， even river monsters！ The titular remarkable creatures are the caracaras of South America， members of the falcon family that have married their small geographic niche with a broad appetite Loved it。 I had this book on my library Hold list， and until I had it in my hands， imagined it to be a scholarly work on the intelligence of crows。WRONG！ A Remarkable Creature is an amalgamation of everything I love—birds， geography， islands， geology， evolution， extinction， Darwin， travel， exploration， culture， even river monsters！ The titular remarkable creatures are the caracaras of South America， members of the falcon family that have married their small geographic niche with a broad appetite for “whatever”。 Mostly dead things。Like my other favorite science/nature writers （esp。 David Quammen）， Meiburg is an observer and a writer， not a trained scientist。 His mind is wide open to discovery， and we are the lucky ones that get a peek into the worlds he explores。Meiburg was inspired by naturalist William Henry Hudson who grew up in Argentina and wrote vivid accounts of the wildlife and people of the region。 I was completely smitten with this passage about Hudson:To the last， Hudson remained wary of the closed spheres of expertise， feeling that only imagination and curiosity could reach beyond their borders。 “One must shake off。。。the curse of books，” he wrote， “the delusion that they contain all knowledge， so that to observe and reflect for ourselves is no longer necessary。” This reverence for the unknown often drew him back to the mysticism of his early life， and in the end he felt that a sense of nature as a vast and secretive intelligence was something to be cherished， not outgrown。 No matter how much he learned about its inner workings， the world beyond the knowledge and concern of human beings called to him in the same clear voice。。。。 “The main thing，” he concluded， “was the wonderfulness and eternal mystery of life itself; this formative， informing energy—this flame that burns in and shines through the case。。。which in lighting another dies， and yet dying endures forever。”Meiburg continues: “This was [Hudson’s] greatest theme: that only by looking to the nonhuman world， with all the tools of science and art， can we see what we really are—and that we aren’t as alone as we feel。”I’m going to write that again as a memory device:A sense of nature as a vast and secretive intelligence is something to be cherished， not outgrown。 （Page 258）I love books like this one， but I also love a reminder to go outside and look。 Says Meiburg， “Every scientist I’d met seemed to wonder how often they’d have to repeat that there’s far more to learn about the world than we already know， that much of it lurks in the guise of the unimportant， and that all it takes to break new ground in the pursuit of knowledge is a desire to do the hard work of seeing。”5 stars 。。。more
Nann
，
Caracaras are western-hemisphere falcons native to South America documented by European explorers （Darwin） and colonists。 On the Falkland Islands the striated caracaras are called Johnny rooks。 They are curious， intelligent， and sociable to the point of being pests。 Jonathan Meiburg describes their present status on the Falklands， further north in Guyana， further inland on the Altiplano， and life in captivity in nature parks in Britain -- all of which he traveled to。 He also writes about their e Caracaras are western-hemisphere falcons native to South America documented by European explorers （Darwin） and colonists。 On the Falkland Islands the striated caracaras are called Johnny rooks。 They are curious， intelligent， and sociable to the point of being pests。 Jonathan Meiburg describes their present status on the Falklands， further north in Guyana， further inland on the Altiplano， and life in captivity in nature parks in Britain -- all of which he traveled to。 He also writes about their evolutionary history with hypotheses about their future。 Oh， yes -- he fits in a lot about the Argentinian/British naturalist and writer W。 H。 Hudson。 "The researchers who study our planet today live in an age as full of insights and discoveries as the nineteenth century， and it must be maddening to be confronted again and again with the fact that many people simply don't care。 Every scientist I'd met seemed to wonder how often they'd have to repeat that there's far more to learn about the world than we already know， how much of it lurks in the guise of the unimportant， and that all it takes to break new ground in the pursuit of knowledge is a desire to do the hard work of seeing。 （p。 260）。 Meiburg writes wonderfully。 Now for a couple of National Geographic features and a PBS Nature about the caracara！ 。。。more
Herb
，
Marvelous book， primarily about the remarkably smart and clever South American Caracara bird。 But， it's so much more: raptors of all sorts， evolution， tectonic plate shift， etc。， etc。 Terrific。 Marvelous book， primarily about the remarkably smart and clever South American Caracara bird。 But， it's so much more: raptors of all sorts， evolution， tectonic plate shift， etc。， etc。 Terrific。 。。。more
Mark Newton
，
It’s not surprising that Shearwater’s singer and songwriter turns in a scientific bird book that finds poetry in the geological history of the world and how it drove its creatures to adapt。 But it is funny how several familiar faces pop up， most notably author William Henry Hudson， and somehow expand Meiburg’s narrative and the wonder he puts on these pages。 It can read a little like a book report in parts， but that’s minor quibbling for a story that will have you reaching for your phone to lear It’s not surprising that Shearwater’s singer and songwriter turns in a scientific bird book that finds poetry in the geological history of the world and how it drove its creatures to adapt。 But it is funny how several familiar faces pop up， most notably author William Henry Hudson， and somehow expand Meiburg’s narrative and the wonder he puts on these pages。 It can read a little like a book report in parts， but that’s minor quibbling for a story that will have you reaching for your phone to learn about each animal Meiburg introduces in addition to the caracaras。 。。。more
Orsolya
，
I’m willing to bet that unless you are a seasoned ornithologist; you have never heard of a ‘Striated Caracara’。 “A Striated Cara-who？” you ask。 Exactly， my point。 Caracaras are what would be the love child between a crow， raven and falcon; calling the southern tip and islands of South America home （with the exception of some outliers）。 These charismatic birds of prey date back to dinosaur ancestors and skeletons have been found all over the Americas including the LaBrea Tar Pits in Los Angeles w I’m willing to bet that unless you are a seasoned ornithologist; you have never heard of a ‘Striated Caracara’。 “A Striated Cara-who？” you ask。 Exactly， my point。 Caracaras are what would be the love child between a crow， raven and falcon; calling the southern tip and islands of South America home （with the exception of some outliers）。 These charismatic birds of prey date back to dinosaur ancestors and skeletons have been found all over the Americas including the LaBrea Tar Pits in Los Angeles where I live。 Observed by Charles Darwin and William Henry Hudson; these birds have fascinated humans for ages。 More recently， caracaras have sparked the curiosity of nature and animal advocate Jonathan Meiburg。 Meiburg was intrigued to study and observe these birds in their natural habitat and shares his experience in， “A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World’s Smartest Birds of Prey”。 Let’s make something clear: Jonathan Meiburg is not a researcher， scientist， biologist， ornithologist or animal behavior psychologist by education or trade。 He is not a professor in aviary bird fields。 In fact， Meiburg is a writer and the lead singer of the band， Shearwater。 But don’t let this fool you into thinking he isn’t a self-taught expert: he is precisely that。 Meiburg has been fortunate enough to mingle with leading figures in the study of birds of prey （specifically caracaras）; and has traveled worldwide fortifying his research thanks to grants and fellowships。 This means that the tapestry of “A Most Remarkable Creature” is founded in solid science co-mingled with Meiburg’s magnetic personality and incredible writing chops。 This fella can write， ladies and gents， and he does it with illustrative， detailed， poised prose that is peppered with comedic timing and accessible familiarity。 Meiburg would make an excelled fiction novel author who would fortify his pages with a deep narrative。 The issue， however， is a lack of clear aim with “A Most Remarkable Creature”。 Although readers expect a heavy memoir packed with behavioral studies; “A Most Remarkable Creature” is less this and more of a choppy， disjointed， multi-threaded history report focusing on Charles Darwin and other notable figures who have interacted with birds of prey。 Readers truly have to re-calibrate their expectations in order to take Meiburg’s work for what it is。 The disappointing aspect is that this results in a piece that hardly discusses caracaras and little is gleaned from the material with the educational lesson being minimal。 If an editor would have discarded the unnecessary content; “A Most Remarkable Creature” would be a very thin text。 Related to this， both the narrative and pace are inconsistent with some sections reading more compellingly than others。 Each chapter is somewhat standalone （with some repetitive information） further decimating a cohesive strand。 Admittedly， though， the parts that are ‘good’ are seriously quite good。 Meiburg’s strongest lesson concerns animal evolution， dinosaurs and the changes in continental shifts and human kind。 These discussions are captivating and illuminate the subject matter in a precise manner that is easy-to-understand but informative。 “A Most Remarkable Creature” works well as an as an introductory text to birds of prey and caracaras encouraging further research。 In this context， Meiburg is quite successful in bringing attention to the topic。 Meiburg’s passion and love for the subject also shines through adding an emotional element to “A Most Remarkable Creature”。 Meiburg’s conclusion to “A Most Remarkable Creature” feels incomplete， unclear and doesn’t summarize the entirety of the piece making it void of a strong， memorable endnote。 This is somewhat redeemed by a pictorial graph of caracara evolution， heavily annotated notes and an extensive bibliography。 “A Most Remarkable Creature” is also supplemented with a section of full-color photo plates。 “A Most Remarkable Creature” isn’t terrible and is well-written; but it is simply lacking continuity， meanders on tangents， is hardly about caracaras and isn’t memorable from either an educational or emotionally-emotive standpoint。 “A Most Remarkable Creature” is a middle-ground average text recommended for those obsessed with birds of prey but the ‘Average Joe’ reader （or even light bird-lover） can skip this without missing much。 。。。more
Tim
，
This is my favorite book of the year so far。 It's a delightful story of the world of walking falcons。 It's a story of how the dinosaurs were saved from the planet-killing asteroid， and it's a travelogue， of sorts， a journey up the heart and soul of conservation。 This is my favorite book of the year so far。 It's a delightful story of the world of walking falcons。 It's a story of how the dinosaurs were saved from the planet-killing asteroid， and it's a travelogue， of sorts， a journey up the heart and soul of conservation。 。。。more
Maria
，
I。。。did not expect to be quite this sucked in by a book about raptors。 I laughed， I cried， I felt incredibly homesick for South America， I felt hopeful， and I felt desperate。 I was also TRULY delighted by the author's narration of the book - especially his imitation of the birds' cries。 I。。。did not expect to be quite this sucked in by a book about raptors。 I laughed， I cried， I felt incredibly homesick for South America， I felt hopeful， and I felt desperate。 I was also TRULY delighted by the author's narration of the book - especially his imitation of the birds' cries。 。。。more
Bill Morgan
，
Fails to hold this reader’s interest with poor organization of the material
Logan
，
What an English major can do w natural science！ Enjoyed thoroughly。 Learned much。
Irene
，
What a fascinating read。 I knew nothing about Caracaras， and this book is a wonderful overview of their behaviour and personalities。 These birds are weird because they don't fit the mould of a bird of prey。 First of all， they look like haws but are actually in the falcon family， and most importantly， they seem to enjoy engaging with people for fun and playing for its own sake， which is kind of unheard of in the falconry world。Meiburg's writing is engaging， informative and atmospheric。 Looking fo What a fascinating read。 I knew nothing about Caracaras， and this book is a wonderful overview of their behaviour and personalities。 These birds are weird because they don't fit the mould of a bird of prey。 First of all， they look like haws but are actually in the falcon family， and most importantly， they seem to enjoy engaging with people for fun and playing for its own sake， which is kind of unheard of in the falconry world。Meiburg's writing is engaging， informative and atmospheric。 Looking forward to reading his next one。 。。。more
Tiffany
，
A most remarkable story and storyteller。 A wondering and wonderful new voice in nature writing。
Donna
，
The parts about the birds and the author’s travels to see the birds was great。 The extensive history about Mr。s Hudson and Darwin less than great。
Leia
，
Informative， entertaining， and reverent。
Nina
，
A delightful combination of science and wonder， the focus of this book is the South American caracara。 I was carried away by the author’s description of his trip along the Rewa River in Guyana in search of the elusive birds of prey。 Some of the best nature writing I’ve read。 Meiburg was inspired by， and frequently quotes William Henry Hudson， the author of Green Mansions， himself a naturalist who fully appreciated all that nature displays。 I wanted to see if Meiburg had other books out， and foun A delightful combination of science and wonder， the focus of this book is the South American caracara。 I was carried away by the author’s description of his trip along the Rewa River in Guyana in search of the elusive birds of prey。 Some of the best nature writing I’ve read。 Meiburg was inspired by， and frequently quotes William Henry Hudson， the author of Green Mansions， himself a naturalist who fully appreciated all that nature displays。 I wanted to see if Meiburg had other books out， and found out （much to my astonishment） that he’s a musician/songwriter and leader of an Indie band called Shearwater （which I immediately sought out on YouTube）。 Very well written; a lovely， reflective oasis of “slow time” in a fast world。 。。。more
Anton T。 Harris
，
A Fascinating rFascinating。 I appreciated the author' s ability to view a natural history story of an amazing group with diversity as well as common traits。 I enjoy this stories and the focus on those who have studied these marvelous creatures。 Read A Fascinating rFascinating。 I appreciated the author' s ability to view a natural history story of an amazing group with diversity as well as common traits。 I enjoy this stories and the focus on those who have studied these marvelous creatures。 Read 。。。more
Tiffany
，
I have a new found love for all living things。
Mary & Tom
，
Bird lovers， animal lovers， and adventure enthusiasts will enjoy this book about the Caracara。 You will learn about all the different varieties of this “walking falcon” also known as “Johnny Rook”。 These birds live in the Southern Hemisphere and some varieties live in the jungles and hunt along rivers and streams。 Others live on the plains and in the mountains。 As you probably know， falcons hunt， kill， and eat live prey， but the Caracaras are what I would call creative eaters。 They steal eggs， e Bird lovers， animal lovers， and adventure enthusiasts will enjoy this book about the Caracara。 You will learn about all the different varieties of this “walking falcon” also known as “Johnny Rook”。 These birds live in the Southern Hemisphere and some varieties live in the jungles and hunt along rivers and streams。 Others live on the plains and in the mountains。 As you probably know， falcons hunt， kill， and eat live prey， but the Caracaras are what I would call creative eaters。 They steal eggs， eat road kill， and scavenge all types of bugs。 Many of these varieties are threatened by habitat loss from encroaching water due to global warming。 The author weaves tales of others bird lovers through the narrative。 William Henry Hudson is the most present because he spent his earliest years growing up in the home of a variety of Caracaras。 You will also read about the intelligence of the caracara which seems to rival that of crows。 An enjoyable read。 。。。more
Christina Dudley
，
After reading and enjoying THE GENIUS OF BIRDS， Goodreads recommended this one， and it was spot on！ I knew nothing about the caracaras of South America or about the way continental drift impacted the totally different fauna found in North and South America。 Totally fascinating。 Meiburg writes with a ranging eye and a sense of humor， and I spent time poring over my world atlas and Googling different birds， including the one he described as looking like a "weaponized chicken。" Ha ha。 He is absolut After reading and enjoying THE GENIUS OF BIRDS， Goodreads recommended this one， and it was spot on！ I knew nothing about the caracaras of South America or about the way continental drift impacted the totally different fauna found in North and South America。 Totally fascinating。 Meiburg writes with a ranging eye and a sense of humor， and I spent time poring over my world atlas and Googling different birds， including the one he described as looking like a "weaponized chicken。" Ha ha。 He is absolutely right that bird researchers have focused on ravens and New Caledonian crows as the world's smartest birds， but those caracaras are geniuses in their own right。And who knew there would be a possible upside to Antarctica totally thawing out？ Whichever future scientists survive can go find out if dinosaurs survived past the Great Extinction way down there， and find new links between species of Gondwanaland。Wonderful read for the ornithologists， paleontologists， and explorers in your life。 I even downloaded a book by the formerly popular writer and naturalist William Henry Hudson who grew up in Argentina and then lived in England and wrote GREEN MANSIONS， which Audrey Hepburn starred in！ 。。。more
Jennifer
，
4。7， I always forget how much I enjoy adventure reading until a great book of adventure reading falls into my lap。 Meiburg's A Most Remarkable Creature is one of those books that takes you to places that you are only vaguely aware of and then plops in a timely story of an obscenely interesting bird with a fascinating evolutionary history that will provide you with a whole new view of the wild life around you。 In these days of armchair traveling this is one of the books that provides excellent tr 4。7， I always forget how much I enjoy adventure reading until a great book of adventure reading falls into my lap。 Meiburg's A Most Remarkable Creature is one of those books that takes you to places that you are only vaguely aware of and then plops in a timely story of an obscenely interesting bird with a fascinating evolutionary history that will provide you with a whole new view of the wild life around you。 In these days of armchair traveling this is one of the books that provides excellent travel。 。。。more
Margaret Leonard
，
An amazing book about very special birds。 If you enjoy the natural world， this book will enthrall you。
clismo
，
Een boek over vogels waar ik nog nooit eerder over gehoord had， geschreven door de zanger van een bandje dat ik wel leuk vind。 Dat zou zomaar helemaal niks kunnen zijn。 Het tegendeel bleek waar。 A Most Remarkale Creature is een populair wetenschappelijk boek van het soort waar ik van hou。 Met zijprongen naar andere onderwerpen， persoonlijk observaties a la Tijs Goldschmidt en stukjes licht geromantiseerde geschiedenis a la Philip Dröge。 Lekker leesbaar， interessant en goed voor een drang om zelf Een boek over vogels waar ik nog nooit eerder over gehoord had， geschreven door de zanger van een bandje dat ik wel leuk vind。 Dat zou zomaar helemaal niks kunnen zijn。 Het tegendeel bleek waar。 A Most Remarkale Creature is een populair wetenschappelijk boek van het soort waar ik van hou。 Met zijprongen naar andere onderwerpen， persoonlijk observaties a la Tijs Goldschmidt en stukjes licht geromantiseerde geschiedenis a la Philip Dröge。 Lekker leesbaar， interessant en goed voor een drang om zelf op zoek te gaan naar caracara's。 。。。more
Michael
，
A superb and rollicking book of natural history and evolutionary ecology， focused on the fascinatingly inquisitive and adaptable family of South American falcons known as caracaras。 Full disclosure: I know Meiburg primarily through my great fondness for his work as bandleader， songwriter， and singer for the band Shearwater。 But in the years of my familiarity with the band I became very aware of his ornithological fieldwork in South America （the first record I heard was Palo Santo， named after th A superb and rollicking book of natural history and evolutionary ecology， focused on the fascinatingly inquisitive and adaptable family of South American falcons known as caracaras。 Full disclosure: I know Meiburg primarily through my great fondness for his work as bandleader， songwriter， and singer for the band Shearwater。 But in the years of my familiarity with the band I became very aware of his ornithological fieldwork in South America （the first record I heard was Palo Santo， named after the aromatic shrubbery found in the Galapagos）。 And in March 2020， in the final days of public events before the pandemic shutdown， I heard Meiburg reading and lecturing about the caracara and his fieldwork at George Washington University in DC。 Meiburg expertly weaves together the stories of his own fieldwork and expeditions in the Americas with the evolutionary ecology that explains the ecological niches that the caracaras filled。 These inquisitive and adaptable birds， malleable as humankind ourselves， found homes in the high Andes， the Guyana rainforest， and the Falkland Islands — where Meiburg first encountered them — following the great predators like the dire wolves and big cats and the two-legged bipeds that mastered fire and projectile hunting， all leaving lots of tasty tidbits for an adaptable scavenger and hunter。 The expeditions are both gripping and vividly and lovingly detailed with Meiburg’s engaging and periodically whimsical tone， and he shifts back and forth from the field to the more philosophical discussions about what the evolutionary life history of the caracara might mean to us。 Really wonderful work altogether。 。。。more
Valentine
，
‘The few remaining Siberian tigers might wander through a genetic memory of the searing light and broad marshes of India， while a ruby-throated hummingbird in the North Carolina piedmont might dream of the lower slopes of the Andes。 A camel in Egypt might pine for the great， golden centre of North America; a deep-sea shrimp， a hydrothermal vent pumping heat and minerals into the abyssal plain。’I could have very easily read this faster， but I’ve been enjoying it so much I’ve managed to stretch i ‘The few remaining Siberian tigers might wander through a genetic memory of the searing light and broad marshes of India， while a ruby-throated hummingbird in the North Carolina piedmont might dream of the lower slopes of the Andes。 A camel in Egypt might pine for the great， golden centre of North America; a deep-sea shrimp， a hydrothermal vent pumping heat and minerals into the abyssal plain。’I could have very easily read this faster， but I’ve been enjoying it so much I’ve managed to stretch it out a bit longer。 Meiburg’s style is clear， easy and engaging， and as lovely as his lyrics in places。 I loved learning about caracaras， and the varying array of rainforest birds and South American wildlife。 There is also a lot of palaeontology and evolutionary science which， whilst admittedly going a bit over my head， will be an added plus for anyone interested in this as well as birds。 A small thing I enjoyed in particular was the way bird calls were often ‘translated’ into what the author perceived them to be saying - it was a colourful touch of personality that really brought things to life。 Overall， my favourite sections were Meiburg’s stories of his own travels and adventures - I’d have happily read a whole book on those alone。 。。。more
Amy
，
Very little of this book is actually about birds。 It's mostly about the activities and personalities of Darwin and others like him。 The book is written well， but not as advertised in terms of topic。 Very little of this book is actually about birds。 It's mostly about the activities and personalities of Darwin and others like him。 The book is written well， but not as advertised in terms of topic。 。。。more
Mrs。 Danvers
，
This book had me spellbound， creating its own atmosphere and telling a story that I will not soon forget。
Lis Carey
，
During his voyage on the Beagle， Charles Darwin encountered a bird in the Falklands， a falcon， but oddly crow-like。 It was unwary of people， extremely curious， and prone to rather aggressively stealing anything that caught its interest， whether potential food， or not。 And the bird's view of what's "potential food" was quite broad。 Darwin was puzzled by this crow-like falcon that existed nowhere but in a fairly narrow range of South America， but it was one of many mysteries he noted on his voyage During his voyage on the Beagle， Charles Darwin encountered a bird in the Falklands， a falcon， but oddly crow-like。 It was unwary of people， extremely curious， and prone to rather aggressively stealing anything that caught its interest， whether potential food， or not。 And the bird's view of what's "potential food" was quite broad。 Darwin was puzzled by this crow-like falcon that existed nowhere but in a fairly narrow range of South America， but it was one of many mysteries he noted on his voyage， and this wasn't one he returned to。Jonathan Meiburg did return to the mystery， and gives us a fascinating account of， not just the striated caracara， commonly called the "Johnny Rook" by the people in its territory， but of its near relatives。 There are other species of caracara over mostly southern South America， including one that feasts on wasps' nests with seeming impunity。The striated caracara， or Johnny Rook， itself is a a wily， curious， opportunistic bird who will investigate the food possibilities of literally anything， try to strip boots down into small， edible bits， raid nests of larger birds of prey， scavenge dead animals， attack live sheep。 It's because of its willingness to attack and injure， especially go after existing injuries on sheep， that the Falklands government put a bounty on them， and they were almost hunted to extinction before a naturalist got the bounty lifted and a conservation plan implemented。 Now， however， the Johnny Rooks do well only on a few islands that aren't suitable for sheep farming。Meiburg gives us the history and the puzzles of the striated caracara， but also fascinating accounts of other caracara species， and glimpses of caracara species that are barely known， documented to exist but rarely photographed and never really studied。 It's a fascinating look at a piece of avian history and evolution most of us will never observe directly， and this are truly fascinating birds。Recommended。I bought this audiobook。 。。。more
Patrick Book
，