A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-10 07:50:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Rosemary Mosco
- ISBN：1523511346
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
You don't need to travel to experience the joy of bird-watching: just take a look at the pigeons in your nearby park！ With this quirky but scientifically correct field guide to the most common bird in most cities， you'll learn to see pigeons and doves with a bird-watcher's expertise， understanding their （fascinating） behavior and appreciating nature right outside your window。
Reviews
Steve
，
Cute little guide to pigeons。 I think mostly meant for kids， with a bit more gross-out jokes and puns than truly needed。 Parts of it really felt like filler， and the part I was mostly interested in （watching and understanding pigeon behavior） wasn’t really very detailed。 Sweet drawings by the author。
Kirsten
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This was wonderful， and really made me interested in pigeon keeping and pigeon watching！ Rosemary Mosco's illustrations are fantastic and funny。 This was wonderful， and really made me interested in pigeon keeping and pigeon watching！ Rosemary Mosco's illustrations are fantastic and funny。 。。。more
Candice
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I love pigeons and loved this book about pigeons。 I found it to be very informative and had to laugh in some parts， as having adopted a homer pigeon， there were some parts that I knew only， all too well， like the imprint that pigeon dust leaves on glass doors （mine broke free of my grip when I adopted him and flew straight into my glass door， don’t worry， he’s fine！ Lol）。 I would also like to lay my claim that some pigeons do know where they are going when travelling on subways/trains。 I work on I love pigeons and loved this book about pigeons。 I found it to be very informative and had to laugh in some parts， as having adopted a homer pigeon， there were some parts that I knew only， all too well， like the imprint that pigeon dust leaves on glass doors （mine broke free of my grip when I adopted him and flew straight into my glass door， don’t worry， he’s fine！ Lol）。 I would also like to lay my claim that some pigeons do know where they are going when travelling on subways/trains。 I work on the trains in Sydney and have paid particular attention to the ones that get on my train （sometimes even leaving their mates behind， like seriously， how rude！ Haha）， and they’re the regular pigeons。 The longest that one travelled on my train before was from Redfern to Lakemba （20-30 mins away） and as soon as it got to Lakemba， it joined its flock straight away and they all flew off。 It was incredible and it left me flabbergasted。 Anyway， I loved this book and I think anyone who is just curious about pigeons， will enjoy it also。 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
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I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review。This is a cute book！As someone who felt like pigeons are flying rats I was open to learning more about them in this book。 The book talks about the history of pigeons， why the author thinks they're so great， and things pigeons have done in history。 There's also information on pigeons habits and bird watching that are interesting。It's clear the author loves pigeons and the drawings and comparisons made I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review。This is a cute book！As someone who felt like pigeons are flying rats I was open to learning more about them in this book。 The book talks about the history of pigeons， why the author thinks they're so great， and things pigeons have done in history。 There's also information on pigeons habits and bird watching that are interesting。It's clear the author loves pigeons and the drawings and comparisons made in this book are funny and interesting。 I feel like I learned things and have warmed up a bit to pigeons。Overall an interesting find！ 。。。more
This Animal Life
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The Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird takes a comprehensive look at one of Earth's greatest love affairs--human and pigeon。 Not too long ago， pigeons were our darlings， and we were theirs， but now pigeons are just somebody that we used to know。 What did we see in each other， what went wrong， and can we fall in love again？ Rosemary Mosco brings back the magic with her whimsical text and exquisitely charming illustrations。 Rigorously researched an The Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird takes a comprehensive look at one of Earth's greatest love affairs--human and pigeon。 Not too long ago， pigeons were our darlings， and we were theirs， but now pigeons are just somebody that we used to know。 What did we see in each other， what went wrong， and can we fall in love again？ Rosemary Mosco brings back the magic with her whimsical text and exquisitely charming illustrations。 Rigorously researched and passionately articulated chapters will reawaken your appreciation for this clever， loyal， and lovable friend。 Spend an absolutely delightful hour getting to know Rosemary and all things pigeon on the 11/28/2021 episode of This Animal Life。 Find even more information in our Show Notes。 。。。more
Tracy
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Five stars！Interesting and entertaining guide to all things pigeons。 I've always felt that pigeons got a bad rap， and now， thanks to Rosemary Mosco and her book "A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching"， I feel a bit vindicated。 The book is definitely aimed at the middle school aged reader， but even as an adult I learned so much about this fascinating bird。 I had no idea how pervasive or varied pigeons are。 There is some form of the bird on nearly every continent， and while most of us think of the com Five stars！Interesting and entertaining guide to all things pigeons。 I've always felt that pigeons got a bad rap， and now， thanks to Rosemary Mosco and her book "A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching"， I feel a bit vindicated。 The book is definitely aimed at the middle school aged reader， but even as an adult I learned so much about this fascinating bird。 I had no idea how pervasive or varied pigeons are。 There is some form of the bird on nearly every continent， and while most of us think of the common domestic pigeon （or rock dove） when we think of a pigeon， some of them are very unique and quite beautiful。 The author makes what could be a dry， tedious book into a fun， engaging read， covering everything from genetics and anatomy to domestication and behaviors。 Her enthusiasm is contagious -- I don't think I shall ever look at a pigeon in quite the same way again！ Definitely recommended for anyone with any interest in nature， birds or birdwatching。I am so grateful to Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching。 。。。more
Christine B。
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A delight。
Carol
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I love this cute Pocket Guide To Pigeon Watching。 When I was a toddler， I began watching pigeons and was and still interested in their behavior。 I must have gotten too close to them one time or more， because I picked up histoplasmosis， which is spread by breathing the spores of a fungus that can be found in their droppings。 I have scars on the back of my eyes to prove it。 And I remember my father putting strong fencing in the places on the outside of our house where they had nest。 He waited unti I love this cute Pocket Guide To Pigeon Watching。 When I was a toddler， I began watching pigeons and was and still interested in their behavior。 I must have gotten too close to them one time or more， because I picked up histoplasmosis， which is spread by breathing the spores of a fungus that can be found in their droppings。 I have scars on the back of my eyes to prove it。 And I remember my father putting strong fencing in the places on the outside of our house where they had nest。 He waited until they left the nest， cleaned it out and put in the fencing。 I can remember his swearing while he did it。 Well， it was a huge undertaking， our side of the duplex had so many places that were perfect for pigeon homes， lots of corners with roof coverings。After he did that to our house， the pigeons left us。 Then robins， sparrows， cardinals and meadowlarks plus a few red-tailed hawks decided on the property lines。This guide is packed with useful and sometimes quirky information。 You will know what to do it you find an injured or a pet pigeon， some history of pigeon palaces， how their anatomy is weird， and that they can determine which tumor is benign or malignant。 Look it up， it is a great study。I have to be careful and not tell you too much， you have got to read this book for your education and entertainment。 。。。more
Nostalgia Reader
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3。5 stars。A wonderful introduction to pigeons and birdwatching in general！ I have not grown up around pigeons， but I still was able to gain a great appreciation for their unique traits and also see how some of these general pigeon/dove family traits manifest in my local family of mourning doves。 They're such sweet pudgy birbs to watch that I'm sure if I ever lived in a city， I'd adore the pigeons just as much。。。 if nothing else for their spectacular color variations！ Mosco details the genetics b 3。5 stars。A wonderful introduction to pigeons and birdwatching in general！ I have not grown up around pigeons， but I still was able to gain a great appreciation for their unique traits and also see how some of these general pigeon/dove family traits manifest in my local family of mourning doves。 They're such sweet pudgy birbs to watch that I'm sure if I ever lived in a city， I'd adore the pigeons just as much。。。 if nothing else for their spectacular color variations！ Mosco details the genetics behind these pretty colors and fancy feathers， as well as going into pigeon-keeping history， how they came to be feral birds， and provides a detailed section on how to "read" pigeon language。 She also provides a brief epilogue on how to apply some basic bird watching skills towards watching other common birds， so this makes a perfect gift for the beginning city birdwatcher。Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review！（Cross posted on my blog。） 。。。more
Beth
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I learned and laughed。 So good。
Ashley
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I received an electronic ARC via NetGalley。This is a charming and informative book about， well--pigeons。 It covers a wealth of information， ranging from other related species， to general pigeon anatomy， to a （far from exhaustive） selection of breeds， an introduction to color genetics， and information on behavior。 It is full of very cute pigeon cartoons used to illustrate its points， too。I learned a lot about pigeons （I already found them interesting， but I think the book could win over people le I received an electronic ARC via NetGalley。This is a charming and informative book about， well--pigeons。 It covers a wealth of information， ranging from other related species， to general pigeon anatomy， to a （far from exhaustive） selection of breeds， an introduction to color genetics， and information on behavior。 It is full of very cute pigeon cartoons used to illustrate its points， too。I learned a lot about pigeons （I already found them interesting， but I think the book could win over people less well-disposed to feral birds if given a chance）， and it's a surprisingly good review of basic biology--just focused on pigeons。 It assumes very little prior knowledge from the reader， tends to explain concepts well， and frequently tries for humor。I do wish there were photographs in addition to the cartoon pigeons。 While the illustrations are very cute， I kept finding myself looking up some of the breeds and related species online while reading。 。。。more
Gail
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I only read this because I love her comics so much， but it turns out pigeons are really interesting！ Squirrels and pigeons were the only wildlife where I grew up and I was always fond of both。 I never thought ill of either of them in the way a lot of folks do。 There is a lot of interesting information in here， and of course delightful illustrations。
Steph
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An incredibly charming overview of a bird we all know， but mostly don't think about。 An incredibly charming overview of a bird we all know， but mostly don't think about。 。。。more
Nicholas
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Rosemary's prose is as delightful as her illustrations。 She's a master in the field of science communication， with a peerless ability to combine humor and facts。 This thorough look at the world of "everyday" pigeons is worth a spot on every shelf。 Rosemary's prose is as delightful as her illustrations。 She's a master in the field of science communication， with a peerless ability to combine humor and facts。 This thorough look at the world of "everyday" pigeons is worth a spot on every shelf。 。。。more
Shirl Kennedy
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Adorable， small book that provides interesting details about birds we sometimes denigrate。 The sections on colors and behaviors are particularly interesting。
Sarah
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Love this book！ Perfect combo of humor， science， and art。 Would be a great gift for anyone who doesn't hate birds or nature or learning。 Will be reread and consulted frequently as I embark on pigeon watching in my city。 Love this book！ Perfect combo of humor， science， and art。 Would be a great gift for anyone who doesn't hate birds or nature or learning。 Will be reread and consulted frequently as I embark on pigeon watching in my city。 。。。more
Lexxi Kitty
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An unexpectedly fun read。 Pigeons。 That's what the book is about。 Pigeons。 Of those things that live out there *waves in a random direction*， I can't say that I've developed much in the way of love or hate for pigeons。 They are just there。 Cooing。 Pooing on me （once）。 Despite this opinion on pigeons， none other than "damn， one pooed on me"， I tried this book。 All because of a comment I saw on Twitter。 Tried sample。 Bought book。 Read something else （I was in the middle of something else at the ti An unexpectedly fun read。 Pigeons。 That's what the book is about。 Pigeons。 Of those things that live out there *waves in a random direction*， I can't say that I've developed much in the way of love or hate for pigeons。 They are just there。 Cooing。 Pooing on me （once）。 Despite this opinion on pigeons， none other than "damn， one pooed on me"， I tried this book。 All because of a comment I saw on Twitter。 Tried sample。 Bought book。 Read something else （I was in the middle of something else at the time）。 Then devoured this book once I turned to it。Fun， funny， interesting， illuminating book。 How much did I like it？ Only 50% into the book， I acquired two physical copies to give out for Christmas。 Will you like the book random person reading my review？ No clue。 There's a kind of flippant attitude to the writing， I liked it but others might not。 I guess。 Possibly。 The subject matter is pigeons。 Why people should care about them。 Why they seem to be all around us。 How they are actually out there because of us （we domesticated them， traveled around with them， released them into places they hadn't existed before （like North America））; why would we domesticate them？ Why do people （some） not remember this tidbit？ How many won military medals （a few， seriously）？ So， interested？ Yes， no？ Eh， not sure I would have been， but I read and really liked。Rating: 5。0November 1 2021 。。。more
Stephanie
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Sweet jiminy， I love pigeons。 I'm glad someone else loves them enough to write a while dang book singing praises of their majesty。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！ ❤️ Sweet jiminy， I love pigeons。 I'm glad someone else loves them enough to write a while dang book singing praises of their majesty。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！ ❤️ 。。。more
Teri
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A fun introductory guide to pigeon identification， behaviors， and history。 The illustrations were enjoyable and lent a casual ambience to the book。 Author Rosemary Mosco shares information about pigeons in a humorous and light-hearted manner， making it a fun and interesting read。**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book，
Kam Yung Soh
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A nice and fascinating book that gives a look at a bird we are all probably very familiar with: the pigeon （to be more precise， the feral Rock Pigeon）。 From how it came to be， the various breeds that eventually came to form the pigeon， its behaviour， and we can live with it， this book will give you a good and quick guide。 It also has a number of good illustrations of pigeon， which is no surprise as the author also publishes good web comics on nature at [ https://www。birdandmoon。com/ ]。Chapter on A nice and fascinating book that gives a look at a bird we are all probably very familiar with: the pigeon （to be more precise， the feral Rock Pigeon）。 From how it came to be， the various breeds that eventually came to form the pigeon， its behaviour， and we can live with it， this book will give you a good and quick guide。 It also has a number of good illustrations of pigeon， which is no surprise as the author also publishes good web comics on nature at [ https://www。birdandmoon。com/ ]。Chapter one gives an overview of the family of pigeons （and doves）: their natural history， some species of pigeons to be found and how the common （or rock） pigeon came to be found in human habitats all over the world。Chapter two looks at the history of the relationship between the pigeon and humans。 Domesticated in prehistoric times， the pigeon became a source of food and fertilizer for people。 Later on， they became prized birds for breeders and a way to send messages over long distances。 But the rise of other ways to communicate and other sources of food （like chickens） began to make pigeons unpopular。Chapter three looks at the anatomy of pigeons from the outside in。 Interesting parts include its lungs and air sacs that give birds a more efficient breathing system， a four chambered heart that evolved independently to that of mammals， and the mental abilities of birds and pigeons。Chapter four looks at various pigeon breeds。 Depending on what people want， pigeons have been bred to race， for meat， to show extremes of plumage， postures or other characteristics。Chapter five gives an interesting summary on the genetics of current feral pigeons。 A brief introduction to genetics and dominant and recessive traits is given first。 Then， a quick summary of the various traits that control the colours of pigeons and the various combinations of patterns is presented， along with illustrations of the various patterns。Chapter six looks at the behaviour of pigeons: the way they sound， fly and walk， find food and mates， build nests and raise their young。Chapter seven gives some general advice on what to do to get rid of or care for pigeons。 The best advice is to look for local pigeon or wildlife organizations that can help， as well as found more research。An extra section at the end talks about other birds that can be seen in urban areas besides pigeons。 These include birds that hunt pigeons like falcons and eagles， other kinds of pigeons， and other urban birds。 。。。more
Joann Im
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A quirky yet informative guide book on pigeons。 Rosemary Mosco's A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching covers multiple bodies on bird's history， physiology， genetic variations， diet and their behaviors。 Mosco's impeccable writing is insightful， accessible and easily understood。 For someone who doesn't have much basic knowledge on birds in general， this was a great introduction to pigeons。 Filled with colorful illustrations and texts， Mosco delivered it in an engaging and humorous manner。 The most wo A quirky yet informative guide book on pigeons。 Rosemary Mosco's A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching covers multiple bodies on bird's history， physiology， genetic variations， diet and their behaviors。 Mosco's impeccable writing is insightful， accessible and easily understood。 For someone who doesn't have much basic knowledge on birds in general， this was a great introduction to pigeons。 Filled with colorful illustrations and texts， Mosco delivered it in an engaging and humorous manner。 The most wondrous thing was the author's utmost enthusiasm and optimism when sharing her knowledge about pigeons。 Her passion really shines through。 Lighthearted yet intelligent， it truly felt like I was having a fun and enlightening conversation with her。 The author's dedication， knowledge and love for birds and nature is beyond inspirational。 I have always been somewhat fascinated with pigeons and Mosco's book has been resourceful。 It definitely sparked my interest in pigeons and enhanced my appreciation for these beautiful and unique species。 I will be looking out for more of Mosco's works and even possibly her speaking engagements。 Thank you to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mark
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https://twitter。com/corvidresearch/st。。。 https://twitter。com/corvidresearch/st。。。 。。。more
Kate Zdenek
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I grew up in a city and was taught pigeons were dirty and disease-carrying birds。 This illustrated non-fiction book has changed my view。 Pigeons are interesting birds and have a long connection with humans。 I am now fascinated with pigeons and have started looking at them closer。 Rosemary Mosco’s art is playful and expresses the delight she finds in the birds。 Her writing style is informative and yet still easy to understand for anyone。 You do not need a deep knowledge of birds or nature to enjo I grew up in a city and was taught pigeons were dirty and disease-carrying birds。 This illustrated non-fiction book has changed my view。 Pigeons are interesting birds and have a long connection with humans。 I am now fascinated with pigeons and have started looking at them closer。 Rosemary Mosco’s art is playful and expresses the delight she finds in the birds。 Her writing style is informative and yet still easy to understand for anyone。 You do not need a deep knowledge of birds or nature to enjoy this。I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching is an interesting and accessible guide to pigeons by Rosemary Mosco。 Due out 9th Nov 2021 from Workman Publishing， it's 240 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 Text search makes life somewhat easier。 Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching is an interesting and accessible guide to pigeons by Rosemary Mosco。 Due out 9th Nov 2021 from Workman Publishing， it's 240 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 Text search makes life somewhat easier。Although this volume is ostensibly aimed at middle grade readers （10 year old me would've loved it）， I learned quite a lot myself and I'm about 4 decades past being a middle grade reader。 The language is simple enough for anyone to understand， but at the same time manages to be scientifically correct and use proper nomenclature。 The layout is logical and progresses from: why watch pigeons， pigeon evolution （dinosaurs！）， interaction with and development alongside humans， anatomy， plumage （genetics！）， behavior， health concerns （very low）， and some tantalizing bits about general birdwatching。 The entire book is light and humorous and information dense。 I grinned often whilst reading and found the style and the subject matter very engaging and fun。 This would be a superlative public or classroom library acquisition， or gift to a nature/science interested youngster。 It would also make a fine choice for smallholders （pigeons are easy and useful to raise）， allotment/community gardens， and similar。 There are no photographs， but the entire book is full of simple and well rendered line drawings （see cover）。 Five stars。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Kirsten
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I received an ARC from NetGalley。An enjoyable book about pigeons。 Humorous， and also informative。 My main takeaway is that pigeons aren't as gross as I thought！ There are also lots of cool varieties of pigeons， and everyone should look at the glory that is a Jacobin Pigeon。 I received an ARC from NetGalley。An enjoyable book about pigeons。 Humorous， and also informative。 My main takeaway is that pigeons aren't as gross as I thought！ There are also lots of cool varieties of pigeons， and everyone should look at the glory that is a Jacobin Pigeon。 。。。more
Kathleen
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"The bobbing is an illusion。 That pigeon isn't actually bobbing its head back and forth--it's doing something weirder。 [。。。] For a pigeon， the most efficient way to keep tabs on its environment is to shoot its head forward at lightning speed， fix its gaze on something， and keep its head locked in place while its body catches up。 So， a pigeon isn't really bobbing its head back and forth; it just looks like it's bobbing because the head moves forward and then the body moves forward to meet it" （14 "The bobbing is an illusion。 That pigeon isn't actually bobbing its head back and forth--it's doing something weirder。 [。。。] For a pigeon， the most efficient way to keep tabs on its environment is to shoot its head forward at lightning speed， fix its gaze on something， and keep its head locked in place while its body catches up。 So， a pigeon isn't really bobbing its head back and forth; it just looks like it's bobbing because the head moves forward and then the body moves forward to meet it" （146）。 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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Over the past year I have spent time at my local botanical garden。 While there， I have observed robins， bluejays， woodpeckers， red-tailed hawks and more。 On my walks of city streets， I have seen many pigeons but never really thought of them as being as interesting as the botanical garden birds that I viewed When I saw this title， therefore， I was intrigued。 Was there more to the homely pigeon than I knew？ You can be sure that there is！Ms。 Mosco’s enthusiasm for the pigeon comes across so clearly Over the past year I have spent time at my local botanical garden。 While there， I have observed robins， bluejays， woodpeckers， red-tailed hawks and more。 On my walks of city streets， I have seen many pigeons but never really thought of them as being as interesting as the botanical garden birds that I viewed When I saw this title， therefore， I was intrigued。 Was there more to the homely pigeon than I knew？ You can be sure that there is！Ms。 Mosco’s enthusiasm for the pigeon comes across so clearly in this entertaining look at the species。 She shares history， facts about behavior， appreciation for the physical appearance and colors of the species and so much more。 With lively illustrations， many boxes of extra facts and love for the subject， Ms。 Mosco captivates readers。 Did you know that there is a pigeons in movies data base or that Tesla was in love with the pigeon that came to his hotel window？ These are just two of the anecdotes that are found in the early pages of the book。Engaged readers， watch out！ The author may just make a pigeon watcher out of you by the time that you finish the book。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title。 All opinions are my ow 。。。more
Ana W
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What a fun little book！ Since pigeons live in cities， many of us pass by them on a regular basis without a second thought， or at least without a positive thought。 But， as Mosco shows us in A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching， Pigeons have played important roles in human history and pigeon keeping was once the hobby of royalty and the very rich。 Wherever we live， nature is just outside of our doors and Mosco shows us how to appreciate pigeons with detailed information on behavior， coloration and ea What a fun little book！ Since pigeons live in cities， many of us pass by them on a regular basis without a second thought， or at least without a positive thought。 But， as Mosco shows us in A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching， Pigeons have played important roles in human history and pigeon keeping was once the hobby of royalty and the very rich。 Wherever we live， nature is just outside of our doors and Mosco shows us how to appreciate pigeons with detailed information on behavior， coloration and easy to understand genetics。 There are many sidebars with all sorts of interesting tidbits。 I also love Mosco's illustrations and cartoons that are sprinkled throughout the Pocket Guide。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Brenda
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Now THIS is a fabulous book！ Very practical， accessible， witty and informative。 Most of us are accustomed to seeing pigeons but perhaps not really noticing them。 So trite but from now on I will pay greater attention to them。 Amazingly， these remarkable creatures survive our -40C climate better than I do！ There were several a-ha moments when reading this。 Love those。The author writes simply， engagingly and entertainingly in a very understandable way。 She manages to add humour to scientific detail Now THIS is a fabulous book！ Very practical， accessible， witty and informative。 Most of us are accustomed to seeing pigeons but perhaps not really noticing them。 So trite but from now on I will pay greater attention to them。 Amazingly， these remarkable creatures survive our -40C climate better than I do！ There were several a-ha moments when reading this。 Love those。The author writes simply， engagingly and entertainingly in a very understandable way。 She manages to add humour to scientific details such as nomenclature， genetics and anatomy。 There is even a page on pigeon expressions。 This is definitely not remotely text-bookish （for those who are put off by that sort of thing）。Nikola Tesla was smitten with these fascinating birds which clap， dance， kiss and use tactical rolling maneuvers on the ground when eyed up by predators。 They can range in size from paper currency to a loaf of bread。 Reading about their life-saving role in the wars （flying speed of 97 kph） is mind blowing。 The author describes several species （which I subsequently looked up online） including the Scandaroon （priceless Salvador Dali painting analogy）， Fantail， Arabian Trumpeter and Frillback。 Remarkably， pigeons soak up fresh oxygen with each breath， even when exhaling。 Unlike humans， their blood cells are oval in shape。 Their beaks remain closed when they coo。 Gular fluttering is new to me。 And no， I didn't try it！ There is even information on predators and what to do if you find an injured pigeon。 The mating illustration， though！ Details like that are what elevate a good book to a great one。Anyone interested in birds ought to grab this book。 Kids would enjoy learning from it， too。 Excellent timing as many people seem to be enjoying local nature these days， whether rural or urban。My sincere thank you to Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this educational book。。。such a fun treat！ 。。。more
Lola
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