Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds [Hardcover]

Miyoko Chu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2006

Until recently, little was known about the lives of songbirds during their travels from autumn until spring. Now scientists have documented mass migrations over the Gulf of Mexico, identified the voices of migrants in the night sky, and showed how songbirds navigate using stars, polarized light, and magnetic fields. Miyoko Chu explores the intricacies underlying the ebb and flow of migration, the cycle of seasons, and the interconnectedness between distant places. Songbird Journeys pays homage to the wonder and beauty of songbirds while revealing the remarkable lives of migratory birds and the scientific quest to answer age-old questions about where songbirds go, how they get there, and what they do in the far-flung places they inhabit throughout the year.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Each spring, millions of orioles, tanagers, thrushes, warblers and other songbirds travel thousands of miles from the tropics to their summer breeding grounds as far north as the boreal forests of Canada and in the fall return to their southern wintering grounds. Navigating by the stars, magnetic fields and polarized light patterns invisible to humans, the birds make their amazing journeys at night, flying in huge flocks that most of us never see. In this captivating debut, Chu, an ornithologist at Cornell, conveys the wonder of these migrations, following the birds through all four seasons and chronicling the efforts of scientists to track them with technology and their own ingenuity—trekking to distant locales, some even following, in cars and airplanes, individual birds outfitted with transmitters. Their heroic efforts are important, Chu points out, for only by understanding where the birds go can we learn how to preserve their habitats. To engage the general public in these efforts, she includes information on the best places to observe migrating birds and provides lists of citizen-science projects and resources for amateurs birders who want to contribute to the growing base of knowledge about bird migration. 8 pages of color illus. not seen by PW. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The wonder of bird migration has puzzled humans for centuries. Literally millions of birds all over the world make seasonal movements to and from their breeding grounds, some traveling a short distance while others fly thousands of miles. Our most familiar birds are the songbirds, whom we know well while they visit during the breeding season. But what is known about their lives during the majority of the year, when they are either traveling or on their wintering grounds? Chu, an ornithologist and science writer for the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, has written an impressive introduction to the study of birds on the move. Following the birds through the four seasons, she begins with spring as birds leave the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula for a nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. Summer finds birds busily nesting and feeding young on the abundant food resources that are the ultimate reason for their migration. In autumn the reverse of the spring migration occurs, albeit more protracted as individual species finish breeding and go. In winter the birds have reinserted themselves into their off-season habitat, where they interact with an entirely different group of species from their summer neighbors. Chu examines the science of studying migration and peppers the text with anecdotes from field researchers. Each seasonal section ends with a list of hot spots for observing the birds in that phase of the cycle. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802714684
• ISBN-13: 978-0802714688
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Songbird Journeys, March 28, 2006

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds (Hardcover)

A description of research on bird migration, some of the hazards that migrating birds face, and ways that people can see them and become involved in civilian research projects.

Not as well-written as Weidensaul's LIVING ON THE WIND, which this book strangely does not cite, this is still an informative and readable work. I wish it, and so many other bird books, was not so focused on the eastern United States -- not only does it give me serious fallout envy but I'd like more information on California migrant birds. However, I found the information on specific reserves and websites very useful and practical, although probably the URLs will tend to become invalid as the book ages.

I was annoyed by the lack of decent color photographs. A book on some of the most beautiful creatures in the world should be able to do better than a few drawings apparently scanned from a Peterson guide, and an old one at that.

Recommended, though alongside LIVING ON THE WIND and other books rather than as a replacement for them.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific book!, July 18, 2006

By 

Murphy's Mom (Central NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds (Hardcover)

I'll keep this brief. This is a terrific book! It is very readable (on layman's level), and chock full of interesting facts, tidbits and research results. I found myself reading parts of it aloud to my partner. I am involved in songbird rehab, and was amazed to learn that "Woods", a brown thrasher and our latest release, would ultimately develop a song list numbering close to 2,000! (We "talked" in "Robin", since Woods was raised alongside a baby robin).
I am recommending "Songbird Journeys" to all my friends who love wild birds and Nature in general.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating account of migration!, April 10, 2006

By 

Casey Tucker "tuckercj" (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds (Hardcover)

Miyoko Chu's "Songbird Journeys" is one of the most fascinating accounts of how researchers and birders have been and are studying bird migration. She deftly blends story-telling and science to present snapshots of different species and what we are learning about them. She has the amazing ability of making you feel like you're there, standing shoulder to shoulder with these researchers, as they radio-track thrushes from an old beat up car or a small airplane in rough weather, or standing on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf as thousands upon thousands of warblers drop, exhausted, on the deck of the rig, or fly by within feet of you only to be blown back out to sea.

The stories and information that she presents is not only informative, but useful as well. She includes tips on how anyone can get involved in monitoring birds regardless of whether it's in their own backyard or local natural area.

The only drawback to Ms. Chu's book is that there is no explanation of how migration has evolved in birds, but I'm sure there are other texts out there that address this issue.

I highly recommend this book, especially for teachers who need a good discussion book for high school or college-aged biology and ornithology students.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.