The Wind Birds (Curious Naturalist) [Paperback]

Peter Matthiessen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994 | Series: Curious Naturalist

In this nature-writing classic, the National-Book-Award-winning author of such works as Killing Mister Watson, Far Tortuga, The Snow Leopard, and At Play in Fields of the Lord captures the essence of the world's most fascinating group of birds, conveying the biological and behavioral intricacies of shorebirds without dulling their romance and wonder.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A classic." (Whole Earth Review )

"A timeless piece of writing that will inform, inspire, and captivate lovers of nature for generations to come." -Kevin J. Zimmer

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint Edition edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881527379
• ISBN-13: 978-1881527374
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty, truth, and feathers., February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wind Birds (Curious Naturalist) (Paperback)

Now here is a beautifully written and true book about the tribes of shorebirds (plovers, sandpipers, and their kin). In a series of essays on the different aspects of bird structure and behavior (e.g., migration, flight, feeding, courtship), the author draws a complete picture of these wondrous birds. If you've ever stood on a beach and watched flocks of Sanderlings wheeling in unison, flashing alternately white and gray, and wondered about how they live their lives, then this is the book for you. Matthiessen is almost the only writer I know who can combine accurate science with a consistently interesting and limpid style.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Observable birds with many mysteries, March 30, 2005

By 

Gary Sprandel (Frankfort, Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wind Birds (Curious Naturalist) (Paperback)

Shorebirds are one of the most observable of birds, but also one where identification is a challenge and many mysteries remain. Peter Matthiessen engrossingly tells the life history of many of the North American species, including segmentation of habitat during the seasons, and wonders of migration. Along the way he introduces ecological principles as Bergman's Rule and evolutionary ideas of speciation (how did Western and Semipalmated sandpipers separate?).

Since the initial publishing of this book and the forward (in 1994), the optimism of recovery of species may be diminished, as many are declining. The illustrations are all well done, and Matthiessen introduces each chapter with literary quotes, such as Shakespeare's "sometimes I'll get the young scamels (bar-tailed godwit) from the rock". Readers of this would probably enjoy " The Flight of the Red Knot" by Brian Harrington and Charles Flowers.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars compendium of amazing facts, July 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wind Birds (Curious Naturalist) (Paperback)

What makes this book difficult is that the author assumes a certain foreknowledge of the 20 or more species of shorebirds discussed. This makes is a bit like reading a text on anatomy without having any background. But even without, it is relatively easy reading once you get into it and just a cursory exsmination reveals some amazing facts and a great wealth of knowledge on the author's part: he will tell you why, for example, mammals are larger in the north and why chicken breast meat is white. There is also a wealth of data on the taxonomy, evolution, migration patterns--which are quite amazing--and other habits of numerous shorebirds, as well as the hunting to near extinction of some of them in the early 20th century and before. The author brings to his work a lifetime of world travel, also.