A WING AND A PRAYER

Married bird-watchers join forces with scientists and ecologists to explore the correlation between birds and the planet’s future.

Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal discovered their mutual love of ornithology as “an antidote to city life” after “long careers in journalism.” Reveling in the wonder of “chasing” and photographing regional bird species became their new passion. The authors admit that in the first decade of bird-watching, they took the feathered friends for granted. However, as their interest branched out to encompass scientific research and environmentalism, they discovered the catastrophic decline of North American bird populations in the past few decades. Their love of birds inspired the couple to embark on a 25,000-mile journey to commune with “birds of nearly every variety, from the most common to some of the rarest on the planet.” This immersive, enthusiastic report, which reads like a seasoned ecologist’s travel journal, spotlights key locales on the authors’ expansive expedition, from Central Florida and North Carolina to South America. The authors critically evaluate the “star power” of the bald eagle, assess the fate of the California spotted owl, admire the flamboyant cerulean warblers in Ecuador, and describe efforts to mitigate the damage to bird populations in Hawaii, “the extinction capital of the world.” The text encompasses studies by biologists, ecologists, wildlife officials, and philanthropists whose combined efforts are focused on halting the decline of bird populations. Most encouraging are modern scientific initiatives to uncover the source of bird decimation with ride-along migration banding trackers, bioacoustic engineering, community birdhouse building, and a wetlands habitat development program incentivized for California rice farmers. In the closing chapters, which feature conservationist case studies, the authors firmly reiterate that progress is possible. Throughout the book, they demonstrate that bird behavior and population levels serve as “real-time barometers of environmental stability.” The authors also include a selection of vivid, four-color photos.

Passionate reportage from the world of birds and a cautionary tale for the future of Earth. A no-brainer for birders.