First published 2021
Recent decades have transformed our knowledge of how birds accomplish their incredible journeys across oceans and continents. Billions of birds travel tens of thousands of miles annually between hemispheres, displaying almost unimaginable endurance. A sandpiper the size of a sparrow flies nonstop from Canada to Venezuela, equivalent to running 126 marathons without stopping for food, water, or rest. The bird avoids dehydration by extracting moisture from its own muscles and organs while navigating using Earth's magnetic field through quantum entanglement. Birds crossing the Pacific in nine days of continuous flight sleep by shutting down half their brain for seconds at a time, alternating sides, which actually sharpens their reflexes. Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul draws on extensive fieldwork to reveal these migration marvels, taking readers from China's Yellow Sea mudflats to northeastern India's remote mountains to Cyprus's dusty hills. He introduces the scientists, researchers, and bird enthusiasts working to protect global migration routes threatened by climate change and environmental destruction.
Genres: science, nature, animals, travel, adventure, environment, non-fiction, birds
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: informative, investigative, scientific
Setting: Canada, China, Cyprus, India, Pacific Ocean, Venezuela
Period: Recent Decades
400 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company