Weaving together natural history and investigative reporting with mythological and cultural material, On Rare Birds tells the compelling stories of ten rare or extinct bird species - from the tragic demise of the once-abundant Passenger Pigeon to the shooting death of the last Carolina Parakeet in the wild, and from the startling natural defences of the wilful NightjarA" to the diverse cultural significance of the Kingfisher. Some stories bear sad witness to precious species we have lost, but they are all fascinating and often heartwarming or humorous depictions of the unique lives and loves of birds. On Rare Birds is a visually stunning volume illustrated by author Anita Albus's own superb artwork and by images ranging over five centuries. It will delight anyone who loves birds, laments the depletion of their populations by human hands, and cares about the survival of those species that still stand a chance. With knowledge, devotion, and a true artist's eye, Albus explains in graceful, precise prose why the decline of these bird species is a great loss both to the natural world and, unavoidably, to culture. With each species lost, a world is lost to human understanding-to our arts, our mythology, and our environment.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Birds Extinct The Passenger Pigeon's Eclipse; The Parakeet and Its Practices; The Ways of the Great Auk; The Loneliness of the Macaw

Birds Threatened and Endangered The Wondrous Waldrapp; The Shy Corncrake; The Uncanny Goatsucker, or the Willful Nightjar; The Beautiful Barn Owl; The Intrepid Hawk Owl; The Wise Kingfisher

"Swathed in heavy-duty cover stock and printed on high-grade paper, On Rare Birds is a gorgeous object. Turn the pages and dozens of striking images jump out, many from such meticulous illustrators as Audubon, John Gerrard Keulemans, and Edward Lear. (Unsurprisingly, the author of The Owl and the Pussycat was a dedicated birder.) But it’s the author’s own paintings that are most enthralling, many of them because of the haunted poignancy that she brings to her work. Her image of a nightjar, sitting cryptically before a burning forest, is a masterpiece." from Alexander Varty's review, 17/5/11, Straight.com