Eleven-year-old December knows everything about birds, and everything about getting kicked out of foster homes. All she has of her biological mum is the book she left behind, The Complete Guide to Birds, Volume One, and a photo with a message: 'In flight is where you'll find me.' December knows she's truly a bird, just waiting for the day she transforms and flies away to reunite with her mum. The scar on her back must be where her wings have started to blossom – she just needs to practise and to find the right tree. She has no choice; it's the only story that makes sense. When she's placed with Eleanor, a new foster mum who runs a taxidermy business and volunteers at a wildlife rescue, December begins to see herself and what home means in a new light. But the story she tells herself about her past is what's kept December going this long, and she doesn't know if she can let go of it ... even if changing her story might mean that she can finally find a place where she belongs.

In this dazzling photo essay, Laman and Scholes present gorgeous full-color photographs of all 39 species of the Birds of Paradise that highlight their unique and extraordinary plumage and mating behavior.

Enter the world of birds for an incredible journey through the skies, into trees, and even underground. Parrots, hummingbirds, eagles, and more swoop across the pages of this colorful bird book, which combines gorgeous illustrations and photos to help young enthusiasts learn all about the wonderful world of birds. From frozen icescapes to sweltering deserts, from prehistoric ancestors to amazing adaptations, they’ll discover the surprising homes and habits of our feathered friends. They’ll also find out about how we can help protect birds and their natural habitats. The Extraordinary World of Birds, illustrated by Claire McElfatrick, takes children on a fascinating journey, showing them just how amazing birds are, what they do for our planet, and how we can help them. It includes bird families such as gamebirds, flightless birds, and perching birds, plus amazing facts on how birds talk to each other, what they eat, how they find partners, and how they are able to fly.

Everything you didn’t know about the avian world: a fascinating compendium showcasing the extraordinary wonders of birds, illuminated with exquisite ornithological illustrations, prints, and drawings Humans share the Earth with more than 10,000 species of birds and have always been enchanted by them. Birds can be a sign of the changing seasons, a symbol of freedom, or simply a breathtaking vision of beauty. Remarkable Birds approaches these fascinating creatures thematically across eight sections covering all aspects of humans’ relationship with birds. “Songbirds” celebrates the greatest bird virtuosi, such as the nightingale, while “Birds of Prey” includes majestic hunters such as the harpy eagle. “Feathered Travelers” describes astounding journeys made by birds including tiny hummingbirds that migrate huge distances. “The Love Life of Birds” illuminates the most brilliant displays upon which different species rely to find a mate—notably the extravagant plumage and dances of birds of paradise. “Avian Cities” explores the spectacular, large colonies of species such as the flamingo, while “Useful to Us” examines the diverse ways we find birds valuable, such as the turkey or the canary. “Threatened & Extinct” describes some species that have been lost forever, and others on the brink. Birds have also had great mystical significance and “Revered & Adored” considers such species as the sacred ibis, believed by the ancient Egyptians to represent the god Thoth.

Sam Keen, the New York Times best-selling author of Fire in the Belly, has spent a lifetime reflecting on nature. In Sightings, a collection of essays, bird watching forms the basis for observations spiritual and soulful, witty and wise. He describes his childhood ramblings in the silence of the Tennessee wilderness as feeling distinctly more spiritual than the hard pews of his grandmother's church. Later in life, the presumed extinction and subsequent rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker prompts a meditation on the nature of the sacred. Blessed with moments of beauty and the insight to recognize them as such, Keen translates the marvels of nature into the language of heart and soul.

A heavily designed and stunning look at the many birds of the sky--perfect for fans of Botanicum. From the bitter cold polar regions to the lush tropics, birds have found incredible ways to adapt and survive anywhere. White-winged diuca finches nest high upon freezing glaciers and mightly peregrine falcons circle skyscrapers in busy cities. Look up! What birds can do is extraordinary. The statuesque golden eagle spots prey from miles away. You can tell what time of day an owl hunts by looking at the color of its eyes. With its long, muscular legs, the secretary bird has a powerful kick that is enough to kill large prey like snakes and hares. Discover which bird is the fastest, the smallest, the smartest, the most colorful and more in this nonfiction compendium, complete with descriptions from wildlife expert Miranda Krestovnikoff and stunning linocuts from artist Angela Harding.

After her four kids were nearly grown and she was about to turn 50, Phoebe Snetsinger was told she had less than a year to live. Snetsinger, a St. Louis housewife and avid backyard birder, decided to spend that year traveling the world in search of birds. As it turned out, her doctors were wrong, but Phoebe's passion had been ignited and she spent the next eighteen years crisscrossing the globe recklessly staking out her quarry. En route she contracted malaria in Zambia, nearly fell to her death in Zaire, and was kidnapped and gang raped on the outskirts of Port Moresby. Yet none of this curbed her enthusiasm. By the time she died in a bus accident while birding in Madagascar in 1999, Phoebe was world renowned and had seen more species-8,500 of the roughly 10,000-than anyone in history. A fascinating portrait of a hobbiest whose obsession contributed to both her success and her demise, Life List brings Phoebe Snetsinger and the wild world of amatuer ornithology to vivid life.