A World on the Wing

The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds

By: Scott Weidensaul

Narrated by: Mike Lenz

Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we've learned of these key migrations is nothing short of extraordinary.

Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela - the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest-avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the Earth's magnetic field. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides - and their reaction time actually improves.

These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing also introduces listeners to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges.

©2021 Scott Weidensaul (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Fantastic book for any nature enthusiast

So many nature-themed books are re-hashed stories you have heard before if you read this genre. But Scott Weidensaul’s book is powerfully crafted from an un-matched depth of experience. Add that to 30 years of experiences a science and nature writer and you get a treatise on migration, climate change, and the fate of our delicate green and blue world that you can’t put down.

I learned so much from this book, and I devour books on birds and nature - almost none match this for depth. The narration was overall good - 4.5 stars - just some word pronunciations that bothered me

Bird Migration Explained

My five star rating for this fascinating book is based on the fact that I am an avid birdwatcher. The information presented is astonishing and informative. I listened to the audio version, but plan to get a hardcover copy so I can see the charts and photos, and reread some sections.

Incredible Book

It started out slower than I like, but after the first chapter I couldn't stop. Weidensaul is an incredible writer and story teller. His experiences in the splendid, sometimes dangerous, world of birds and nature wet my appetite to get out and see the world. I have a better understanding and appreciation for the conservation measures and costs and look forward to helping in the minute ways I am able. Loved this book and plan on sharing it!

Depressing

Depressing but necessary book. Gives not only a look at migration marvels but the obstacles birds face primarily due to humans

Important and fascinating book. Reader mispronunciations were a little annoying.

A must-read for birders and conservationists and a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in nature. The reader speaks with a clear and animated voice, but the mispronunciations of words, place names, and particularly bird names was unfortunate. Where was the editor?

Overwhelming

This is a fascinating and well written book sharing a great deal of migratory bird science. However, I was unprepared for how deeply depressing it is, with nearly every species covered in decline, mostly due to humans, and most conservation attempts not working well enough to stem the downturns.

The narration was clear and animated, but had some mispronunciations that stood out for me.

mixed

Everything in the book that is about birds was fascinating, just great. The reporting on climate change was grim but important. But the long descriptions of the author's expeditions to remote locations to capture and band birds were exceedingly tedious: repetitive, formulaic, and uninspiring, and full of people that seemed a lot less witty and interesting than the author thinks they are.

Outstanding Book!

Scott does an amazing job of communicating recent data through narrative! Having read many bird books I would say this is in my top five!

off subject

the author is leaning more towards the political environmental argument in this "essay" rather than the odyssey of the birds. I didn't complete it for this reason. we all are aware of the affect that human has had on the environment. I didn't want another enlightenment but only some fun education of what our avian companions are so capable of and why.

Floating through my imagination.

This book was incredibly descriptive. It is one of my favorite lessons of all time. The way, Mr. Weidensaul describes adventure, education, joy, bewilderment, and reverence involving birds is absolutely tremendous.