Flight Paths

How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration

By: Rebecca Heisman

Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

The captivating, little-known true story of a group of scientists and the methods and technology they developed to uncover the secrets of avian migration.

For the past century, scientists and naturalists have been steadily unravelling the secrets of bird migration. How and why birds navigate the skies, traveling from continent to continent—flying thousands of miles across the earth each fall and spring—has continually fascinated the human imagination, but only recently have we been able to fully understand these amazing journeys. Although we know much more than ever before, even the most enthusiastic birdwatcher may not know how we got here, the ways that the full breadth of scientific disciplines have come together to reveal these annual avian travels.

Flight Paths is the never-before-told story of how a group of migration-obsessed scientists in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries engaged nearly every branch of science to understand bird migration—from where and when they take off to their flight paths and behaviors, their destinations and the challenges they encounter getting there. Uniting curious minds from across generations, continents, and disciplines, bird enthusiast and science writer Rebecca Heisman traces the development of each technique used for tracking migratory birds, from the first attempts to mark individual birds to the cutting-edge technology that lets ornithologists trace where a bird has been, based on unique DNA markers. Along the way, she touches on the biggest technological breakthroughs of modern science and reveals the almost-forgotten stories of the scientists who harnessed these inventions in service of furthering our understanding of nature (and their personal obsession with birds).

The compelling and fascinating story of how scientists solved the great mystery of bird migration, Flight Paths is an unprecedented look into exciting, behind-the-scenes moments of groundbreaking discovery. Heisman demonstrates that the real power of science happens when people work together, focusing their minds and knowledge on a common goal. While the world looks to tackle massive challenges involving conservation and climate, the story of migration research offers a beacon of hope that we can find solutions to difficult and complex problems.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Loved every minute of it

I particularly liked that she approached the subject of bird migration from the researcher’s standpoint. You learn a lot about birds and much about the science that has enabled researchers to find out where they go every year. It’s also easy to listen to. It’s in a conversational tone so I felt like I was listening to a friend rather than a science text. Fascinating book!

Where did my summer tanager go?

If you love birds and love learning, this is a book you will want to listen to. It is well researched and a great addition to one’s knowledge on bird migration. If you are a citizen scientist and are interested in knowing more, then here’s a good book for you.

Outstanding journey through migration science past and present- but poor choice of reader.

Heisman does a superb job distilling the past and present of migration science into prose understandable for the general public.
I would think it would serve as a great review for academics and pros in the birding space as well.

I have a nitpicky criticism, though. The choice of the reader for this audio version was a serious mismatch. She is clearly skilled but has a tone too "cynical" for this topic. Her voice would be better suited to a history of Spring Break in America or a beer company history than a sweet natural wonder like birds--even a wonder in danger.

Fascinating Look at the Science Behind Migration

For the most part, this was definitely written for the average weekend birder, such as myself. I learned quite a bit and felt that the author was a very good storyteller! Enjoy and keep looking up, mindfully!

Great scientific overview

I loved the author’s deep dive into the beginning of collection of bird data, and how it has evolved into this impressive network of data. Great story of remarkable people following their passion and love of birds.