A World on the Wing

The New York Times bestseller 'A vaulting triumph of a book' - Isabella Tree, author of Wilding 'A master storyteller' - The Observer An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration. Bird migration remains perhaps the most singularly compelling natural phenomenon in the world. Nothing else combines its global sweep with its inherent ability to engender wonder and excitement. The past two decades have seen an explosion in our understanding of the almost unfathomable feats of endurance and complexity involved in bird migration - yet the science that informs these majestic journeys is still in its infancy. Pulitzer Prize-shortlisted writer-ornithologist Scott Weidensaul is at the forefront of this research, and A World on the Wing sees him track some of the most remarkable flights undertaken by birds. His own voyage of discovery sees him sail through the storm-wracked waters of the Bering Sea; encounter gunners and trappers in the Mediterranean; and visit a forgotten corner of north-east India, where former headhunters have turned one of the grimmest stories of migratory crisis into an unprecedented conservation success. As our world comes increasingly under threat from the effects of climate change, these ecological miracles may provide an invaluable guide to a more sustainable future for all species, including us. This is the rousing and reverent story of the billions of birds that, despite the numerous obstacles we have placed in their path, continue to head with hope to the far horizon.

Scott Weidensaul is one of the most respected natural history writers in the US. His book Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Non Fiction. He is a contributing editor to Audubon Magazine, and a columnist for Bird Watcher's Digest. Weidensaul is an active field researcher specializing in bird migration; he is co-director of Project Owlnet and directs Project SNOWstorm. He has been given numerous awards, including the Audubon Award for Environmental Writing, and was recently honoured as a prestigious elective member of the American Ornithologists' Union.