Scott Weidensaul’s new book, Of a Feather, is subtitled A Brief History of American Birding. For the first seven of the book’s eight chapters, the subtitle is apt. In the typical straightforward style of this prolific author, we enjoy a whirlwind tour of American ornithology, bird study, bird watching, and birding from the Native Americans to David Sibley. The word brief in the subtitle is certainly appropriate, as Weidensaul necessarily covers the book’s many topics in abbreviated fashion – the “full history of American birding” would require many thousands of pages. (I imagine that Weidensaul could write such a tome; this book is loaded with citations and the bibliography is extensive).
For those of us who have done some reading about the subject (or who have spent some time hearing the stories of Pete Dunne and other history aficionados), the first seven chapters of Of a Feather present a nice summary and overview. Birding’s historical roots include many fascinating characters: Catesby, two Bartrams, Wilson, Audubon, Coues, Grinnell, and Griscom among them. Weidensaul’s usual snappy, conversation writing makes this an quick and enjoyable read.
Then comes chapter eight, titled “Beyond the List”. This chapter is a passionate essay on the current state of birding and the author’s hopes for the future. Birders have long debated on whether or not it’s okay to simply enjoy birding as a pastime, perhaps focused almost exclusively on listing, or whether birders have an obligation to work to protect birds. Weidensaul passionately falls into the latter camp. While he falls short of truly stinging criticism of those who disagree – this is the writing of an extremely courteous gentleman – he cites many examples of ways that birders can make contributions to conservation and scientific inquiry. He is truly a champion of citizen science and an individual firmly committed to conservation.
It’s a persuasive argument. It’s hard to miss the constant environmental deterioration that surrounds us. It’s shortsighted to completely ignore the conservation crises that endanger many birds, and Weidensaul suggests that many birders are doing just that. I’m not sure that I agree, yet it is certainly true that most of us could easily do much more to support conservation. Weidensaul doesn’t delve into the long list of conservation actions that he recommends (he devotes a few chapters to the topic – if you are inspired for more ideas, I recommend Jeff Wells’ great book, Birder’s Conservation Handbook), but he does offer a few examples and he challenges birders: “Can you name a single, concrete action you’ve taken in the past week to better the world for birds? In the last month? The last year? If you had to think about it for more than a moment, then I gently suggest you rededicate yourself to doing more for the creatures on which our hobby is based.”
This is what Weidensaul’s book is all about. After reading chapter 8, you realize chapters 1 through 7 are written primarily as background for the arguments presented in the concluding chapter. A better subtitle for Of a Feather might be A Call to Action for Today’s Birders. But a book so titled would probably be avoided by many of us. Still, the message is vitally important, Weidensaul’s arguments are convincing, and his style is such that the message isn’t presented in a confrontational or unpleasant manner. I thoroughly enjoyed Of a Feather, and recommend the book heartily.
Weidensaul, Scott. Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding. Orlando, Harcourt Inc., 2007. 358 pages hardcover, $25.00. ISBN: 978-0-15-101247-3.
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