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Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives
An hourly guide that follows twenty-four birds as they find food, mates, and safety from predators.
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From morning to night and from the Antarctic to the equator, birds have busy days. In this short book, ornithologist Mark E. Hauber shows readers exactly how birds spend their time. Each chapter covers a single bird during a single hour, highlighting twenty-four different bird species from around the globe, from the tropics through the temperate zones to the polar regions. We encounter owls and nightjars hunting at night and kiwis and petrels finding their way in the dark. As the sun rises, we witness the beautiful songs of the “dawn chorus.� At eleven o’clock in the morning, we float alongside a common pochard, a duck resting with one eye open to avoid predators. At eight that evening, we spot a hawk swallowing bats whole, gorging on up to fifteen in rapid succession before retreating into the darkness.
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For each chapter, award-winning artist Tony Angell has depicted these scenes with his signature pen and ink illustrations, which grow increasingly light and then dark as our bird day passes. Working closely together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Hauber and Angell have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two—and a true gift for readers, amateur scientists, and birdwatchers.
Ìý
From morning to night and from the Antarctic to the equator, birds have busy days. In this short book, ornithologist Mark E. Hauber shows readers exactly how birds spend their time. Each chapter covers a single bird during a single hour, highlighting twenty-four different bird species from around the globe, from the tropics through the temperate zones to the polar regions. We encounter owls and nightjars hunting at night and kiwis and petrels finding their way in the dark. As the sun rises, we witness the beautiful songs of the “dawn chorus.� At eleven o’clock in the morning, we float alongside a common pochard, a duck resting with one eye open to avoid predators. At eight that evening, we spot a hawk swallowing bats whole, gorging on up to fifteen in rapid succession before retreating into the darkness.
Ìý
For each chapter, award-winning artist Tony Angell has depicted these scenes with his signature pen and ink illustrations, which grow increasingly light and then dark as our bird day passes. Working closely together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, Hauber and Angell have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two—and a true gift for readers, amateur scientists, and birdwatchers.
168 pages, Hardcover
Published December 5, 2023
13 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 28, 2024
Book is extremely short and very much on the simplistic end. The illustrations were nice. It would be perfectly suited a 12 year old with a budding bird fascination. 3 stars.
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December 28, 2024Heterospecific eavesdropping� crop milk�. sky goats� birds rule. The writing was so dull tho
June 16, 2024
What's up with all the Zionist 'quick science' toilet books?
February 11, 2024
A short book, a quick, but interesting read in which the author gives short, brief summaries of 24 birds, one for each hour of the day. Starting with the midnight hunting Barn Owl, Hauber follows with the New Zealand Little Spotted Kiwi. The Kiwi is also out at night but in its case uses the darkness to help hide its activities using its blue-green plumage to hide in the grass.
Each of Hauber's hourly selections has its own interesting habits/abilities to allow it to best flourish at its specific time of day. Both the Brown-Headed Cowbird and the Common Cuckoo smuggle their eggs into another bird's nest to raise their young. The latter will retaliate vindictively if it finds the foster bird parent spotting and disposing of the Cuckoo's eggs. Of another interesting bird covered, the Indian Peafowl, the reader learns that the female is very discriminating in her mating, carefully selecting a mate with the best plumage and, before mating, inspects the candidate's cloacal area for signs of sexually transmitted diseases.
Hauber's 24 selections are all interesting in their own way. Read and enjoy.
Each of Hauber's hourly selections has its own interesting habits/abilities to allow it to best flourish at its specific time of day. Both the Brown-Headed Cowbird and the Common Cuckoo smuggle their eggs into another bird's nest to raise their young. The latter will retaliate vindictively if it finds the foster bird parent spotting and disposing of the Cuckoo's eggs. Of another interesting bird covered, the Indian Peafowl, the reader learns that the female is very discriminating in her mating, carefully selecting a mate with the best plumage and, before mating, inspects the candidate's cloacal area for signs of sexually transmitted diseases.
Hauber's 24 selections are all interesting in their own way. Read and enjoy.
March 5, 2025
BIRD DAY: A STORY OF 24 HOURS AND 24 AVIAN LIVES by Mark E Hauber, will illustrations by Tony Angell is a relaxing and enjoyable book.
Beginning at 12 Midnight with the Barn Owl, Hauber relates a few interesting facts about the bird; just enough to entertain and inform. Each bird receives this treatment along with a pen and ink illustration depicting the bird accurately. Hauber gives us information about each one that covers a specific aspect of the chosen bird.
Hauber does not limit the birds to a set location, but presents birds from around the globe. Locations began with the bird found world-wide: surprisingly the Barn Owl. The birds chosen can be from different continents from Antarctica to North America, each bird in its unique habitat.I only knew some of the birds, the others were new to me.
This was a fun read.
Beginning at 12 Midnight with the Barn Owl, Hauber relates a few interesting facts about the bird; just enough to entertain and inform. Each bird receives this treatment along with a pen and ink illustration depicting the bird accurately. Hauber gives us information about each one that covers a specific aspect of the chosen bird.
Hauber does not limit the birds to a set location, but presents birds from around the globe. Locations began with the bird found world-wide: surprisingly the Barn Owl. The birds chosen can be from different continents from Antarctica to North America, each bird in its unique habitat.I only knew some of the birds, the others were new to me.
This was a fun read.
July 25, 2024
I didn't really like the bird-for-each-hour-of-the-day gimmick, though I did enjoy reading about some unfamiliar feathered friends like the Ocellated Antbird and the Bat Hawk. I was very happy that the author spent so much time on the lowly cowbird and their "brood parasitic" tendencies of laying eggs in the nests of other birds. I got to see this in action just last week as I watched a tiny chipping sparrow run itself ragged to feed its insatiable cowbird baby, a fluffy giant that towered over its "parent." How sad that the sparrow will not be passing on its genes, yet it takes such good care of another's offspring.
Nature is indeed cruel, but pretty freakin' spectacular at the same time.
Nature is indeed cruel, but pretty freakin' spectacular at the same time.
November 10, 2024
Bird Day was an excellent read. Each hour of the day is represented by a specific bird. Bird Day followed birds from all over the World. I loved all of the information it gave on each bird in the few pages that were devoted to it. The information was pretty in depth as well. From habitat and eating habits all the way to how they raise (or don't, LOL) their young.
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January 25, 2024divides dy into 24 hours and walks about a single bird each other, birds from diff\erent part of the world.. Covers Barn owls to American Robin to oilbird Cowbird.
different birds, different countries, different eccentricsities
different birds, different countries, different eccentricsities
December 27, 2024
Very short chapters of a bird each hour, succinct and fun facts. Beautiful ink drawings for each bird. I was just mislead about dimensions of actual book (5 x 4, thus the 3 page chapters are actually very brief).
Has extensive bibliography and good index.
Has extensive bibliography and good index.
October 4, 2023
3.75 / 5.0
Larger format to enhance graphics and more elaboration on species represented would be wonderful.
Larger format to enhance graphics and more elaboration on species represented would be wonderful.
March 2, 2024
For such a niche book, the information was basic and basically common knowledge... Disappointing
April 6, 2024
Reads like a Sir David Attenborough nature special. And should probably become one.
April 7, 2024
The illustrations are beautiful. The text seemed to skim the surface a bit too much for me.
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October 5, 2024Such an interesting concept! Always something to learn in the bird world.
November 9, 2024
Informative book about different bird species.
February 1, 2025
Short on detail, but the illustrations are pretty.
April 6, 2025
Very short but readable coffee table type book, great illustrations
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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