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Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds
Naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt, an ornithology teacher and researcher, examines the amazing talents and personalities of the most common of birds. Some birdwatchers will hop the red-eye to Costa Rica if a rare species is reported to be in residence. She makes the argument for sticking close to home. She muses on the tarnished reputation of the starling, the sexed-up antics of male woodpeckers, and the mysterious behavior and startling population explosion of crows in her hometown. Through the eye and voice of this talented writer, birds provide a fascinating point of contact with the natural world at large.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
137 people are currently reading
1,823 people want to read
About the author
Lyanda Lynn Haupt
7Ìýbooks442ÌýfollowersLyanda Lynn Haupt is a naturalist, eco-philosopher, and speaker whose writing is at the forefront of the movement to connect people with nature in their everyday lives. Her newest book is Mozart's Starling: /book/show/3...
“Mozart’s Starling is a delightful, enlightening, breathless flight through the worlds of Carmen and Star, two European starlings who join their human counterparts in exploring life and music and nature, helping to shed light on the connection between humans and birds--those of us bound to terra firma, and those of us who are free to soar.�
Garth Stein
NYT bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Sudden Light
Lyanda's recent book, was widely praised and is available in paperback.
“A completely charming and informative book on the pleasures of keeping one’s eyes open.� -David Sedaris
“With her sensitivity, careful eye and gift for language, Haupt tells her tale beautifully, using crow study to get at a range of ever-deepening concerns about nature and our place within it, immersing us in a heady hybrid of science, history, how-to and memoir.� -Erika Schickel, Los Angeles Times
Lyanda’s first book, (Sasquatch, 2001), explores the relationship between humans, birds, and ecological understanding, and is a winner of the 2002 Washington State Book Award.
“Mozart’s Starling is a delightful, enlightening, breathless flight through the worlds of Carmen and Star, two European starlings who join their human counterparts in exploring life and music and nature, helping to shed light on the connection between humans and birds--those of us bound to terra firma, and those of us who are free to soar.�
Garth Stein
NYT bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Sudden Light
Lyanda's recent book, was widely praised and is available in paperback.
“A completely charming and informative book on the pleasures of keeping one’s eyes open.� -David Sedaris
“With her sensitivity, careful eye and gift for language, Haupt tells her tale beautifully, using crow study to get at a range of ever-deepening concerns about nature and our place within it, immersing us in a heady hybrid of science, history, how-to and memoir.� -Erika Schickel, Los Angeles Times
Lyanda’s first book, (Sasquatch, 2001), explores the relationship between humans, birds, and ecological understanding, and is a winner of the 2002 Washington State Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
June 25, 2008
Man, I loved this book! I will be buying my own copy.
I'm going to have to start a "6 stars" shelf for books like this.
One of the best things about this book for me is that it covers more common birds I see on a regular basis and consider my "friends." Beautifully, lovingly written, and at the same time educational. She shares a lot of interesting bird behavior information you don't get from i.d. books, and she also dispels a few widely held myths.
I'm going to have to start a "6 stars" shelf for books like this.
One of the best things about this book for me is that it covers more common birds I see on a regular basis and consider my "friends." Beautifully, lovingly written, and at the same time educational. She shares a lot of interesting bird behavior information you don't get from i.d. books, and she also dispels a few widely held myths.
February 7, 2017
This lovely little work reminds you to stay in touch with the outdoors, observing closely & noting details, whether you choose to watch centipedes, mushrooms, clouds, birds, or something else. A book which is balm for the soul. Beautiful & highly recommended.
March 31, 2020
The author, a professional ornithologist and nature writer, presents a fascinating—and heartwarming—collection of her experiences with "common" birds. From wrens to woodpeckers, from swifts to sparrows, Ms. Haupt shares stories rich in both scientific detail and her passion for "birding." If you're not already a birdwatcher, you will be if you read this book. And the best news—this book was written in 2001; the author has written at least 3 more since. (I plan to read her 2017 book, Mozart's Starling next. You can check out her book-release talk .)
January 23, 2011
A former bird rehabilitator shares some thoughts on her birding experience. Wistful tone seems to match the environment of the northwest itself. The book is actually probably more poetic than I would usually enjoy, but I feel like the thoughts and reflections the author is describing are genuine and not forced, so it worked for me. I also felt like I could relate to her, even though I'm not really a birder. One quote in particular stood out for me: "How to maintain a sense of hope that is meaningful,and yet not merely naive, in such an ecologically complex time." As a conservation educator, I really know what she means. It's difficult to keep that balance sometimes.
Although this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting from the title, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
BTW, for some shameless self-promotion, if you like reading about animals, check out my blog on wildlife at
Although this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting from the title, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
BTW, for some shameless self-promotion, if you like reading about animals, check out my blog on wildlife at
June 21, 2024
A beautiful set of essays with so much interesting information about different kinds of birds. Haupt adds just enough of a personal touch to engage the reader without overshadowing the birds.
August 6, 2018
In 2001, the US Fish and Wildlife Service published their survey results of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation and estimated that there are 46 million bird watchers in the United States, making it the second most popular hobby in that country. According to a report by the New York Audubon Society, there were only a dozen bird festivals but in 1993, when the report was published, there were more than 250 every year throughout America. Why is watching birds so popular? Several reasons include the fact that birds are easily visible everywhere that humans go, and birds tend to do interesting things where ever they are. Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s extraordinary first book,
Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds
(Seattle: Sasquatch, 2001), now available in paperback, celebrates that unique bond shared between wild birds and the people who watch them.
The size of this book is deceptive; the stories are much more substantial than this slim (191 pages) paperback might suggest. This book is a collection of 17 amusing and touching essays. These essays focus on the author’s encounters with and observations of everyday birds, revealing how her connections with people and with the natural world have been altered and enriched as the result of her life with birds. In one essay, for example, we find the author quietly reveling in the enchanting song of the Varied Thrush while briefly vacationing at her parents� home; in another essay, we laugh alongside her at the amusing antics of courting woodpeckers, and in yet another, we are privy to her brooding about the tremendous odds against White-crowned Sparrow fledglings surviving to adulthood while simultaneously contemplating having a baby of her own. The author also considers the sullied reputation of European Starlings, an introduced bird species; the special auditory niches of birdsongs, and describes how an adult Caspian Tern shelters a sub-adult under its open wing during a downpour. Haupt also sweetly describes how her non-birder husband reveals his own growing compassion for birds when he temporarily adopted a wild Crow that had fallen from its nest;
We also learn about some of the rituals that unite the birding community, such as the game, “first bird of the year�, where the first bird seen on New Year’s Day is adopted as a sort of “theme bird� for the next 365 days. In another essay, the author eloquently reminds us of the noble, unique life possessed by even the most ordinary birds when she poignantly describes what were probably the last days of an individual shorebird;
Haupt explains the popularity of birds thusly, “Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world, a fresh vision that, though avian, can accompany you home and alter your life.� After reading this affecting and lyrical book, not only will birders see their subjects with a fresh eye, but those who never seriously considered a bird before will have discovered that open window through which they, too, can enter the magical world of birds.
NOTE: Originally published at scienceblogs.com on 9 May 2006.
The size of this book is deceptive; the stories are much more substantial than this slim (191 pages) paperback might suggest. This book is a collection of 17 amusing and touching essays. These essays focus on the author’s encounters with and observations of everyday birds, revealing how her connections with people and with the natural world have been altered and enriched as the result of her life with birds. In one essay, for example, we find the author quietly reveling in the enchanting song of the Varied Thrush while briefly vacationing at her parents� home; in another essay, we laugh alongside her at the amusing antics of courting woodpeckers, and in yet another, we are privy to her brooding about the tremendous odds against White-crowned Sparrow fledglings surviving to adulthood while simultaneously contemplating having a baby of her own. The author also considers the sullied reputation of European Starlings, an introduced bird species; the special auditory niches of birdsongs, and describes how an adult Caspian Tern shelters a sub-adult under its open wing during a downpour. Haupt also sweetly describes how her non-birder husband reveals his own growing compassion for birds when he temporarily adopted a wild Crow that had fallen from its nest;
One evening I came home and there on the couch I found my husband, Tom, with a freshly fledged Crow sitting calmly in his lap. They were busy watching Star Trek: The Next Generation; since Captain Jean-Luc Picard was in the midst of an absorbing monologue, they hardly registered my arrival, but finally they both glanced my way, Tom looking a little sheepish, the Crow nibbling bits from a can of gourmet cat food.
We also learn about some of the rituals that unite the birding community, such as the game, “first bird of the year�, where the first bird seen on New Year’s Day is adopted as a sort of “theme bird� for the next 365 days. In another essay, the author eloquently reminds us of the noble, unique life possessed by even the most ordinary birds when she poignantly describes what were probably the last days of an individual shorebird;
In the morning boisterous Crows alert me to the Peregrine [falcon] overhead, flying for open water, talons clutched around a smaller bird body. � My thoughts border on a hope that the Peregrine had swiftly culled the one-eyed Dunlin, sparing her weeks of increasing starvation and confusion. But that night I see the bird on the side of the road, alone now, drinking from a mud puddle. Oil from the many parked cars has invaded the ground here, and rises in the puddle — rainbow colors around the Dunlin’s thin reflection. She peers into the water with one good eye. Holy, simple, shining bird. I speak to her out loud. �I have seen you.�
Haupt explains the popularity of birds thusly, “Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world, a fresh vision that, though avian, can accompany you home and alter your life.� After reading this affecting and lyrical book, not only will birders see their subjects with a fresh eye, but those who never seriously considered a bird before will have discovered that open window through which they, too, can enter the magical world of birds.
NOTE: Originally published at scienceblogs.com on 9 May 2006.
April 14, 2014
This is a lovely book of essays about common birds found here in the Pacific Northwest. For example, she starts with a chapter on Starlings, and provides the history of their introduction to the US, and then her own observations of them. The author is an expert birder and thoughtful writer, and I often reread passages. If you like birds, and want to understand the local species in Puget Sound, this is a great book for you.
October 7, 2016
A too short book that is a delightful read for bird lovers.
June 20, 2023
An absolute gem. Loved reading about ways to appreciate the birds around us, find problems to solve, and look at the world differently.
“Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world, fresh vision that, though avian, can accompany you home and alter your life. They will do this for you, even if you don’t know them by name—though such knowing is a thoughtful gesture. They will do this for you if you watch them.� (11)
“How readily the intimacy of close observation replaces indifference with affection.� (77)
“Over and over I have been shown that if given an opening in the natural world, a world within which wild, nonhuman beings are making lives in their own terms, people will reach for it.� (185)
“Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world, fresh vision that, though avian, can accompany you home and alter your life. They will do this for you, even if you don’t know them by name—though such knowing is a thoughtful gesture. They will do this for you if you watch them.� (11)
“How readily the intimacy of close observation replaces indifference with affection.� (77)
“Over and over I have been shown that if given an opening in the natural world, a world within which wild, nonhuman beings are making lives in their own terms, people will reach for it.� (185)
December 29, 2020
After dating a bird nerd for 5 years, I finally thought I'd see what all of the fawning was over. Haupt does a wonderful job of entertaining while informing. I was mostly excited to share facts that the bird nerd himself did not know.
I'll certainly be reading about birds AND looking through the binoculars more.
I'll certainly be reading about birds AND looking through the binoculars more.
June 9, 2023
I've read several of this author's books and this was a good one. A nice look at some birds people either ignore or don't look at fondly. Enough personal detail and natural history detail to please both camps.
September 6, 2024
Great book for bird nerds (like me!).
November 10, 2020
I enjoyed reading this! It had been recommended years ago in college, in a birding class. Finally got around to reading it.
January 3, 2020
This is a wonderful book. Haupt lives here in Seattle and her joy in seeing and sharing information about our local birds is really engaging. I'd love to be able to share with her some of my bird encounters. Like when I watched a starling clip a pansy from my window box and then come back to get another one. Or the time I saw a shrike kill a sparrow in the holly tree outside my window. Or the battle over my birdbath between sparrows and robins. Or seeing a pheasant run lickety-split down the sidewalk.
This book is a great encouragement to get out and look around.
This book is a great encouragement to get out and look around.
September 8, 2024
interesting book.
I found the book to be full of observations and facts about birds that I didn’t know before. It’s was a bit boring in spots, but a good read.
I found the book to be full of observations and facts about birds that I didn’t know before. It’s was a bit boring in spots, but a good read.
May 20, 2008
How did I end up reading a book about birds when I have spent very little of my life noticing or thinking about birds? I can hardly identify one kind of bird from another, other than obvious distinctions like penguin and owl. Sure, sometimes I'll hear a pretty bird song or notice an unusually colored bird, but for the most part, in spite of my love of nature, birds just haven't captured my interest or attention. Well, I'll tell you how.
Sammy has been learning about birds in third grade. He has been pointing out different birds and telling me what kind they are and even talked about birdwatching at recess. I thought it would be fun to get some books from the library about the birds in the area to help identify them and to help me know what he was talking about it. So based on some online searching of the library catalog, this book sounded promising and I requested it along with some others. The others worked for what I had in mind, but this was different. It was more like a diary of observations and thoughts about birds written by an expert and lover of birds. I started reading it just to see what it was, and really enjoyed the author's style and anecdotes. It was written in a way that I really didn't need any special bird knowledge to enjoy it. It was an easy and interesting read.
I doubt that I will ever become much of an expert on birds, but reading this book has led me to appreciate and notice them more. More than anything though, it's just given me a deeper appreciation of nature in general, the interconnectedness of all living things, and the amazing diversity of life.
Sammy has been learning about birds in third grade. He has been pointing out different birds and telling me what kind they are and even talked about birdwatching at recess. I thought it would be fun to get some books from the library about the birds in the area to help identify them and to help me know what he was talking about it. So based on some online searching of the library catalog, this book sounded promising and I requested it along with some others. The others worked for what I had in mind, but this was different. It was more like a diary of observations and thoughts about birds written by an expert and lover of birds. I started reading it just to see what it was, and really enjoyed the author's style and anecdotes. It was written in a way that I really didn't need any special bird knowledge to enjoy it. It was an easy and interesting read.
I doubt that I will ever become much of an expert on birds, but reading this book has led me to appreciate and notice them more. More than anything though, it's just given me a deeper appreciation of nature in general, the interconnectedness of all living things, and the amazing diversity of life.
January 10, 2012
Captivating, beautifully written, and thought provoking. I would chose this as a book club read, if I belonged to such a thing. The author explores many topics I'd like to discuss in depth. Her curiosity about the mundane is refreshing, and her observations profound. She uses the mundane as a springboard to touch on global, human, and environmental issues.
"But we can know this: that every bird song we hear, every call and utterance, speaks beyond the biological needs and instinct of the individual singer, joining the forest's own voice for integrity, peace, and continuation." pg. 132
"But we can know this: that every bird song we hear, every call and utterance, speaks beyond the biological needs and instinct of the individual singer, joining the forest's own voice for integrity, peace, and continuation." pg. 132
February 11, 2018
Love, Love, Love this book, a collection of short essays and musings on birds and humans and our connection to the natural world. Haupt's writing about the most common and even dismissed species such as the starling and the double-crested cormorant is lyrical; her poetic prose and sardonic, witty humor made me smile often. Birds will give you a window, Haupt says, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world, fresh vision that, although avian, can accompany you home and alter your life. They will do this for you...They will do this for you if you watch them.
July 24, 2011
A sensitive, thoughtful, gorgeously written homage to birds and on a broader scope, nature itself. I loved every single thing about this book.
January 5, 2015
I am not a birder, but Haupt makes me want to be one!
April 6, 2015
Haupt keeps herself as a minimal subject of the book (many writers don't, an enormous failing) and speaks mostly about birds. It's interesting, often beautiful, occasionally poetic.
May 7, 2017
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. In all ways. A delightful little treasure of a book. Highly recommended!
September 6, 2019
I am quite fond of author Lyanda Haupt. It is nice that she is more or less a local author � she lives in Seattle � and I know the birds and many of the places she writes about. But what I like best is that she talks about ordinary birds and simple things about them or perhaps how she watches a bird and what she sees. I like this little collection of stories because you can read one or two and then wait and pick up the book a week or so later and enjoy a couple more.
My favorite story in this collection is about the bird of the year. Apparently, birders (I am a birder but did not know this since I am on the forever-a-beginner list of birders) take some pains to go to a place early on New Year’s Day and then declare the first bird they see, their “Bird of the Year�. They are supposed to spend extra time all year observing this species. One New Year’s Day, right after Haupt’s daughter was born, she decided she would simply go outside at home, and the first bird she saw was a starling! Part of her thought that maybe she could say that the bird of the year could not be an introduced species, but she decided to go ahead and dedicate her year to starlings. People tend to try to ignore them and not much is written about them as a species � lots about them as a pest though. As so often is the case, I found her decision very refreshing. We brought starlings here. We created the environment that allows them to thrive. And then we hate them. But, as with many things in life, if we stop and just look, there is a lot to see and to learn.
My favorite story in this collection is about the bird of the year. Apparently, birders (I am a birder but did not know this since I am on the forever-a-beginner list of birders) take some pains to go to a place early on New Year’s Day and then declare the first bird they see, their “Bird of the Year�. They are supposed to spend extra time all year observing this species. One New Year’s Day, right after Haupt’s daughter was born, she decided she would simply go outside at home, and the first bird she saw was a starling! Part of her thought that maybe she could say that the bird of the year could not be an introduced species, but she decided to go ahead and dedicate her year to starlings. People tend to try to ignore them and not much is written about them as a species � lots about them as a pest though. As so often is the case, I found her decision very refreshing. We brought starlings here. We created the environment that allows them to thrive. And then we hate them. But, as with many things in life, if we stop and just look, there is a lot to see and to learn.
September 3, 2020
I'm the world's worst birder. The most helpful book on birding I've read so far was Jane Yolen's and that's basically the level I'm at. But this book on birds by an actual birder was inspirational and also validating. Despite her skill and expertise, she carefully honors even the clueless enthusiast as she shares insights and knowledge about birds she's known and appreciated. I'm going to go out and identify a few more of those small brown borbs!
May 16, 2022
I had so much hope for this book. I mean if you love birds, how can you resist this title? I think one must need to be a true birder to enjoy this, however. Backyard birdwatchers don’t really have the background to picture the birds she refers to and after googling each one as they were mentioned to get a visual, I just didn’t care after about halfway through. And Rare Encounters? That’s stretching it. With the exception of 2 chapters, one having to do with crows, there was no magic in this book for me, and nothing rare. And that was what I had hoped for.
April 26, 2023
I loved this so much, even if it was set in places I do not know and some of the birds I may never see. I just loved the attitude about birds, how fun it is to watch and get to know them. I thought I might like this, and I LOVED it! Now some good prairie and Mississippi Flyway folks need to write about our birds. Recommended for anyone who likes birds. Or who might want to think about getting to know some.
June 28, 2020
A book of short essays about birds that are common in the northwest. Some of them are also common here in Ontario, such as grackles, crows, sparrows and woodpeckers. Taken together, these essays contain a lot of tips on how to be a better naturalist. My two favourite essays were the one-eyed dunlin and crow stories.
March 29, 2022
A beautifully-written book that teaches an appreciation for the common birds of Seattle and the surrounding area. As a bird lover already familiar with these birds, it was perfect for me, aside from passing too quickly. I think anyone who has spent some time in this region will get a lot out of the book though.
April 15, 2024
Excellent for the audience and its expectations. Pacific northwest; advocating watching birds to learn about them and their characteristics vs a competitive or scientific approach; importance of habitat; cultural understandings of certain birds; and not a word about indigenous perspectives? A surprising oversight.
October 30, 2019
Beautiful heartfelt personal writing along with fascinating info on birds I often see or hope to see. Any book that inspires you to get outdoors to observe the natural world and makes you yearn to just sit still in hopes a bird passes by, gets five stars from me!
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