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Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They Changed the World Hardcover – September 27, 2016
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Renowned for its gallery of unusual mammals, Australia is also a land of extraordinary birds. But unlike the mammals, the birds of Australia flew beyond the continent’s boundaries and around the globe many millions of years ago. This eye-opening book tells the dynamic but little-known story of how Australia provided the world with songbirds and parrots, among other bird groups, why Australian birds wield surprising ecological power, how Australia became a major evolutionary center, and why scientific biases have hindered recognition of these discoveries.
From violent, swooping magpies to tool-making cockatoos, Australia’s birds are strikingly different from birds of other lands—often more intelligent and aggressive, often larger and longer-lived. Tim Low, a renowned biologist with a rare storytelling gift, here presents the amazing evolutionary history of Australia’s birds. The story of the birds, it turns out, is inseparable from the story of the continent itself and also the people who inhabit it.
- Print length424 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherYale University Press
- Publication dateSeptember 27, 2016
- Dimensions6.13 x 1.13 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100300221665
- ISBN-13978-0300221664
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Crammed with intriguing facts and ideas. . . . A serious feat of synthesis that few bird observers or natural historians, let alone few authors, would have the knowledge, experience, time or access to academic resources to pull together."—Bob Beale, Sunday Age
"Where Song Began has been credited with turning the map upside down, dashing upon the rocks of our shores the orthodoxy that the world’s cleverest birds must have had their genesis in the northern hemisphere."—Wild magazine
"This book is remarkable on many levels. . . . Low proves to be a master at translating new scientific breakthroughs into a compelling and eminently enjoyable read that will bring a new perspective on Australian birds to readers irrespective of their ornithological background."—Naomi Langmore, Emu
"Where Song Began will be regarded as Tim Low's masterpiece. It is bewilderingly grand in ambition, rich in scientific detail and personal observations, and overflowing with ideas and, indeed, revelations."—Darryl Jones, Wildlife Australia
"Biologist Tim Low is as much a natural with words as he is a scholar of the natural world. He is caught up in the circle of gifted scientists, ecologists and field workers engaged in reshaping our picture of the Australian environment and the creatures it enfolds. Birds are a particular focus of his work, and thought—and it turns out that birds may well hold the most telling clues to the record of the Australian biosphere."—Nicolas Rothwell, The Australian
"One of the best works of natural history to appear all year."—Open Letters Monthly
"Entertaining and engrossing . . . nearly every page offers a compelling, often shocking, story."—Bird Watcher’s Digest
"Low delves into the weird and wonderful world of Aussie birds with the ease that comes with decades spent in the field. . . . You’ll never look at a songbird the same way again."—Cool Green Science
"Low is to be congratulated for producing this very idea-rich ecological tapestry. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and found it very thought provoking. The book should be of interest to anyone interested in Australian ecology and birds."—William E. Davis, Jr., Wilson Journal of Ornithology
“Highly enjoyable . . . Where Song Began . . . will enrich the understanding of anyone interested in birds.”—New York Review of Books
"Both informative and provocative, Where Song Began will be enjoyed by all who are interested in birds. It is well written, engaging, and scholarly. A great read."—John M. Marzluff, author of Welcome to Subirdia
"Low’s book weaves research with personal anecdote to unveil the uniqueness and richness of Australia's birds. A fascinating read that will alter how you think about birds and their world."—Craig W. Benkman, University of Wyoming
"Low takes us on a sweeping exploration of the southern hemisphere to reveal where song birds evolved, how they started to sing, and why we should care."—Michael Webster, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
"It’s a great story Tim Low has pieced together, and he tells it beautifully. This is natural history at its best. Excellent stuff."—Colin Tudge, author of The Secret Life of Birds and founder of the College for Real Farming and Food Culture (www.collegeforrealfarming.org)
"Tim Low masterfully tells a story not told before. He provides an elegant synthesis of the scientific literature and a panoramic view of how Australia's songbirds originated; the ecological and behavioral forces leading to their uniqueness; and ultimately their far-reaching impacts across the globe."—Scott Edwards, Harvard University
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (September 27, 2016)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 424 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0300221665
- ISBN-13 : 978-0300221664
- Item Weight : 1.7 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.13 x 1.13 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #935,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #312 in Australia & New Zealand History
- #435 in Ornithology (Books)
- #1,306 in Bird Field Guides
- Customer Reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book fascinating and thought-provoking. They appreciate the well-written and informative content about birds and their origins, weaving modern birds with fossils and paleographical evidence. The writing style is described as witty and humorous, with the author sounding professional while thumbing his nose at some scientific concepts. Overall, customers consider the book an important and valuable read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They describe it as informative, well-written, and enjoyable. The author weaves modern birds with fossils and paleographical information to tell a fascinating story. Readers find it satisfying and fantastic for lay readers, bird watchers, and ornithologists.
"Totally engaging not only if interested in birds but evolution and an extraordinary set of ideas...." Read more
"A great book for anybody who wants to learn more about birds in general. I'm really enjoying this...." Read more
"Just read "The Ascent of Birds" a wonderful book, this book is wonderful too but is mostly in disagreement with that book, I value the contrasting..." Read more
"...It is well researched, up to date, and quite fascinating...." Read more
Customers find the book informative and interesting for bird lovers. It provides an excellent review of the birds of Australia, weaving modern birds with fossil and paleological evidence. Readers appreciate the book's knowledge about birds, paleontology, evolution, and continental topics.
"The author is deeply knowledgeable about birds, paleontology, evolution, continental movements, and Australia...." Read more
"...not only if interested in birds but evolution and an extraordinary set of ideas...." Read more
"...anyone interested in bird ecology, biogeography, or gaining an understanding of Australian birds...." Read more
"The book is full of information about the origin of birds. Interesting , but it contains almost too much technical data for the average reader." Read more
Customers find the writing style engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's wit and humor, as well as his ability to sound professional while thumbing his nose at certain aspects of science communication. The book is well-researched and up-to-date, making it fascinating for readers.
"...Low is one of the best science communicators I have come across in my many years in and out of this field!" Read more
"...One thing that's fun it is the author managing to sound professional while he thumbs his nose at the ornithological establishment of yesterday -..." Read more
"...It is well researched, up to date, and quite fascinating...." Read more
"Original, well-written, clear, path breaking...." Read more
Reviews with images
Australia is not some avian backwater, as early European visitors widely assumed.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024The author is deeply knowledgeable about birds, paleontology, evolution, continental movements, and Australia. I learned so much I am now planning a trip to Australia. As a lifelong student of birds I have now found out how families such as Tyrant Flycatchers and Antbirds developed only in the New World but Songbirds spread from such an unlikely origin throughout the Old and New Worlds.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014Totally engaging not only if interested in birds but evolution and an extraordinary set of ideas. Low is one of the best science communicators I have come across in my many years in and out of this field!
- Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017A great book for anybody who wants to learn more about birds in general.
I'm really enjoying this. One thing that's fun it is the author managing to sound professional while he thumbs his nose at the ornithological establishment of yesterday - there is quite a bit of gentle snark about Australia's importance to bird development being ignored by respected scientists.
The writing style is easy to read. Tim Low is clearly addressing this to non-ornithologists, and his excitement about sharing what he knows and some of his anecdotes comes through. It's clearly explained and not condescending.
I have not had any issues with the Kindle edition.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2019Just read "The Ascent of Birds" a wonderful book, this book is wonderful too but is mostly in disagreement with that book, I value the contrasting outlooks. This book is very clear in describing animal and animal/plant relationships without any la la. Displays the view that song birds first evolved in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea and tries to answer "why". The last chapter explains the diversity of ideas on human/bird interactions and their possible outcomes.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2017I bought this book in preparation for a birding trip to Australia. Being a slow reader and quite busy on the trip, I am now back home and still reading it. It is well researched, up to date, and quite fascinating. I would recommend it to anyone interested in bird ecology, biogeography, or gaining an understanding of Australian birds. Now that I have encountered so many of the birds discussed, it is even more meaningful. Enjoy!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2019The book is full of information about the origin of birds. Interesting , but it contains almost too much technical data for the average reader.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014Brilliant analysis of the role of Australias avian fauna
- Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2020Excellent book with a lot of new to me information on the unique forces that have shaped Australia’s unique and varied bird life. I learned the importance of nectar, manna, and honeydew as a food source and how that drives birds to show aggression at a scale not found elsewhere. Really enjoyed it.
Top reviews from other countries
- D. ThomasReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Time (for many of us) for a big rethink on Australasian ecology
An excellent book which starts by emphasising the large & important differences between the ecologies of Australasia & (Eurasia + N America). Tim Low explores the consequences of this special ecology for the avian avifauna (with the odd mammal example thrown in), also in the light of the very well-substantiated realisation that the origin of modern songbirds worldwide was from early lineages of Australian birds. These big ideas come in the context of much fascinating detail about the ecology & behaviour of many examples to illustrate the bigger picture. Low's style is very readable, not quite conversational but with occasional personal recollections. He uses common names for the birds (& other animals) & I've found it helpful to have a guide to Oz birds beside me to help visualise his examples. There is a wealth of clearly presented information & ideas in this absorbing book, from which I learnt a great deal. Highly recommended.
- Georgie GReviewed in Australia on July 8, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read
So much interesting information on every page! Very readable. Absolutely cracking read. Highly recommend!
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Charlotte DavisReviewed in Germany on April 20, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective
Tim Low, an Australian, presents a totally unexpected aspect of the origins of today's birds as well as the background of their development. He examines the factors of food availability, territoriality, inter-avian aggression, respectively cooperation from a uniquely Australian point of view, which I found fascinating because conditions for birds have always been extreme on this continent.
In spite of the topic discussed, the book is very readable and I, for one, found it hard to put down once I'd started reading it. For any bird-lover, this book definitely is a must-have.
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MR P.Reviewed in France on February 7, 2017
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinant...
Compte-rendu fascinant des découvertes scientifiques récentes sur l'avifaune
australienne avec mise en relief de ses singularités. Des surprises à toutes les pages,
même pour des amateurs avancés.
Le style de l'auteur est un peu lourd, mais le sujet emporte la mise...
- Dr D.A. NewmanReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of why Australia’s birds are so special
Well balanced and fascinating account, told well. Any birder planning a visit or just interested should read it. Rekindled my zeal to return.