Why Birds Matter

By Cagan H. Sekercioglu (editor), Daniel G. Wenny (editor), Christopher J. Whelan (editor)

Book cover of Why Birds Matter: Avian Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services

Book description

For over one hundred years, ornithologists and amateur birders have jointly campaigned for the conservation of bird species, documenting not only birds' beauty and extraordinary diversity, but also their importance to ecosystems worldwide. But while these avian enthusiasts have noted that birds eat fruit, carrion, and pests; spread seed and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Why Birds Matter as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is not an easy read, built on a deep academic tour of the evidence of how birds contribute to this world. But it makes up for the tough sledding by providing huge doses of detail that make the case for why we cannot let birds continue to wither away.

Birds consume, for instance, 400 to 500 tons of insects each year across the earth. They contribute to billions of dollars in value when you add up all the ways we rely on their pollinating, seed dispersal, garbage collection – not to mention the outdoor activities they provide people.

When…

From Anders' list on what’s happening to our birds.

If you love Why Birds Matter...

Ad

Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

What Walks This Way By Sharman Apt Russell,

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks…

Want books like Why Birds Matter?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Why Birds Matter.

Browse books like Why Birds Matter

Book cover of Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening
Book cover of The Genius of Birds
Book cover of The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of  America's Bird

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,586

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Why Birds Matter, you might also like...

From One Cell By Ben Stanger,

Book cover of From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

Everybody knows that all animals—bats, bears, sharks, ponies, and people—start out as a single cell: the fertilized egg. But how does something no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence give rise to the remarkable complexity of each of these creatures?

FROM ONE CELL is a dive…

I Am Taurus By Stephen Palmer,

Book cover of I Am Taurus

The constellation we know as Taurus goes all the way back to cave paintings of aurochs at Lascaux. This book traces the story of the bull in the sky, a journey through the history of what has become known as the sacred bull.

Each of the sections is written from…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in birds, ecology, and the ecosystem?

Birds 177 books
Ecology 83 books
The Ecosystem 20 books