The Courage of Birds: And the Often Surprising Ways They Survive Winter

From our own back gardens to the rim of the Arctic ice, countless birds have adapted to meet the challenges of the winter season. This is their remarkable story, told by award-winning birder and acclaimed writer Pete Dunne, accompanied by illustrations from renowned artist and birder David Sibley.

Despite the seasonal life-sapping cold, birds have evolved strategies that meet winters vicissitudes head on, driven by the imperative to make it to spring and pass down their genes to the next generation. The drama of winter and the resilience and adaptability of birds witnessed in the harsher months of the calendar is both fascinating and astonishing.

In The Courage of Birds, Pete Dunne winner of the American Birding Associations Roger Tory Peterson Award for lifetime achievement in promoting the cause of birding chronicles the behaviour of the birds of North America. He expertly explores widespread adaptations, such as feathers that protect against the cold, and unpacks the unique migration patterns and survival strategies of individual species. Dunne also addresses the impact of changing climatic conditions on avian longevity and recounts personal anecdotes that soar with a naturalists gimlet eye.

Filled with unforgettable facts, wit and moving observations on the natural world, Dunnes book is for everyone; from the serious birder who tracks migration patterns, to the casual birder who logs daily reports on eBird, to the observer who throws a handful of seed into the garden and wonders what birds will magically appear when temperatures begin to fall.

Praise for Pete Dunne

Dunnes prose is lyrical, sensitive, and full of feeling. Ted Floyd, editor, Birding 

Pete is arguably North Americas best and best-known birderand hes also a terrific writer. Scott Shalaway, author and former syndicated nature columnist

Praise for David Sibley

There are 47 million birdwatchers. But there is only one David Sibley. . . . He is a boon to both the birding world and the art world. The National Audubon Society

[His] exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. Birdwatching