The Glitter in the Green
In Search of Hummingbirds
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4.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
An acclaimed natural history writer follows the trail of the remarkable hummingbird all over the world.
Hummingbirds are a glittering, sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species. For centuries, they have been revered by indigenous Americans, coveted by European collectors, and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character. Yet they exist on a knife-edge, fighting for survival in boreal woodlands, dripping cloud forests, and subpolar islands. They are, perhaps, the ultimate embodiment of evolution's power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places.
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds' range, from the cusp of the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands, acclaimed nature writer Jon Dunn encounters birders, scientists, and storytellers in his quest to find these beguiling creatures, immersing us in the world of one of Earth's most charismatic bird families.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Natural history writer Dunn (Orchid Summer) takes readers on a wondrous globe-trotting pilgrimage to seek out hummingbirds as their populations are threatened. He stops in Alaska to check on "the most northerly hummingbirds in the world" whose population is in decline (as are birds at the southernmost tip of South America), and visits Patagonia, Ariz., to see "a species at best scarce in the United States." Dunn points to climate change, habitat loss, and hunting as reasons "the clock of extinction is ticking loudly for them." Along the way, Dunn shares odd facts about the birds' physiognomy and behavior—their tongues are so long "that, when retracted, they coil inside the birds' heads around their skulls and eyes," and male Anna's Hummingbirds court prospective mates by making music with their tails. As in the best nature writing, Dunn paints striking pictures: he describes a bird "clad in an impossibly rich and overpowering imperial purple that, as traces of golden light from the lodge struck his breast, exploded into myriad sparks of palatinate life, each feather coruscating and glittering." Dunn's vivid prose, balanced with just the right amount of detail, will captivate birders and non-birders alike.
Customer Reviews
I learned a lot about hummingbirds!
What an incredible journey!