The Love Lives of Birds: Courting and Mating Rituals

by Laura Erickson

Overview

From the lifelong devotion of the American crow to the dalliances of the eastern bluebird, from the bald eagle’s dazzling aerial display to the male ruby-throated hummingbird’s reputation as a “deadbeat dad” — courtship, mating, and parenting differ dramatically among birds. Ornithologist and author Laura Erickson takes readers on a romance-fueled romp through the love lives of 35 species, exploring the diversity of avian approaches to pairing up. Each species spotlight pairs Erickson’s remarkable depth of scientific knowledge with her talent for drawing humorous and insightful parallels between human and bird. The result is a riveting read for bird-watchers and nature lovers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781664673922
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Co. Inc
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Laura Erickson is the author of The Love Lives of Birds and The Bird Watching Answer Book, and is coauthor of Into the Nest. A recipient of the American Birding Association’s prestigious Roger Tory Peterson award, she has served as science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, an editor of Bird Scope magazine, and a columnist and contributing editor for Birdwatching magazine. She produces For the Birds, a long-running public radio program and podcast, and lives in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Table of Contents

Introduction: Looking for Mr. or Ms. Right
Sex in the City: Rock Pigeon
Speed Dating: Prairie Grouse
Living in Jane Austen's World: Black-Capped Chickadee
Bully for Them: Wild Turkey
Be My Valentine: Great Horned Owl
Tender Romantics: American Crow
Just the Two of Us: Trumpeter Swan
Going Steady: Mallard
Romantic Duets: Northern Cardinal
Old-Fashioned Love Songs: American Robin
Othello Didn't Have to End That Way: Northern Mockingbird
Singing Casanova: House Wren
Happy Feet: Blue-Footed Booby
Dancing with the Stars: Whooping Crane
Cyrano de Bergerac: American Woodcock
Love on the Beach: Piping Plover
Passion in Fresh Water: Common Loon
Going the Distance: Arctic Tern
The Food of Love: Limpkin
You're Not Getting Older, You're Getting Better: Eastern Screech-Owl
When I'm Sixty-Four: Laysan Albatross
Rosie the Riveter: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Wearing the Pants: Wilson's Phalarope
Are You My Mother?: Brown-Headed Cowbird
The Bold and the Beautiful: Eastern Bluebird
One Big Happy Family: Red-Winged Blackbird
Group Hug!: Belted Kingfisher
The Inconstant Moon: Red Knot
Across a Crowded Room: Herring Gull
Say It with Sticks: Great Blue Heron
Rocks Are a Hen's Best Friend: Adelie Penguin
Material Girl and Boy: Satin Bowerbird
This Old House: Bald Eagle
Failure to Launch: Florida Scrub-Jay
Romantic Comedy: White-Throated Sparrow
Index

Editorial Reviews

With expert knowledge and irresistible prose, Laura Erickson has a unique ability to make the lives of birds exciting and compelling for every reader. This book is a delight — warm, wonderful, and brimming with insights and surprises. Highly recommended!”
— Kenn Kaufman, naturalist, conservationist, author of Kingbird Highway, and editor of the Kaufman Field Guides

“What a delightful book!  If you love birds, you will love these musings on the secrets of bird love.  Who knew that crows had such tender and discreet displays of affection?  Or that the courtship of limpkins was so snail-centered?  Or that chickadees inhabit a Jane Austen-like world of courter and courted?  Erickson unveils this captivating news in prose so lively, witty, and clever it charms from cover to cover.”
— Jennifer Ackerman, New York Times best-selling author of The Genius of Birds andThe Bird Way

"An entertaining and lighthearted look at various bird species’ mating habits... Terrific color illustrations by Veronica Lilja add to the fun. Bird enthusiasts and nature lovers in general shouldn’t miss this."
— Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher