A World on the Wing - Scott Weidensaul

In this breathtaking work of nature writing, Pulitzer Prize finalist, Scott Weidensaul conveys the wonders of bird migration and introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges.

In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides—and their reaction time actually improves. Revelations like this and more form Weidansaul's exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration.