Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have created a moving audiobook titled The Book of Birds, which serves as a love letter to Britain's threatened bird species. This compendium features 49 birds, each accompanied by a lyrical prose poem and a recording of its distinctive call.
A Stark Warning About Bird Decline
The introduction delivers a stark warning about the “great thinning of the skies,” noting that dawns and springs are quieter and the air emptier. There are now 3 billion fewer birds in North America than 50 years ago, and 5 million fewer in Europe. Globally, almost 50% of bird species are in decline.
Prose Poems and Bird Songs
Each entry is a prose poem aimed at evoking the spirit and unique qualities of birds such as the kingfisher, nightingale, nightjar, song thrush, tern, tawny owl, and puffin. Macfarlane narrates the bird entries, including the avocet, which “when seen at sunset in silhouette seems blown from glass – as if a breath of wind would leave her in shards amid the sea reeds, the fescue, the eelgrass.” Morris reads the “seven wonders of bird,” short essays on feathers, nests, beaks, and eggs, the latter described as a “space station, shock absorber, bathysphere, safe harbour, first home.”
Exceptional Sound Design
The audio edition features terrific sound design by field recordist Chris Watson, known for his work with David Attenborough. Watson meticulously recorded the call of each bird and incorporated them into each chapter. This blend of lyrical prose and birdsong makes for a moving tribute to our feathered friends.
Further Listening Recommendations
For those interested in more audiobooks, Mick Herron's Clown Town, the ninth Slough House novel, is narrated by Sean Barrett and involves hidden agendas and IRA infiltration. Catherine Airey's Confessions, read by a cast including Eileen O’Higgins, Bronagh Waugh, and Ruby Campbell, tells the story of Cora Brady after 9/11.
