Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds

Scientists estimate that more than five billion birds weave their migratory patterns across (and beyond) the Western hemisphere each year. Some, like the wheatears that fly from Alaska to Africa, undertake journeys of astounding distance, while others move only a few states away. In the six years he spent researching this dense, intensely informative book, Weidensaul (Mountains of the Heart) traveled more than 70,000 miles to wintering and breeding grounds as far flung as Alaska, Belize, Argentina, Jamaica, Mexico and Alabama. The result is a surfeit of finely detailed descriptions of bird banding, tropical ecosystems, the history of ornithology, the effects of deforestation and much more. Weidensaul has a knack for clearly summarizing scientific theories on such topics as how birds orient themselves during their long flights, what impels them to go in the first place and how their migratory paths evolve. This vast trove of knowledge is poorly organized here, however, and occasionally repetitive, overwhelming the reader with the task of synthesizing so many facts without the aid of any overarching theory or chronology. As a consequence, the book, despite Weidensaul's indefatigable research, will likely prove daunting to all but those already confirmed in the pleasures of birding and ornithology. Agent, Peter Matson. (Apr.)