This is an absolutely fascinating book.
I'd not witnessed a bird migration until we moved to central France sixteen years ago. Now, twice a year, we see skeins of grey cranes overhead, heading south in October, and north in February. The sight still enchants us and we rush out of the house every time we hear the tell-tale calls.
I was thus really interested to read about bird migration on a global scale. Birds are just incredible creatures! The author shares lots of information and his evident enthusiasm for the topic on every single page. His style is very readable and absorbing. He doesn't shy from dealing with the challenges facing birds in this time of climate crisis, and there's a human threat to them too.
You don't have to be an ornithologist to read 'A World on the Wing' but I guarantee you'll have a far greater appreciation and knowledge of birds once you've finished the last page.

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Weidensaul brings his study of global bird migration up to date 20 years on from his seminal book on the topic, Living on the Wind. Deeply heartfelt, impressive in ambition and scope and beautifully written, this is a must read for anyone interested not just in bird migration but more broadly in how humans interact with the natural world. Although Weidensaul paints a stark picture of how close migratory bird populations are to the brink, this is ultimately a hopeful book. The love of the author and the other researchers he features for the birds they study is a consistent thread of optimism throughout.

A World on the Wing is an epic reflection on what we're learning about the greatest natural phenomenon on the planet—and what we must do to preserve it. In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable migratory birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, forgo sleep for days or weeks, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch, has exploded. Migrant birds continually exceed what we think are the limits of physical endurance, like a six-inch sandpiper weighing less than an ounce flying 3,300 miles nonstop for six days from the Canadian subarctic to northern South America -- the equivalent of 126 consecutive marathons with no food, water or a moment's rest.

Using the earth’s magnetic field to navigate through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Yet for all the strength and tenacity of migrant birds, the phenomenon of migration is increasingly fragile on this ever-more altered planet. A World on the Wing, the newest book from acclaimed nature writer Scott Weidensaul, is at once a celebration of global bird migration, an exploration of our rapidly evolving understanding of the science that underpins it, and a cautionary tale of the challenges humans have placed in the way of migrating birds. It conveys both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the wilderness of central Alaska, the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus.

A World on the Wing is also the story of Weidensaul's own journey over the past two decades from a deeply interested amateur to someone immersed in migration research, using cutting-edge technology to answer questions that have fascinated him all his life--and, with fellow scientists, researchers, and bird lovers, trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other looming challenges. This is a fascinating, captivating and richly-detailed book that shines a light on a topic that for so long was misunderstood. Part study, part memoir, it is an eminently readable, information-rich read packed with facts, maps and statistics and a must for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers the world over. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: A World on the Wing by Scott Weidensaul

4 stars

As a huge lover of birds and geography, the migration of birds has always amazed me. So when I saw this book was available on netgalley I just had to request it!
A World on the Wing is a really great read filled with beautiful descriptions, interesting facts and up to date science. I really enjoyed reading about the different migration patterns of birds and how they manage such incredible feats. For instance, who knew birds like Knots could break down internal organs before migration so they are lighter for the journey, and then regrow them when they meet their destination?! That is almost scifi sounding but is really what happens! Birds are remarkable animals and so many different species were discussed in this book which was a joy to read and learn about.
I particularly loved the information about how climate change is affecting these migrations as well as the breeding grounds of some birds. It goes to show what a big impact it will have on our wildlife and how mass extinctions are a real possibility if we do not get climate change under control.
I was unable to give this book 5 stars as I wish it had been a little more concise as it felt like a pretty long book. I also would have liked some illustrations of the birds as there were some that I had not heard of and it would have been great to seen images alongside the writing.
That being said, this is a really interesting book and if you are a bird lover then I highly recommend giving this book a read!

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A World on the Wing is a fascinating read, full of facts, maps and statistics about migratory birds and the effect that human-caused climate change is having on their various habitats around the world. It's a long book, but it's packed with information and truly globe-trotting.

I would have enjoyed some illustrations or photographs of the birds, but was able to supplement the book with some Cornell University YouTube videos which helped me and might interest other readers.

One slightly irritating thing that the author did was to constantly compare bird sizes to "a robin" without making it clear whether he was talking about an American robin (a thrush about 25cm long) or a European robin (an old World flycatcher about 13cm long) which was quite confusing for this non-specialist reader from the United Kingdom. Despite this, the book was an enjoyable if intense read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

“Most of what we know about migrants comes through limited snapshots, the few places and times where their travels intersect with humans who take the time to notice, leaving us to try to imagine the wide landscape of their lives by peering through tiny, scattered peepholes.”

A main theme of this book is the use of GPS tracking and other methods to fill in the gaps between those peepholes. The bird is humanely trapped, fitted with the tracking device, and freed, then when it returns from its migration it’s trapped again and the data on the device downloaded. Researchers can then see all the places it has been over the past year, and how long it stayed. Data like this helps conservationists to find out previously unknown locations that are important for migrants, and helps to explain why some species are in decline despite having apparently good conditions in their breeding and winter territory. The book also includes a lot of fascinating information about how birds migrate, such as the methods they use and what happens to their bodies before, during and after migration.

I really enjoyed how the author interspersed the scientific information with accounts of birding trips, his own fieldwork, and research journeys he made in the course of writing the book. I like his relaxed style and the way he draws you in with a story. The book is also heavily scientific with plenty of statistics and technical terms, which I appreciated. This does make it less of a pop-science book, but great for enthusiasts. If you enjoy books about science, birds, technology or conservation then I highly recommend you try it.

I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

At 400 pages, packed full of migratory bird facts, new research and stories about the scientists who study them, this book is an epic read. And it takes us on an epic journey across the world exploring some of the world’s most fascinating and, frankly, epic birds.

At times it can be a challenging read, some pages are dense with numbers; miles travelled and bird populations counted. And, as ever, with books about nature there are sad stories of extinctions, impacts of climate change, habitat destruction and battles with poaching.

I promise you, the challenge is worth it, this book revealed so many fascinating and mind-boggling nuggets of information. I’d love to share all I learnt from this book but I wouldn’t want to spoil it. There were countless times when I dropped my jaw in amazement whilst reading this book. My ebook copy is covered in highlights!

There are also positive conservation stories where migratory bird species have been brought back from the brink, where education and ecotourism changed everything. This book is both an all-you-need-to-know on migratory birds and a spotlight on those trying to make a difference for some of the world’s most vulnerable and wondrous species.

If you are a bird nerd, then I recommend you read this book!