Featuring dramatic and delightful wild bird colonies and communities, How Birds Live Together offers a broad overview of social living in the avian world. From long-established seabird colonies that use the same cliffs for generations to the fast-shifting dynamics of flock formation, leading wildlife writer Marianne Taylor explores the different ways birds choose to dwell together.
Through fascinating text, color photos, maps, and other graphics, Taylor examines the advantages of avian sociality and social breeding. Chapters provide detailed information on diverse types of bird colonies, including those species that construct single-family nests close together in trees; those that share large, communal nests housing multiple families; those that nest in tunnels dug into the earth; those that form exposed colonies on open ground and defend them collectively, relying on ferocious aggression; those that live communally on human-made structures in towns and cities; and more. Taylor discusses the challenges, benefits, hazards, and social dynamics of each style of living, and features a wealth of species as examples.
Showcasing colonies from the edge of Scotland and the tropical delta of the Everglades to the Namib Desert in Africa, How Birds Live Together gives bird enthusiasts a vivid understanding of avian social communities.
Awards and Recognition
- Birdwatching Magazine's Book of the Month
- A Birdwatcher's Yearbook Best Bird Book of the Year
Marianne Taylor is a freelance writer, editor, illustrator, and photographer. She has authored more than thirty books on natural history, including The Gull Next Door (Princeton) and The Story of Life in 10 1/2 Species.
"A quirky, eclectic and informative mix about birds from all compass directions."—Phil Slade, Another Bird Blog
"An educational and entertaining read."—Eric Brown, News Shopper
"Dive into this entertaining and informative book and you will leave with more knowledge than you entered it."—Bo Beolens, Fat Birder
"This is a book you will want to read cover to cover."—Geoff Carpentier, North Durham Nature Newsletter
"A very interesting book, packed with information, well set out with lovely pictures, and I learned a lot more about how birds live together. A thoroughly recommended book."—Neville Davies, Gwent Wildlife Trust
"The author, Marianne Taylor, has clearly done extensive research and showcases colonies from around the world . . . . The chapters are very readable and it is easy to pick up the narrative where you left off, making it accessible for someone entering into the world of colony birds."—Gill Birtles, British Trust for Ornithology
"Marianne Taylor employs her knowledge, humour and substantial experience into something expansive and multifaceted."—Paul Meadows, British Naturalists Association
"An informative and pleasing read for whoever wants to learn about birds’ different forms of social life."—Gabriel Marcacci, Community Ecology
"[An] eclectic, well-written, visually pleasing book."—J.C. Kricher, CHOICE
"This book presents a great summary of how birds have learned to co-exist in close proximity, and how they cope with the stresses that such contact can bring. It is a great example of how to deliver interesting facts in an approachable way."—Keith Betton, IBIS Book Reviews
"An informative and pleasing read."—Gabriel Marcacci, Community Ecology
"This book is perhaps stronger on individual examples . . . those examples are interesting and diverse, covering all the continents and a wide variety of bird species. Like all Princeton University Press books, it is illustrated with dozens of beautiful coloured photographs as well as appropriate maps and other illustrations."—Tony Payne, The Glasgow Naturalist
