THE BIRD BOOK

A populous, cut-paper portrait gallery of avian species present…and past.

The authors make clear throughout that despite birds’ great antiquity, they are currently under threat from habitat loss and other factors, but as usual it’s the late Jenkins’ spectacularly realistic collage illustrations that sound the loudest notes. Following an opening sequence showing a kingfisher in flight and a close-up of a king vulture’s head that is a burst of vivid colors and textures, gorgeously feathered subjects parade past in profusion—in close-ups to display distinctive feet, beaks, and eyes or in full-body poses alongside nests, eggs, and prey. Pithy captions tucked between and around the images largely cover familiar territory in noting typical features and behaviors but do discuss some unusual feats such as the European robin’s ability to sense magnetic fields and the cave-dwelling oilbird’s use of echolocation. Prehistoric predecessors gather on one topical spread, flightless birds on another, and a final page of recently extinct species underscores the conservation message. A closing table listing each of the dozens of birds depicted serves as both index and factual summary. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Another feather in the veteran co-authors’ cap.