Enchantment by Birds

A History of Australian Birdwatching in 22 species
Russell McGregor

“Russell McGregor has delved into the archives to bring us a beautifully written account of our relationship with birds. There is some fascinating stuff here, and a timely reminder of the intrinsic importance of birds for nature’s sake, and for ours.”

Sarah Pizzey, scientific editor of The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia

“It’s been said that if you had to name someone to bat for your life, choose Steve Waugh. Or your mother. Well, if I needed someone to bird for my life, Russell would be second pick. After my father.”

Raoul Slater, nature photographer and co-author of The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds

“Birdwatching is booming at the moment. If you like birds, this book will astonish and delight you. If you don’t know what the fuss is all about, this brilliant book explains why so many people from all walks of life have picked up their binoculars and are heading out the door.”

Darryl Jones, urban ecologist and author of Curlews in Vulture Street

A fresh appreciation of the magic of birds and how watching them fulfils a human need to connect with nature.

Enchantment by birds is commonplace. Birdwatchers merely go a step further than others and actively seek to be enchanted. This book tells why they take that extra step. It takes the reader on a series of excursions into birdwatching’s past, venturing forward to the present. With an intriguing cast of characters, avian as well as human, its lively narratives explore the emotional and aesthetic impulses behind the pastime as well as its scientific and conservationist components.

Its stories of 22 Australian birds range widely: from wordy squabbles over bird names to the artistic finessing of field guides; from the Paradise Parrot’s tragic fall into extinction to the everyday enjoyment of a Magpie’s carol; from the evolution of citizen science to the boom in birding tourism. Interlacing them all is the insight that birdwatching is a means by which modern, urban people reach out to touch the wild. A primal desire to connect with nature lies at the heart of the pastime.

Enchantment by Birds not only offers a compelling exposition of what makes birders tick; it also tells us, imaginatively and informatively, why birds have a special place in our hearts.

Sarah Pizzey, scientific editor of The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia

Raoul Slater, nature photographer and co-author of The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 8.5in × 5.3in

Extent:320pp with 22 imbedded mono illos + 16-page color picture section

ISBN (13):9781957363974

RRP:$22.00

Pub date:31 Mar 2025

High-res cover:Download Image

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Russell McGregor

Russell McGregor has been a birdwatcher since childhood and an historian for over 40 years. Formerly a professor of history at James Cook University, he has written numerous articles on birds and birdwatching, and is also the author of six previous books, including Indifferent Inclusion: Aboriginal people and the Australian nation (winner of the 2012 New South Wales Premier’s Australian History Prize), and Idling in Green Places: a life of Alec Chisholm (shortlisted for the 2020 National Biography Award).

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We publish books that matter — narrative and literary nonfiction on important topics, and the best of local, international, and translated fiction.

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