Synopsis
How well do you know the birds that live around your house? A group of birds could be members of a family, or a community of carers, a flock, or a gang of singles. Can you tell which one is the leader or which one is the father, mother, the brother or the sister? Do you know which kid has come for a sleep-over and which one is being wooed? Which is the bird that has just chased off a predator like the cat, or hawk, or snake or even an eagle. How do they help each other stay safe? Birds are some of the most fascinating social creatures that live in the wild around our homes, no matter where we live. Whether you live in an apartment in the city, or have a house in the suburbs or in the countryside, you can enjoy a connection with nature. A good start is providing a bird bath or a feeder, which not only gives the much needed water and nourishment to these wonderful creatures, it brings you joy, beauty and friendship. But much more is possible. This book teaches you how to observe the birds that visit your yard, balcony or patio, and tell them apart as individuals, so you can deepen your personal relationships with them and understand their lives. Five significant ways of recognizing individual birds are described in detail, with examples and over a hundred original photographs taken by the authors of the birds they know. The authors take you through ways in which you can extend your knowledge about the birds and enhance the joy that comes from building a relationship with them.
About the Author
Gitie and Ron have been talking to the wild birds that live in the open Australian bush in Southern Queensland for over twelve years. The birds range from big and aggressive such as the crows to the small and vulnerable like the thornbills. Six of the species that have formed long term friendships are considered to be amongst the top eight most aggressive birds in the country. Chief amongst them are the magpies, who are well known for attacking humans, particularly during breeding season. Yet these birds have taken Gitie and Ron to their nests, and brought their young to them, even leaving their chicks behind with their human baby-sitters, while they go off bug-hunting. Their friendship with the birds that live freely in the wild have given Ron and Gitie a special insight into bird culture, their inner natures and their emotional and social intelligence. The birds have shown them how they communicate with each other in their families, their groups and the wider bird communities involving other species, including how they remember relationships, pass messages, negotiate territories, offer services, cooperate and collaborate with each other as well as with other animals. Above all they have shown their eagerness in forming friendships with those humans who are prepared to communicate with them and so become part of an integrated extended family and network. Time and again the birds have shown Gitie and Ron that food and water are only the means for developing trust and creating a social forum. Once they know you care, they think of you as a member of their extended family, they look out for you, protect you, and go to great lengths within their own communities to incorporate your wishes and to find ways to overcome the communication barrier between the species so they can share information about their family members. Now they know over eighty wild birds by name across several generations. Their professional careers are in the field of computing and software development. Their personal calling is in the fields of planetary ethics and philosophy and have previously co-authored the e-book, 'Light, Goodness, The Tree of Life'. They discovered the Principle of Goodness some years ago and have presented papers about the principle at international UNESCO, Humanities, and Philosophy conferences.
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