Anyone who’s known me for more than a couple of days has likely heard me talk about birds. For a number of years I was able to get to know an incredible range of different birds, from kookaburras and butcher birds to currawongs and magpies. Their distinct personalities delighted me and I ended up naming most of them. Over time, they learned to trust me and even flew to me when I called me their names.

Suffice it to say, I’m always going to want to read books about birds, especially when there are new fun facts to absorb.

Covering just some of the over 10,000 species of birds that currently take to the skies around the world (and the few who have chosen instead to walk), this book teaches readers about their anatomy, where they live and what they eat.

Tracing the evolution of birds throughout history, from the dinosaurs to today, I read about many I’d never heard of before. My favourite was the Argentavis, a predatory bird with a wingspan of six metres!

There is more detailed information about the lives of specific birds, including barn owls, emperor penguins and Arctic terns.

Of course, I did have a few favourite facts.

A bald eagle’s nest “can weigh as much as a small elephant!”

Of the sandgrouse, who live in the desert:

“Males sit in waterholes where their feathers soak up water, like a sponge. Then they fly back to the nest and the chicks suck on their feathers when they are thirsty.”

Arctic terns fly the equivalent of three return trips to the moon during their lifetime. That’s 2.4 million kilometres!

The facts are bite sized and the illustrations are beautiful. My favourite illustration featured a barn owl swooping down in the night sky. This was exactly the type of book I would have borrowed from the library for school projects.

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.