BIRDSPLAINING: A NATURAL HISTORY. By Jasmine Donahaye.

2023 1st edition. Small 8vo paperback (130 x 201mm). Ppvi,199. Decorative end-papers.

"A wren in the house foretells a death, while a tech-loving parrot aids a woman's recovery. Crows' misbehaviour suggests how the 'natural' order, ranked by men, may be challenged. A blur of bunting above an unassuming bog raises questions about how nature reserves were chosen. Should the oriole be named 'green' or 'golden'? The flaws of field guides across decades prove that this is a feminist issue. A buzzard, scavenging a severed ewe's leg, teaches taboos about curiosity." Chapters include: A note before reading; Reading the signs; Field guides; Mansplaining the wild; Boggy ground; Curious bodies; Uninvited guests; Meetings at dusk; What's in a name?; The promise of puffins; To gawp at birds; The regard of equals; Gannets; Risk assessment; At unkindness to birdwatchers.