Celebrating the powerful role of birds in human customs and traditions from around the world and throughout history, this sourcebook explores the delightful stories surrounding some of the world's best-known birds--including the eagle, owl, pelican, falcon, dove, swan, and raven. With topics including folklore, literature, music, dance, and spirituality, this eclectic and enchanting encyclopedia of avian-human relations is an ideal companion for any bird-lover. Brilliantly illustrated and filled with intriguing research, it illuminates many astonishing aspects of bird life, including their dazzling colors, intricate nest-building habits, finely structured feathers, amazing feats of migration, and breathtakingly beautiful song and movement.

"This lighthearted miscellany is devoted to some of the birds that have inspired the human imagination through the ages. The authors discuss the characteristics of 16 familiar species and present intriguing stories gleaned from avian legends, poems, songs, nursery rhymes, religious stories and folktales from around the world. One learns why the eagle is a symbol of imperial power, the goose is sacred to certain gods, the ostrich is believed (mistakenly) to bury its head in the sand, the peacock and the pelican are symbols of resurrection, and the game of mah-jongg derives its name from the Chinese word for sparrow. There are morsels of information about everything from falconry and cockfighting to the origin of the Mother Goose tales. The book concludes with a brief history of birds in book illustration and a paean to the beauty of birdsong, with a list of musical compositions it has inspired. Although the authors are British — Watkins (A Book of Animals) is a vicar in West London, and Stockland is a former deputy director of education at Oxfam (Great Britain) — they include in their affectionate exploration of avian-human relations a chapter on America's state birds. 26 illus." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Written for the popular reader, this small tome presents quotes and facts on people's ideas about birds throughout history. Doves, eagles, kingfishers, the cuckoo, wrens are among those profiled. Bird illustrators and the subject of American state birds are also cited. Distributed by IPG. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)