Swallow and starling, puffin and peregrine, blue tit and blackcap. We use these names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? Where did they come from? And who created them?
The words we use to name birds are some of the most lyrical and evocative in the English language. They also tell incredible stories: of epic expeditions, fierce battles between rival ornithologists, momentous historical events and touching romantic gestures.
Through fascinating encounters with birds, and the rich cast of characters who came up with their names, in Mrs Moreau's Warbler Stephen Moss takes us on a remarkable journey through time. From when humans and birds first shared the earth to our fraught present-day coexistence, Moss shows how these names reveal as much about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world as about the creatures they describe.
| ISBN: | 9781783350919 |
| Publication date: | 4th April 2019 |
| Author: | Stephen Moss |
| Publisher: | Guardian Books an imprint of Guardian Faber Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 368 pages |
| Genres: |
Wildlife: birds and birdwatching: general interest The Earth: natural history: general interest |