The Birds at My Table - by Darryl Jones (Paperback)

About the Book

Darryl Jones is fascinated by bird feeders. Not the containers supplying food to our winged friends, but the people who fill the containers.Why do people do this? Jones asks in The Birds at My Table. Does the food even benefit the birds? What are the unintended consequences of providing additional food to our winged friends?Jones takes us on a...

Book Synopsis

Darryl Jones is fascinated by bird feeders. Not the containers supplying food to our winged friends, but the people who fill the containers.

Why do people do this? Jones asks in The Birds at My Table. Does the food even benefit the birds? What are the unintended consequences of providing additional food to our winged friends?

Jones takes us on a wild flight through the history of bird feeding. He pinpoints the highs and lows of the practice. And he ponders this odd but seriously popular form of interaction between humans and wild animals. Most important, he points out that we know very little about the impact of feeding birds despite millions of people doing it every day.

Unerringly, Jones digs at the deeper issues and questions, and he raises our awareness of the things we don't yet know and why we really should. Using the latest scientific findings, The Birds at My Table takes a global swoop from 30,000 feet down to the backyard bird feeder and pushes our understanding of the many aspects of bird feeding back up to new heights.

Review Quotes

[An] outstanding book. It is scholarly, meticulously researched, wide-ranging, and extremely thought-provoking. Jones's descriptions of his many visits to experts on wild bird feeding are especially entertaining; you feel you almost know the people he is interviewing and are on the journey with him! There are also some lovely little flashes of a dry, almost whimsical humour.

-- "Corella"

Although there are countless bird feeding books on the market, this volume stands alone in terms of the scientific accuracy and the depth of the topics... I thouroughly enjoyed this volume and recommend it highly.

--Margaret Brittingham, Pennsylvania State University "The Quarterly Review of Biology"

An enjoyable and interesting read.... This book will interest many of those who are curious about wild birding feeding, and the broad range of topics discussed should result in even those most experienced with the subject coming away with new perspectives.

-- "Austral Ornithology"

An exceptional overview of both the science and art of intentional bird feeding throughout the world.... This book will be of interest to both naturalist and scientific audiences interested in the art and science of feeding birds. North American readers will get a refreshing and interesting global perspective on bird feeding.... Those who feed birds will come away with a renewed understanding and awareness of the role of supplementary feeding in the ecology of birds, and will look at feeding birds in a new and broader way.

-- "The Canadian Field-Naturalist"

Jones's passion shines through, and the book ultimately succeeds at making its main point: that bird feeding is more about humans than about birds.

-- "Earth Island Journal"

Readers expecting a user-friendly guide to backyard bird feeding will not find it here. This is a hard look at the practice that raises serious questions and suggests that the consequences of this commonplace and seemingly harmless and pleasant pastime need further investigation by the scientific community.... An intriguing book that is sure to ruffle the feathers of many nonscientist bird enthusiasts.

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

About the Author

Darryl Jones is Professor and Deputy Director, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University. He has published widely, including more than one hundred articles and seven books.