In Review---Singing Birds
Book Review Why Birds Sing David Rothenberg Penguin/Allen Lane I come from a family of bird enthusiasts. This year for my birthday, my sister surprised me with David Rothenberg's amusing and informative book, Why Birds Sing . Rothenberg marries his musical and philosophical talents with an unusual quest. Yet, he is not alone since he cites scientists, poets and others who also took similar quests at one point or another. Rothenberg takes us through a little history of songbird science as well as, noting improvements in technology that still for whatever reason, cannot fathom why birds sing. Do they sing for pleasure? Possibly. Do they enjoy the music of humans? Possibly. Rothenberg explores mimics of the bird kingdom from the common starling, (were you aware of the talent of this bird?), to the less common Albert's Lyrebird of Australia. We learn a little about finches, mockingbirds, canaries and blackbirds, among others. And in this fascinating quest, we m...