Audiobook · read by volunteers
Bird Study Book
Thomas Gilbert Pearson (1873–1943)
Read by J. M. Smallheer · 12 chapters · 4 h 01
About the book
Have you ever wondered where the birds go in winter, or how they raise their young? Thomas Gilbert Pearson wrote this book for readers who want to get to know the birds around them, and to understand why they matter. He explains how birds raise their young, how they migrate, what they eat and how they help farmers by controlling insects. He also tells the story of early efforts to protect wild birds from the feather trade. The tone is friendly and practical, with stories from the field and many small observations that will send you looking out of the window. J. M. Smallheer reads all twelve chapters, which together make a pleasant guide for any garden or park. Whether you watch birds or simply enjoy them, you will hear the garden differently afterwards.
Introduction
Thomas Gilbert Pearson was born in 1873 and died in 1943. He was an American ornithologist and one of the leading figures in the early bird-protection movement. He was long associated with the National Association of Audubon Societies, and his work did much to turn public opinion against the killing of wild birds for the fashion trade in feathers. The Bird Study Book, published in 1917, grew out of his experience as a teacher and a campaigner, and it was written for ordinary readers, not for specialists.
The book begins by encouraging the reader to make a first acquaintance with the birds nearby, and then passes to nesting, family life and the daily habits of different species. Along the way it makes a steady case for conservation, showing that birds are valuable both for their beauty and for the work they do. The language is plain, and Pearson's enthusiasm is evident on every page. As a record of how Americans thought about nature in the early twentieth century, it also has historical interest.
This LibriVox recording lasts about four hours and is divided into 12 chapters, all read by one volunteer. It is a relaxed listen for walkers, gardeners and anyone who has ever wondered what a bird is doing, and it may well change the way you notice the birdsong around you.
Some of the facts will have been refined by a century of research, but the pleasure of Pearson's attentive, affectionate observation has not faded. The book also shows how the cause of bird protection was explained to ordinary readers, and why so many of them were persuaded.
Public domain
Thomas Gilbert Pearson died in 1943: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text