About this item
"Bird!" is an existential exploration of nature through the guise of hawkwatching. And yes, hawkwatching is a thing! It is a citizen science activity that differs from typical birdwatching. Here, hawkwatchers, a mostly volunteer group, brave the elements in service of generating a physical count of migrating raptors (eagles, hawks, vultures, falcons, etc.) . In his first book about this esoteric subject, Brian M. Wargo, a physical and social science educator, taps into the universality of Homo sapiens' longing to connect to the biotic world. His book, which is really a series of 22 standalone essays, captures the spirit of hawkwatching, taps into the mind of the hawkwatchers who do it, and provides a contemplative assessment for why they do it.