Sign-In
Cart
The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet
Hardcover
BirdsEnvironmental StudiesZoology
Publisher Price: $32.99
ISBN13: 9781324036784
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: Apr 21 2026
Pages: 368
Weight: 1.28
Height: 1.23 Width: 6.29 Depth: 9.23
Language: English
As populations fall and once-great migration multitudes wither away, the future of birds may seem grim. But surprisingly, from gnatcatchers and waterfowl to select groups of forest songbirds, some bird populations are soaring. Habitats and species that once neared extinction are now multiplying around the world because bird conservation is making things better.
The Return of the Oystercatcher explores the recovery efforts that are not only preventing declines in bird population, but helping birds to thrive. From the spectacular recovery of North American raptors, whose numbers have tripled in the last fifty years, to the mind-bending resurgence of the Canada goose in Maine--which increased its population by 146,000 percent during the same period--Scott Weidensaul shares amazing stories of hope and progress in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Weidensaul also depicts the initiatives at the heart of this recovery, from the hyperlocal to the hemispherically immense: wetlands restoration, raptor protection, and bans on harmful pesticides, as well as the US Farm Bill and the preservation of sovereign lands by Indigenous communities. The result is a roadmap of breathtaking environmental resilience in some of the most unlikely places, including a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific, the vast boreal forest that stretches across Canada, a hereditary estate in England, and a watery wilderness at the edge of a Ukrainian war zone.
Because birds are so diverse, so ubiquitous, and cover virtually every square mile of the Earth's surface, the fight to save the birds is also one to save the world. The Return of the Oystercatcher is an inspiring story of what's working in bird conservation--and what can work for the rest of the planet.
Also from
Weidensaul, Scott
A Vista de Pájaro: La Odisea Global de Las Aves Migratorias / A World on the Wing
Weidensaul, Scott
Paperback
Also in
Birds
National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Birds: Eastern Region: Eastern
National Audubon Society
Paperback
The Story of Birds: A New History from Their Dinosaur Origins to the Present
Brusatte, Steve
Hardcover
North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures
Stiteler, Sharon
Paperback
A Bird's IQ: Innovation, Intelligence, and Problem Solving in the Avian World
Lefebvre, Louis
Hardcover
Pests & Other Friends: Discover the True Nature of the Most Maligned Animals
Berryman, Halsey
Hardcover
What It's Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing, and Why
Sibley, David Allen
Hardcover
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern & Central North America, Seventh Ed.
Peterson, Roger Tory
Paperback
Extremely Accurate Birds: An Anatomically Precise Field Guide to Common Backyard Birds of North America
Siegel, Tommy
Hardcover
Paint by Sticker (Official): Birds: Create 12 Stunning Images One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make
Rowland, Becca
Paperback
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
Johnson, Kirk Wallace
Paperback
A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird
Mosco, Rosemary
Paperback
The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne
Sweeney, Chris
Hardcover
The Backyard Birdsong Guide Eastern and Central North America: A Guide to Listening
Kroodsma, Donald
Hardcover
The Backyard Birdwatcher's Bible: Birds, Behaviors, Habitats, Identification, Art & Other Home Crafts
Perrins, Christopher
Ellis, Sonya Patel
Sterry, Paul
Hardcover
Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World from Bird and Moon, Updated Edition
Mosco, Rosemary
Paperback
Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans
Marzluff, John
Angell, Tony
Paperback
What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird
Montgomery, Sy
Hardcover
The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness
Kaufman, Kenn
Paperback
Backyard Birds of North America: A Guide to Identifying and Attracting Your Favorite Birds
O'Sullivan, Daniel
Hardcover
The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne
Sweeney, Chris
Paperback
Bird Watchers' Field Guide Sticker & Logbook: Identify 75 North American Birds
Editors of Chartwell Books
Paperback
Habitats of North America: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists
Campbell, Iain
Chaon, Phil
Paperback
National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America, 2nd Edition
Alderfer, Jonathan
Paperback
Sibley Birding Sticker Book: With More Than 300 Stickers: Stickers for Journals, Water Bottles, Laptops, Planners, and More
Sibley, David Allen
Hardcover
Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World
Cooper, Christian
Paperback
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
Ackerman, Jennifer
Paperback
Birds of Wyoming Field Guide: Includes Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks
Tekiela, Stan
Paperback
Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi Second Edition
Stevenson, Terry
Fanshawe, John
Paperback
Seabirds as Sentinels: Auklets, Puffins, Shearwaters, and the View from Destruction Island
Wagner, Eric
Hardcover
The Birdhouse Book: Building, Placing, and Maintaining Great Homes for Great Birds
Barker, Margaret A.
Wolfson, Elissa Ruth
Paperback
A Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Trees: Eastern United States and Canada, Including the Midwest
Wehr, Janet
Petrides, George A.
Paperback
Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard
Strassmann, Joan E.
Hardcover
Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
Slaght, Jonathan C.
Paperback
The Hummingbird Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about These Fascinating Birds
Shewey, John
Paperback
Birds: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-To-Use Guide
Zim, Herbert S.
Gabrielson, Ira N.
Paperback
The Hidden Meaning of Birds--A Spiritual Field Guide: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers
Murphy-Hiscock, Arin
Paperback
Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration
Heisman, Rebecca
Paperback
How to Look at a Bird: Open Your Eyes to the Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds
Leslie, Clare Walker
Paperback
The Backyard Chicken Keeper's Bible: Discover Chicken Breeds, Behavior, Coops, Eggs, and More
Federman, Rachel
Ellis, Sonya Patel
Ford, Jessica
Hardcover
Hansen's Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada
Beedy, Edward C.
Donkin, Adam
Hansen, Keith
Paperback
Making Bird-Friendly Birdhouses: Instructions and Plans for 15 Specific Birds, Including Bluebirds, Wrens, Robins & Owl
Toellner, Melvin Bird Man Mel
Maguire, Matt
Paperback
How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say
Caughey, Melissa
Paperback
Birding for Boomers: And Everyone Else Brave Enough to Embrace the World's Most Rewarding and Frustrating Activity
Collard III, Sneed B.
Paperback
Bird Nest Finder: Identifying Aboveground Bird Nests in Eastern North America
Miller, Dorcas S.
Paperback