Where Song Began

Many many years back I sat on my parent's veranda and my father said to me, “look a Dollar Bird” “A what?” I said. He grabbed a bird guide he had recently purchased and showed me a drawing. I have to admit I was intrigued and with that began an interest in our feathers friends. I got a pair of binoculars, a couple of field guides and used them as an addition to my journeys in life. I also discovered that a then work colleague I was on good terms with was a bit of an amateur ornithologist. When time permitted I would go on the occasional drive with him and even to the local Ornithological Society meetings. Back then I read a fair bit of literature on the subject of birds, but have to admit to not being as deeply interested in several years now. Life changes I suppose. As do our interests.

With that I thought that I had better read this natural history as it had been sitting on the shelf since I purchased it in 2017 with the thought that I might like to read something that was of recent vintage on a subject I was once very keen on. To say I am glad I did would be an understatement. Author Tim Low has written a very readable book that covers Australian/New Guinean bird life and its place in the scheme of things. So readable, I found this very difficult to put down and resented having to do other chores. Each chapter had me reading deep about many subjects on the Australian/New Guinean birdlife that I had not really given much thought to previously. Evolution, DNA and how, as the title suggests, song in birdlife began. Why the birdlife I see on a daily basis is loud and aggressive. Why fire is such an important facet to various aspects of not only plant life but the birds that rely on such plants, and much more.

There are twelve chapters in all that cover 318 pages of the text and excellent notes, a superb bibliography and an index that takes this out to a further 405 pages. No chapter is wasted.
Obviously there was discussion on evolution and DNA, just for example, that were going to be new to me but when reading the more empirical observations by Tim Low I found myself nodding as I thought about the raucous noise I hear from Rainbow Lorikeet roosts I walk past, how many times I have been attacked by Noisy Minors, Australian Magpies and Pied Butcherbirds over the years, that the average person is hardly aware of their own birdlife let alone understand its impact on our daily life.

This review does not do this book justice. I can hardly imagine anyone with an interest in the subject of Australian birdlife not learning from or enjoying this masterful natural history.
Highly recommended.