This looks at ornithological research methods rather than behaviour which was a little disappointing. But it was still fascinating to learn about the radars, loggers, genetics, transmitters, night call surveys, ringing, citizen surveys, isotopes, and light surveying that is carried out.

Thanks to Swift Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book documents the journey that has brought us to our current understanding of bird flight migration. I found this book very impressive in its detail of how migration tools and technology have evolved over time - I would highly recommend if you want a deep dive in this subject. I dropped one star purely based on the fact that I personally would've liked a bit more information and storytelling about bird species and nature, alongside the technology.

BOOK REVIEW: Flight Paths by @r_heisman

5 Stars

I have read a few birding books recently that fell a little flat, so I had mixed feelings going into this book. However I didn't need to worry as this was definitely the best book on bird migration that I have read.

Rebecca Heisman obviously has a lot of love, interest and background in ornithology and mapping birds in a variety of ways. What makes this book even better is her fantastic writing and obvious love for what she is discussing but also her personal experiences and field trips that are interwoven with the history and science of mapping birds and their migration.

The book is split up really well and looks into how bird migration has changed over time. I found this particularly interesting as I had no idea how early ornithologists would have collected data on bird migration so it was a really great read for me. Seeing how this has changed with increasing technology was so interesting and I learnt a lot about the science behind collecting data.

What added to this was that Heisman added how different species of birds have to be treated differently in the ways to collect their data. Looking into individual case studies for these added this extra insight plus a side of birding which I loved.

Overall, this is book is very well written and highly interesting. I read a lot of new stories and insights into this subject which I wasn't expecting! I highly recommend this book to all bird lovers.

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

In Flight Paths, author Rebecca Heisman reveals the work undertaken by a group of scientists, primarily in the USA, to further our understanding of avian migration. Topics covered include bird ringing (or banding as it is apparently called over in the US), radar tracking, satellite telemetry, GPS, DNA isotope analysis and mapping and citizen science.

The emphasis here is very much upon the scientists themselves and the scientific methods they developed. There is relatively little in the way of detail about the birds themselves. If I were to nit-pick, I would have perhaps preferred more of an even balance between the two.

Nevertheless, this is a well-researched and authoritative read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.