The Living Bird explores the relationship between birds and people through over 250 images by wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and thought-provoking essays by some of the world's leading naturalists and bird enthusiasts. The book also marks the 100th anniversary of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. Captured in terrain both exotic and familiar--the Yukon Delta, a woods in Arkansas, a remote village in Russia's Arctic, and even urban Seattle--Vyn's remarkable photographs illustrate nearly 100 North American bird species. The exhilaration of migratory Whooping Cranes, the fragility of the endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper, and the wide-eyed beauty of Great Horned Owls all come alive on the page. From enjoying backyard Black-capped Chickadees and Yellow Warblers, to wondering over a Pileated Woodpecker, or to admiring the powerful soar of a Gyrfalcon, The Living Bird educates and inspires.

"I think maybe everyone needs birds, at least a little."
--Barbara Kingsolver, from the Foreword