The thing with feathers: the surprising lives of birds, and what they reveal about being human

Explores "the lives of birds, illuminating their surprising world and deep connection with humanity"--;Body. Fly away home : how pigeons get around ; Spontaneous order : the curious magnetism of starling flocks ; The buzzard's nostril : sniffing out a turkey vulture's talents ; Snow flurries : owls, invasions, and wanderlust ; Hummingbird wars : implications of flight in the fast land -- Mind. Fight or flights : what penguins are afraid of ; Beat generation : dancing parrots and our strange love of music ; Seeing red : when the pecking order breaks down ; Cache memory : how nutcrackers hoard information -- Spirit. Magpie in the mirror ; reflections on avian self-awareness ; Arts and craftiness : the aesthetics of bowerbird seduction ; Fairy helpers : when cooperation is just a game ; Wandering hearts : the tricky question of albatross love.