The Return of the Oystercatcher

From the New York Times bestselling author

Around the world, birds have been struggling to survive. But the tide is turning. This is a story about optimism.

'A master storyteller' The Guardian

'Weidensaul is a superb guide to the winged marvels that share our planet' Diane Ackerman, author of The Zookeeper's Wife

Across the world, scientists, conservationists and ordinary people are involved in groundbreaking work to restore billions of lost birds. Together they’re tackling the hollowing out of the springtime dawn chorus and the withering away of once-great migration multitudes.

From a tiny island off the coast of Maine to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to a hereditary estate in England, the deep Carpathian Mountains in Romania and a watery wilderness in Ukraine where air-raid sirens scream at night, birds’ fortunes are being reversed.

In The Return of the Oystercatcher, renowned natural history writer Scott Weidensaul tells the uplifting story of that success and what it means for us and for our planet, too. Because a world that works for birds, in all their complexity of movement and ecological need, will work for everything else. Including people.

Illustrated with 16 pages of colour photographs and maps

Praise for Scott Weidensaul's A World on the Wing:

'A gripping journey' The New York Times

'Weidensaul offers the astonishment of birds’ travels, deep concern for their populations and hope for their future' Wall Street Journal

'Fascinating . . . The science of bird migration has reached a golden age, and we’re lucky to have such a graceful guide' Noah Strycker, author of Birding Without Borders