Earth, Water, and Sky

A leading ornithologist shares his personal insights and experiences with birds across the globe in this collection of lyrical essays and drawings.

Paul Johnsgard is one of America's most prominent ornithologists and a world authority on waterfowl behavior. In Earth, Water, and Sky, he describes some of his most fascinating encounters with birds, from watching the annual mating displays of prairie-chickens on a hilltop in Pawnee County, Nebraska, to attempting to solve some of the mysteries surrounding Australia's nearly flightless musk duck.

Reflecting his worldwide interests and travels, the birds Johnsgard describes inhabit many parts of the globe. Grouping the birds by the element they frequent most—earth, water, or sky—he weaves a wealth of natural history into personal stories drawn from a lifetime of avian observation. And, as a bonus, Johnsgard’s lovely pen-and-ink drawings illustrate each species he describes.