Browse
Birds Up Close : An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders

Birds Up Close : An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders

by MIT Press Ltd

£36.00
MPN9780262049894
Prices updated 21 May 2026

Compare 1 Retailer

Prices checked 24d ago
TGJones logo

TGJones

BEST PRICE
In stock2 - 4 working days
3 deals available
£36.00
Best Price

Amazon

Check live price on Amazon.co.uk

eBay

Check availability and price on eBay.co.uk. Yorkshire.com may be paid for purchases made through this link, by eBay Partner Network.

Check on eBay

Can’t find it elsewhere?

Product Description

A renowned engineer and ornithologist reveals the marvel of how birds work from the tips of their beaks to the sheen of their tailfeathers. With over 150 full-color illustrations, a unique gift book for everyone from the avid birder to the bird beginner. Consider feathers: They define birds wings, enabling flight.They insulate against cold. They repel water. They even control sound. And how feathers work is just one aspect of the wonders of birds explained by pathbreaking researcher and lifelong birder Lorna Gibson in Birds Up Close. Feathers, bones, bills, eggs, flight: all come in for scrutiny in this engaging book.What produces the iridescence of plumage? How does the internal structure of a bird s bones make them lightweight?How do different birds use their bills and tongues from woodpeckers penetrating the holes they drill to hummingbirds imbibing nectar, to sandpipers needling the sand, and to phalaropes drawing water droplets containing plankton into their mouths without sucking (no lips!)? Drawing on her expertise and personal experience in both engineering and ornithology, the author explores the hidden microscopic structures and engineering principles that keep birds aloft and alive how an egg is formed, how a bird generates lift; how raptors soar and glide, albatrosses fly thousands of miles, hummingbirds hover, puffins and penguins fly underwater.She also considers the longer view of birds in their habitats and natural history.Her up-close look at avian mysteries provides a perspective like no other for the expert ornithologist and curious observer alike.

More products from TGJones

Browse their full range on Yorkshire.com

From£36.00TGJones
Buy Now