Extinct birds : $b An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times

This volume gathers together the stories of birds that have vanished from the Earth within the past several hundred years, offering a concise yet thorough look at each loss. The author, an experienced ornithologist, blends careful research with the excitement of discovery, drawing on museum specimens, historic accounts, and even reconstructed illustrations to bring the extinct species back to life on the page. Listeners will hear about well‑known birds such as the Great Auk alongside more obscure island parrots and rail species that left only bones and sketches behind.

The book is organized systematically, separating birds known from physical remains and those remembered through written descriptions. Across its pages, forty‑five full‑colour plates and numerous line drawings recreate the likely appearance of these vanished creatures, giving a vivid sense of their size, shape and plumage. Along the way, the narrative touches on how human hunting, habitat change, and island isolation contributed to their disappearance.

Beyond cataloguing loss, the work reflects on the fragile line between survival and extinction, noting a few birds teetering on the brink today. It offers listeners a thoughtful glimpse into how natural history, archaeology and early travel tales intersect, making the study of vanished birds both a scientific inquiry and a subtle reminder of our responsibility toward the living species that remain.