Review of "Avian Architecture"

Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer and Build
Author Peter Goodfellow. Princeton University Press 2011, 160 pp. $27.95

Reviewed by Clay Christensen
February 11, 2012

This book is full of excellent photographs and diagrams. Goodfellow covers a dozen different kinds of nests, each in the same general format: First, a page of general introduction to the nest type; then, a “blueprint” style drawing showing nest construction and important features; next, a two-page spread illustrating materials used in the nest; then, building techniques; and finally, one or more case studies of birds that build that type of nest.

Many of the birds used for the case studies are from other countries, but, in most cases, the nests built by birds from other places are very similar to ones built by “our” birds. In fact, the most common cup-shaped nest is used by thousands of songbird species.

This is a good time of the year to observe nests from last year’s breeding season; the trees are bare and the leaves are down. Pick a nest type, and then use this book to learn all about how it was built.

For example, in the section on cup-shaped nests, the blueprint section features the nest of the red-winged blackbird, secured to sedges, reeds and cattail stems so it sits above the water level. The materials and features pages use the hummingbird nest to illustrate elements of nest insulation materials, camouflage and the use of spider silk as anchor lines for the nest. Then the cup-forming techniques pages show a nine-step process from bare branches to a perfectly formed cup nest. The case studies include the yellow warbler and our American robin as well as two European birds.

This is an intriguing book. Open to any section and you’ll be fascinated by another of the many different structures that birds build to hold their eggs and protect their young.

But don’t just take my word for it. “Avian Architecture” was a winner of the 2011 American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (The PROSE Award) for best book in Popular Science and Popular Mathematics.