An acclaimed natural history writer follows the trail of the
remarkable hummingbird all over the world.
Hummingbirds are a glittering, sparkling collective of over three
hundred wildly variable species. For centuries, they have been revered
by indigenous Americans, coveted by European collectors, and admired
worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character.
Yet they exist on a knife-edge, fighting for survival in boreal
woodlands, dripping cloud forests, and subpolar islands. They are,
perhaps, the ultimate embodiment of evolution's power to carve a niche
for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places.
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds' range, from the cusp of
the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands, acclaimed nature writer Jon
Dunn encounters birders, scientists, and storytellers in his quest to
find these beguiling creatures, immersing us in the world of one of
Earth's most charismatic bird families.