Book Review | The Birds at My Table by Darryl Jones

the birds at my table

Book Description:

Darryl Jones is fascinated by bird feeders. Not the containers supplying food to our winged friends, but the people who fill the containers.

Why do people do this? Jones asks in The Birds at My Table. Does the food even benefit the birds? What are the unintended consequences of providing additional food to our winged friends?

Jones takes us on a wild flight through the history of bird feeding. He pinpoints the highs and lows of the practice. And he ponders this odd but seriously popular form of interaction between humans and wild animals. Most important, he points out that we know very little about the impact of feeding birds despite millions of people doing it every day.

Unerringly, Jones digs at the deeper issues and questions, and he raises our awareness of the things we don’t yet know and why we really should. Using the latest scientific findings, The Birds at My Table takes a global swoop from 30,000 feet down to the backyard bird feeder and pushes our understanding of the many aspects of bird feeding back up to new heights.

Known as “Snow White” on my street by my loving neighbors, I had to read this book, to see if there was a rhyme or reason for my bird loving behavior. I also wanted to see why others feed birds and whether or not we are hurting or helping the environment.

What a comprehensive and easy-to-read assessment of those of us who love to feed birds. Darryl Jones does a wonderful job of researching and digging deeply to explain different methods of feeding, times of year, species, and outcomes. And though I am an avid bird watcher and environment “intervener”, I know I need to know the truth about what I’m doing.

I was not disappointed in his writing, as he explained much, however I was saddened to hear that we can affect animals by our intervention and timeliness. As a Christian, I believe that all creatures are created by our living God who designed them with instinct and intelligence needed for survival and procreation. And I’m enamored with knowing more about them because of this love for my Heavenly Father. I want to catch the Design in action, and may times I do!

I appreciated the intelligence of Darryl and his travels. He interviewed many people from many different countries, used real time data for his findings and shared the truth of how these birds interact and live among us. If you are a bird watcher like myself and want to know more about them, you simply have to grab this book. It’s fascinating!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Cornell University Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html): “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”