The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
Birdsong in a Time of Silence

Birdsong in a Time of Silence

Summary

A lyrical celebration of birdsong, and the rekindling of a deep passion for nature.

'At this time of year, blackbirds never simply fly: instead, like reluctantly retired officers, they're always "on manoeuvres", and it's easy to see from their constant agitation that for them every flower bed is a bunker, every shed a redoubt and every hedge-bottom a potential place of ambush'

As the world went silent in lockdown, something else happened; for the first time, many of us started becoming more aware of the spring sounds of the birds around us. Birdsong in a Time of Silence is a lyrical, uplifting reflection on these sounds and what they mean to us.

From a portrait of the blackbird - most prominent and articulate of the early spring singers - to explorations of how birds sing, the science behind their choice of song and nest-sites, and the varied meanings that people have brought to and taken from birdsong, this book ultimately shows that natural history and human history cannot be separated. It is the story of a collective reawakening brought on by the strangest of springs.

Reviews

  • A delightful meditation on the wonder of birdsong, and how it helped us at a moment of crisis
    Stephen Moss

About the author

Steven Lovatt

Steven Lovatt is a birder, writer, critic, teacher and the author of Birdsong in a Time of Silence. He is based in South Wales.
Learn More

More from this Author

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more