The thing with feathers: the surprising lives of birds, and what they reveal about being human

Body. Fly away home: how pigeons get around ; Spontaneous order: the curious magnetism of starling flocks ; The buzzard's nostril: sniffing out a turkey vulture's talents ; Snow flurries: owls, invasions, and wanderlust ; Hummingbird wars: implications of flight in the fast lane.

Mind. Fight or flight: what penguins are afraid of ; Beat generation: dancing parrots and our strange love of music ; Seeing red: when the pecking order breaks down ; Cache memory: how nutcrackers hoard information.

Spirit. Magpie in the mirror ; reflections on avian self-awareness ; Arts and craftiness : the aesthetics of bowerbird seduction ; Fairy helpers: when cooperation is just a game ; Wandering hearts: the tricky question of albatross love.