Friday, July 31, 2026

Ornithography – Book Review

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Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism (Hidden Languages)
by Jessica Roux

Birds and What They Mean to Us

I am a huge fan of dinosaurs and (I think) have a pretty good knowledge of these fascinating creatures. I decided to pick up this eye-catching book because I realized that, even though I was quite familiar with Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and other such ancient dinosaurs, I had to expand my knowledge of the only surviving ones: birds. And I'm glad I did.

Ornithography by Jessica Roux is a lovely book celebrating birds and their connections with us humans. The author presents readers with 100 of her favorite birds (including the albatross, cassowary, heron, lapwing, raven, toucan, wren, and even the unfortunately already extinct dodo), each entry showing the meaning of the bird, the lore surrounding it, and a beautiful illustration drawn by the Nashville-based artist. I find Roux's writing style absolutely charming and delightful, and her unique, gorgeous drawings are something you should not miss out on! Thanks to Ornithography. not only have I acquired massive amounts of knowledge about our feathery friends, but I have also learned so much about human history and culture – in reading this amazing avian book, I could clearly see the great propensity our species has for symbolism and superstition. If you'd like to know about birds and how we perceive them as humans, I highly recommend reading this gem of avian literature by Jessica Roux!

Have you read Ornithography? What do you think about this book? Share your opinion in the comment section below!
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