Birds of a feather

For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard.

In this short, delightful book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures: only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least 24 distinct calls. Visitors to her home are astonished by all this, but for Sy what’s more astonishing is how little most people know about chickens, especially considering there are more chickens than people.

Review Quote

“[Sy Montgomery is] one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world.” —The New York Times

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