Flock Together: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds - Hardcover

by B. J. Hollars (Author)

Named by Forbes as one of the 12 Best Books About Birds and Birding in 2017

How, he wondered, could we preserve so beautifully on film what we've failed to preserve in life?

And so begins his yearlong journey to find out, one that leads him from bogs to art museums, from archives to Christmas Counts, until he at last comes as close to extinct birds as he ever will during a behind-the-scenes visit at the Chicago Field Museum.

Heartbroken by the birds we've lost, Hollars takes refuge in those that remain. Armed with binoculars, a field guide, and knowledgeable friends, he begins his transition from budding birder to environmentally conscious citizen, a first step on a longer journey toward understanding the true tragedy of a bird's song silenced forever.

Told with charm and wit, Flock Together is a remarkable memoir that shows how "knowing" the natural world--even just a small part--illuminates what it means to be a global citizen and how only by embracing our ecological responsibilities do we ever become fully human. A moving elegy to birds we've lost, Hollars's exploration of what we can learn from extinct species will resonate in the minds of readers long beyond the final page.

Watch a book trailer for Hollars's book, Midwestern Strange.

Front Jacket

After stumbling upon a book of photographs depicting extinct animals, B.J. Hollars became fascinated by the creatures that are no longer with us; specifically, extinct North American birds.

How, he wondered, could we preserve so beautifully on film what we've failed to preserve in life?

And so begins his yearlong journey to find out, one that leads him from bogs to art museums, from archives to Christmas Counts, until he at last comes as close to extinct birds as he ever will during a behind-the-scenes visit at the Chicago Field Museum.

Heartbroken by the birds we've lost, Hollars takes refuge in those that remain. Armed with binoculars, a field guide, and knowledgeable friends, he begins his transition from budding birder to environmentally conscious citizen, a first step on a longer journey toward understanding the true tragedy of a bird's song silenced forever.

Told with charm and wit, Flock Together is a remarkable memoir that shows how "knowing" the natural world--even just a small part--illuminates what it means to be a global citizen and how only by embracing our ecological responsibilities do we ever become fully human. A moving elegy to birds we've lost, Hollars's exploration of what we can learn from extinct species will resonate in the minds of readers long beyond the final page.

Author Biography

B.J. Hollars is an associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He is the author of numerous books, including From the Mouths of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us about Life, Death, and Being Human (Nebraska, 2022) and Go West, Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail (Bison Books, 2021).