Here are all the most evocative words ever spoken--and recorded--about our feathered friends. "Look at that mallard as he floats on the lake. . . .The wary bird draws his feet under his body, springs upon them, opens his wings, and with loud quacks bids you farewell." --John James Audubon, The Birds of America "No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings." --William Blake "Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." --Langston Hughes "A hen is only an egg"s way of making another egg." --Samuel Butler "Magpie, n. A bird whose thievish disposition suggested to someone that it might be taught to talk." --Ambrose Bierce Birds of all species, from starlings to blue jays, hummingbirds, eagles, and the wild turkey, have long inspired great minds to even greater heights. Anyone with a bird feeder in their backyard will understand why. Birds mesmerize, soothe, and entertain. Their antics amuse us, their beauty renders us inarticulate, and their feats of endurance suggest the awesome mysteries of nature. We have Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson to thank for what understanding of our avian neighbors we possess. However, the infatuation with birds goes far beyond the realm of the naturalist. It infects poets, playwrights, politicians, comedians, and explorers alike. Now birders can leaf through the pages of THE QUOTABLE BIRDER to enjoy sentiments witty, profound, wise, and joyful, among the more than five hundred quotes from such luminaries as: Isak Dinesen * Al Franken * Franklin Delano Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt * William Blake * David Letterman Lord Tennyson * William Jefferson Clinton * John Keats Emily Dickinson * Daphne du Maurier * Chaucer Charles Lindbergh * Christopher Marlowe William Shakespeare * Dr. Seuss * Andy Warhol Ogden Nash * Gore Vidal * And many more THE QUOTABLE BIRDER is the perfect gift for the millions of men and women who have made bird-watching the most popular hobby in America. Any avian admirer will find endless hours of pleasure leafing through these pages and many will want to give and receive this collection as a gift.