This is a book of the discovery of birds and the places they live.

Everywhere we go there are birds, and they all have mysteries to be unravelled. These mysteries include the way they look, from bizarre to apparently mundane, why they live where they live, and the things they do, many of which are far too incredible to even be imagined as fiction.

Birds in Their Habitats is a collection of stories and experiences, which introduce fascinating aspects of birdlife, ecology, and behaviour. Informed by a wealth of historical and contemporary research, Ian Fraser takes the reader on a journey through four continents: from places as unfamiliar as the Chonos Archipelago of southern Chile and the arid Sahel woodlands of northern Cameroon, to those as familiar as a suburban backyard. And with humour and personal insight, it is a book about the sometimes strange world of the people who spend a life absorbed in birds.

“Ian Fraser is one of the country’s most accomplished natural history writers.” Sean Dooley, Australian Birdlife, on Australian Bird Names

“Ian Fraser’s writing is not of the dry, scientific style; it is evocative in describing his acute observations and understanding in nature.” Don Saunders, Bird Observers’ Club of Australia, on Bush Capital Year