In the new book “White Feathers: The Nesting Lives of Tree Swallows,” celebrated Maine author and scientist Bernd Heinrich again unveils just how surprising and complex nature can be.
A professor emeritus in the biology department at the University of Vermont, Heinrich lives in a rustic cabin that he built himself in the woods near Weld. He’s the author of more than 20 books, including “A Year in the Maine Woods” (1994), “Mind of the Raven” (1999) and “A Naturalist at Large” (2018). Many of these books are bestsellers and have won multiple awards.
Heinrich’s honest, spirited writing makes topics accessible and relatable to a wide range of people. With detailed observations, he draws readers into his experiences and infuses them with the same curiosity he brings to his research.
“I feel that in describing nature, it should be relevant to everyone,” Heinrich said. “I don’t want to make it too specialized so only one small group can understand it.”
The book “White Feathers,” released in February, follows Heinrich over the course of 9 years as he closely observes tree swallows during spring nesting season at his home in Maine. Throughout this long-term study, the experienced biologist is continually amazed by the birds’ abilities and behaviors. And though he starts his study of tree swallows with one question — Why do the swallows line their nest with rare white feathers? — he is soon puzzling about more of the birds’ complicated lives.
“We don’t realize how sophisticated [birds] can be. We can’t unless we really look close,” Heinrich said. “They just drew me in. It seems like the more we look closer, the more threads there are to pull on. Or if it’s a painting, the more colors there are, the more brushstrokes and the more beautiful the picture becomes.”
During the study, Heinrich spent so much time observing the tree swallows nesting on his property that the birds became accustomed to him. Certain swallows would even allow him to count their eggs as they sat on their nests. And when he offered the swallows some white feathers to line their nests, they flew down and took the feathers right from his hand.
“The thing is, this was a wild bird. Totally wild,” Heinrich said. “And to think I got that close to them, which I never expected, it’s really turned into an interesting story, and that’s what I like.”
In the second chapter of the book, Heinrich wrote: “My observation of the family [of swallows] included details that might have seemed unbelievable, had I not seen and experienced them.”
But the book isn’t just about how interesting or surprising swallows can be, it’s also about the challenges birds face, including changing weather, predators, competition for nesting areas and nest parasitism (when a bird lays an egg in another bird’s nest).
The book is also a lesson on how to be a backyard naturalist. It demonstrates how detailed and consistent observations of one species or several can lead to a whole new level of understanding. And according to Heinrich, this is something that anyone can do, regardless of their educational background or prior experience. In fact, observing wildlife without expectations can sometimes be more fun than observing something you already know a lot about, he said.
“It doesn’t have to be new to the world,” Heinrich said. “It can be new to you. Make it fun. That was my approach.”
Prior to this study, Heinrich didn’t know much about tree swallows. And while they’re one of the most studied bird species, he didn’t let that deter him from conducting his own study, forming his own theories and most importantly, enjoying the process.
“I think there’s a value in knowing how things work,” Heinrich said. “It allows me to relate to things if I understand them. I’m not really thinking about saving the world when I’m looking at tree swallows, but I think understanding them brings us closer to everything in the living world and makes it more kin, and that I think makes it more home.”
“White Feathers: The Nesting Lives of Tree Swallows,” published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, retails at $27 for a 256-page hardcover book. It includes black-and-white nature drawings by Heinrich, as well as a section of beautiful color photos that he took of the birds, their nests, their hatchlings and their eggs. The book is also available as an eBook and audiobook.