At a time when many people, especially in urban environments, are gaining greater appreciation of the nature around them, The Bird-Friendly City provides a welcome discussion of how birds, our most visible and audible urban wildlife, can be encouraged to flourish. Timothy Beatley presents a compelling case for enhancing what he calls the ‘birdicity’ of our cities—a term characterizing the bird-friendliness of cities. The argument for increasing birdicity appears to represent a realistic and achievable win–win situation, whereby benefits to birds can also enhance the well-being of human city dwellers. A multitude of additional benefits are also explained, from the greater value of bird-friendly properties to the reduction of heat island effects by urban green spaces. As such, this book supports the growing movement among urbanites who respond to the biodiversity crisis by taking action to demand better urban planning for wildlife.
Timothy Beatley has undertaken a huge amount of research into the different approaches to create bird-friendly cities and recalls his first-hand experience with practitioners leading these campaigns. The book showcases issues facing birds in urban environments and, being primarily based in North America, the major threat to migratory songbirds from collisions is well represented. The 12 chapters cover various case studies to structure the reader's journey, and although some points are reiterated, these serve to reinforce the case and mean that readers of various backgrounds will feel comfortable picking up this book.
The book's subtitle Creating Safe Urban Habitats suggests that the text will provide a kind of manual for designing bird-friendly cities. Yet although the book thoroughly discusses the situation in North America, with pertinent case studies from further afield, it does not exhaust the discussion of challenges in other parts of the world, nor the range of solutions available. Although the book provides a starting point for advocating change, conservationists, practitioners and campaigners need to carefully consider the local contexts and implement evidence-based approaches to make cities more bird-friendly. This is particularly pertinent as we navigate the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables, which will require a significant change in land use in certain areas and carry potential risks to vulnerable bird species. Evidence-based approaches are also needed given the complexities of highly artificial urban and suburban environments. For example, garden bird feeding in New Zealand has been found to favour higher densities of introduced seed-eating birds, with potentially negative consequences for native insectivorous species.
The Bird-Friendly City is a timely and recommendable book that challenges our perceptions of how cities should operate and which birds can flourish given the opportunity. It also promotes the importance of valuing the nature we retain in cities; veteran trees are worth more in terms of bird habitat and carbon sequestration than newly planted saplings. The book also highlights how gardens, which make up the majority of the suburban environment, can play a significant role in habitat provision. Maintaining native vegetation in gardens can create effective ecological corridors and refugia. The book finishes with a reflection on the urgency and opportunity we have to mitigate the threats to birds within our cities and to live harmoniously with nature. I would encourage anyone, from home owners to architects and city planners, to read this book.
Open access
