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    Birds Up Close

    An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders

    Author Lorna Gibson
    Look inside
    Hardcover
    $39.95 US
    The MIT Press
    8.25"W x 9.31"H x 0.78"D   | 31 oz | 14 per carton
    On sale May 05, 2026 | 288 Pages | 9780262049894
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    A renowned engineer and lifelong birder reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to the sheen of their tailfeathers.

    With over 150 full-color illustrations, a unique gift book for everyone from the avid birder to the bird beginner.

    Consider feathers: They define birds’ wings, enabling flight. They insulate against cold. They repel water. They even control sound. And how feathers work is just one aspect of the wonders of birds explained by pathbreaking researcher and birder Lorna Gibson in Birds Up Close.

    Feathers, bones, bills, eggs, flight: all come in for scrutiny in this engaging book. What produces the iridescence of plumage? How does the internal structure of a bird’s bones make them lightweight? How do different birds use their bills and tongues—from woodpeckers penetrating the holes they drill to hummingbirds imbibing nectar, to sandpipers needling the sand, and to phalaropes drawing water droplets containing plankton into their mouths without sucking (no lips!)?

    Drawing on her expertise and personal experience in both engineering and ornithology, the author explores the hidden microscopic structures and engineering principles that keep birds aloft and alive—how an egg is formed, how a bird generates lift; how raptors soar and glide, albatrosses fly thousands of miles, hummingbirds hover, puffins and penguins “fly” underwater. She also considers the longer view of birds in their habitats and natural history. Her up-close look at avian mysteries provides a perspective like no other for the expert ornithologist and curious observer alike.
    Lorna J. Gibson is the Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT. Her research interests have focused on the mechanics of materials with a cellular structure such as engineering honeycombs and foams, natural materials such as wood, leaves and bamboo, as well as medical materials for regenerating damaged tissues. A lifelong birder, Gibson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
    Lorna Gibson View titles by Lorna Gibson
    Contents
    Preface
    Chapter 1 Fantastic Feathers: Color and Sound
    Contour feather structure
    Feather color
    Pigments
    Structural color
    Feathers for sound
    Creating sound
    Suppressing sound
    Collecting sound
    References
    Chapter 2 Fantastic Feathers: Warm and Dry
    Water repellency
    Thermal insulation
    References
    Chapter 3 Bones: Light for Flight
    Bird skeletons
    Sandwich structures
    Cylindrical long bones
    References
    Chapter 4 Bills Woodpeckers: Bills for pecking
    Hummingbirds: Tongues for collecting nectar
    Calidris sandpipers: Bills for sensing prey
    Phalaropes: Bills for capturing plankton
    References
    Chapter 5 Eggs Ovum to egg
    Color
    Size and shape of eggs
    Strength of eggshells
    References
    Chapter 6 Flight: Weight, Upward Force and Lift
    Weight
    Upward force
    Lift
    References
    Chapter 7 Flight: Drag and Thrust Drag
    Soaring and gliding
    Thrust: Flapping flight
    Specialized types of flight
    Hovering
    Swimming with wings
    Murmurations of starlings
    References
    Epilogue: Sanctuary and Solace
    Acknowledgments

    About

    A renowned engineer and lifelong birder reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to the sheen of their tailfeathers.

    With over 150 full-color illustrations, a unique gift book for everyone from the avid birder to the bird beginner.

    Consider feathers: They define birds’ wings, enabling flight. They insulate against cold. They repel water. They even control sound. And how feathers work is just one aspect of the wonders of birds explained by pathbreaking researcher and birder Lorna Gibson in Birds Up Close.

    Feathers, bones, bills, eggs, flight: all come in for scrutiny in this engaging book. What produces the iridescence of plumage? How does the internal structure of a bird’s bones make them lightweight? How do different birds use their bills and tongues—from woodpeckers penetrating the holes they drill to hummingbirds imbibing nectar, to sandpipers needling the sand, and to phalaropes drawing water droplets containing plankton into their mouths without sucking (no lips!)?

    Drawing on her expertise and personal experience in both engineering and ornithology, the author explores the hidden microscopic structures and engineering principles that keep birds aloft and alive—how an egg is formed, how a bird generates lift; how raptors soar and glide, albatrosses fly thousands of miles, hummingbirds hover, puffins and penguins “fly” underwater. She also considers the longer view of birds in their habitats and natural history. Her up-close look at avian mysteries provides a perspective like no other for the expert ornithologist and curious observer alike.

    Author

    Lorna J. Gibson is the Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT. Her research interests have focused on the mechanics of materials with a cellular structure such as engineering honeycombs and foams, natural materials such as wood, leaves and bamboo, as well as medical materials for regenerating damaged tissues. A lifelong birder, Gibson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
    Lorna Gibson View titles by Lorna Gibson

    Table of Contents

    Contents
    Preface
    Chapter 1 Fantastic Feathers: Color and Sound
    Contour feather structure
    Feather color
    Pigments
    Structural color
    Feathers for sound
    Creating sound
    Suppressing sound
    Collecting sound
    References
    Chapter 2 Fantastic Feathers: Warm and Dry
    Water repellency
    Thermal insulation
    References
    Chapter 3 Bones: Light for Flight
    Bird skeletons
    Sandwich structures
    Cylindrical long bones
    References
    Chapter 4 Bills Woodpeckers: Bills for pecking
    Hummingbirds: Tongues for collecting nectar
    Calidris sandpipers: Bills for sensing prey
    Phalaropes: Bills for capturing plankton
    References
    Chapter 5 Eggs Ovum to egg
    Color
    Size and shape of eggs
    Strength of eggshells
    References
    Chapter 6 Flight: Weight, Upward Force and Lift
    Weight
    Upward force
    Lift
    References
    Chapter 7 Flight: Drag and Thrust Drag
    Soaring and gliding
    Thrust: Flapping flight
    Specialized types of flight
    Hovering
    Swimming with wings
    Murmurations of starlings
    References
    Epilogue: Sanctuary and Solace
    Acknowledgments

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