Living with Birds

Len Howard forged extraordinary relationships with the birds in her Sussex garden during the 1950s. This groundbreaking work in bird studies is also a captivating and immersive piece of nature writing.

This bird biography tells the story of one exceptional Great Tit called Star. In opening her home to wild birds, Len Howard gained their trust and made astonishing discoveries about their capabilities. Star’s character and intelligence is revealed, and with patience, consistency and sensitivity Howard even succeeds in teaching Star to count using taps of her beak.

Full of joy and wonder, as well as deep knowledge and fascinating detail, Living with Birds encompasses bird studies of all kinds including the fate of a lame fledgling, the bond between Great Tit parents and their babies and observations of migrant birds. It is also the story of how Howard succeeded in developing such an unusual relationship with the wild birds in her garden.

'Howard seems to have stood on the brink of communication with a wild bird, something till now hardly conceivable...awe-inspiring' Observer