Taking my cue from the title, I imagined Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? [LibraryThing / WorldCat] to be on of those 1001 questions answered sorts of books. You know the type: modestly informative but sleep-inducing. Mike O’Connor’s book was nothing of the sort. It is a collection of questions and answers, but O’Connor’s informal personality and wit shine through on every page. I was pleasantly surprised.
This book, compiled from the author’s Ask the Bird Folks column, is witty and entertaining. O’Connor’s writing style is conversational, meandering, and just a bit hokey. That only makes it thoroughly entertaining, though. He even answers the questions eventually.
Questions in the book tend to focus on backyard birds and their behavior, but some wander into topics of waterfowl, migration, nesting, and basic birding. O’Connor tackles the thorny issue of squirrels, too. They’re not birds, but birders know them well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to see another one by the same author some day.
