Close to Birds

A stunning celebration of birds and why we love them. Gorgeous, close-up photographs highlight the magic in every feather, with enchanting essays about how birds touch our lives.

Our lives intertwine with birds like no other wild creature. Every day birds warm our hearts, inspire our curiosity, and appeal to our sense of wonder. Close to Birds brings us even nearer to our feathered friends. The stunning and intimate photographs capture the beauty and detail of each bird's form, as well as their unique character and personality. The accompanying short essays share charming and often-hidden details from birds' lives. Discover why robins sing so early in the morning and learn the science behind the almost magical iridescence of mallard feathers. Close to Birds shares the irresistible joy and marvel of birds.

ROINE MAGNUSSON is a photographer who has contributed work to National Geographic and has published several award-winning photography books in Sweden. He seeks unconventional ways of approaching every picture he takes and is happy to carry many pounds of camera equipment into the forest to get the image he wants.

MATS and ÅSA OTTOSSON are freelance journalists, authors, and lecturers with a deep love for nature. They have written more than 20 books, collaborating with Roine Magnusson on the award-winning book Cows: A Love Story. Mats writes Bonnier's popular annual bird almanac, Bird Diary, and is one of the hosts for the show Morning with Nature at Swedish Public Radio.

KIRA JOSEFSSON is a writer, editor, and literary translator working between English and Swedish. She was awarded a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant for her work on Pooneh Rohi's The Arab, an excerpt of which was published by Granta. She lives in New York, where she serves as Translation Productions Editor for Anomaly and on the editorial board for Gl&aauml;nta.