Swallow and starling, puffin and peregrine: We use these names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? Where did they come from? And who created them? The words we use to name birds tell incredible stories of epic expeditions, touching romantic gestures, or fierce battles between rival ornithologists. Through fascinating encounters with birds and the rich cast of characters who came up with their names, Stephen Moss shows how these names reveal as much about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world as about the creatures they describe.