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Birding Without Borders

An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World

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Birding Without Borders

Written by: Noah Strycker
Narrated by: Luke Welland
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About this listen

Noah Strycker set himself a goal: to become the first person to see half the world's 10,000 species of bird in one year.

With an itinerary covering 41 countries, spanning all seven continents, and armed with a backpack, binoculars, and a series of one-way tickets, he sets out on the greatest adventure in the birding world. Along the way he meets a colorful cast of fellow birders—and discovers a world of blood-sucking leeches, chronic sleep deprivation, floods, war zones, ecologic devastation, and conservation triumphs.

Vivid, charming, and full of wonder, Birding Without Borders is a celebration of passion, exploration, and the birders' ethos that, if you keep your eyes and mind open, you never know what you might see.

©2017 Noah Strycker (P)2022 Noah Strycker Adventure Travel Biological Sciences Outdoors & Nature Science Adventure

What the critics say

One of the Guardian's Best Paperbacks of November

"Astonishing.... If by chance you can't meet these 6,042 species yourself, this book is a close second." (Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds)

"Even readers who wouldn't know a marvellous spatuletail from a southern ground hornbill will be awed." (Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most Relevant
The author takes us on a funny, warm hearted, exciting adventure around the world looking for birds! I was impressed with the depiction of the world wide birding community which supported him and embraced his cause everywhere he went. He develops his own character gradually revealing his inspiration and motivation to tackle the challenge of sighting 4000 different species of birds in a year. The narrator superbly brings the story to life, capturing the many accents and setting a fast moving pace to match the constant push to reach the daily goal no matter how challenging the circumstances. A remarkable listen!!!

Travel with a Purpose

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Many countries, many birds but what I most appreciated about this well narrated book was the hope and generosity of spirit the author expressed about the people in all the different countries that assisted him in his quest to travel the world and see/hear as many birds as he can in a year.

Well done. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story from front to end.

Great for birders and non-birders alike

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The author takes us on a world tour, with passion, empathy for the local people and cultures, and devotion to his fantastic quest. A terrific listen as the narrator guides us with wonder and an obvious delight in the subject and the journey. This story brings birds flying peacefully and sometimes
dramatically into our minds and psyche.

An amazing adventure

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