{"product_id":"the-birds-of-heaven-travels-with-cranes","title":"The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes","description":"\u003cp\u003eA leading naturalist and writer travels the globe in search of a prized-and vanishing-bird  Cranes are ubiquitous in the earliest legends of the worlds peoples  where they often figure as harbingers of heaven and omens of longevity and good fortune. They are still held sacred in many places  and for good reason. Their large size and need for wilderness habitat makes them an \"umbrella species\" whose wellbeing assures that of other creatures and of the ecosystem at large. Moreover  the enormous spans of their migrations are a symbol of  and stimulus to  international efforts at conservation.  In The Birds of Heaven  Peter Matthiessen has woven together journeys in search of the fifteen species of cranes in Asia  Africa  Europe  North America  and Australia. As he tracks them (and their declining numbers) in the company of scientists  conservationists  and regional people encountered along the way  he captures the dilemmas of a planet in ecological crisis  and the deeper loss to humankind if these beautiful and imposing creatures are allowed to disappear. The book includes color plates by renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986164936757,"sku":"ByrdShop_0374199442","price":27.41,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780374199449.jpg?v=1770890068","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-birds-of-heaven-travels-with-cranes","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}