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Nature Birds

Papa Goose

One Year, Seven Goslings, and the Flight of My Life

by (author) Michael Quetting

foreword by Stacey O'Brien

translated by Jane Billinghurst

Publisher
Greystone Books Ltd
Initial publish date
Sep 2018
Category
Birds, Essays, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781771643610
    Publish Date
    Sep 2018
    List Price
    $29.95

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Description

“Papa Goose is destined to become a classic. This book has everything in it I love: great animals beautifully portrayed as individuals; cool science; drama, discovery, and personal transformation.” 
—Sy Montgomery, author of Birdology and The Soul of An Octopus

The charming true story of one man’s journey to raise seven goslings in the name of science.

In Papa Goose, Michael Quetting shares the hilarious and moving true story of how he became a father to seven rambunctious goslings—and the surprising things he learned along the way. Starting right at the beginning, with the eggs, his journey takes him from the incubator all the way to the airstrip, where he must attempt to teach the geese to fly as part of an ambitious scientific research initiative for the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, which tracks animal migrations around the world. For the next eleven months, we follow the newly minted dad as he takes the goslings on daily swims in the lake, tracks them down when they go astray, and watches their personalities develop: feisty, churlish, and lovable. Packed with charm and humor, Papa Goose quickly draws us into the adventure as Gloria, Nemo, and the rest of the crew conquer land, water, and air.

About the authors

Michael Quetting is a laboratory manager at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, a pilot, a bird lover, a bestselling author, and father to two human children.

Michael Quetting's profile page

Stacey O’Brien is the author of the New York Times bestseller Wesley the Owl. Trained as a biologist specializing in wild animal behavior, she now works as a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitation expert with a variety of local animals.

Stacey O'Brien's profile page

Jane Billinghurst holds an M.A. in German and Philosophy from Oxford University and is the author of numerous nonfiction books, including Temptress: From the Original Bad Girls to Women on Top. She is also an editor and has been the director of Simon Fraser University's Summer Book Editing Workshop. She lives in Anacortes, Washington, where she can often be found tending her foxgloves and forget-me-nots or relaxing in a garden chair.

Jane Billinghurst's profile page

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