Richard Cannings is one of those rare birds – a down-to-earth expert. Birders both experienced and novice are in good company with this inveterate and humorous naturalist, who shares his experiences and knowledge engagingly.

The book’s 30 concise chapters are a shortlist of some of Cannings’ favourite feathered friends, from the common crow to the uncommon white-headed woodpecker, from the endangered meadowlark to the expanding populations of opportunistic grape-loving western bluebirds. Some species have been chosen for their songs, others for their interesting antics. (Crows, for example, play games like “catch the mussel shell” and “king of the castle.”) Each species is deftly illustrated by Donald Gunn, whose affectionate sketches, personalized to fit the text, accurately catch the mood of the book. (The two previously collaborated on The B.C. Roadside Naturalist.)

Cannings combines the lightness of Candace Savage’s style with the passion Bruce Whittington brings to the birding experience, and then adds wonderful details, such as the pygmy nuthatch’s crow-like behaviour in its use of a short twig to probe into bark crevices for food.

While Whittington, in 2004’s Seasons with Birds, arranged his own birding experiences and observations into monthly chapters, Cannings here opts for organizing his chapters by groups of birds. As a result, there’s a certain lack of flow and some repetition. In the end, An Echantment of Birds feels like a field trip with a knowledgeable friend: you have a good time and enjoy a few laughs while being shown interesting sights – such as drunken bohemian waxwings and industrious Clark’s nutcrackers storing their caches for winter.