The Hummingbirds' Gift

Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings

By: Sy Montgomery

Narrated by: Sy Montgomery

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of the “fascinating…entertaining” (The Daily Beast) National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus, a charmingly perfect gem of a book about the most exquisite and extraordinary of winged creatures—hummingbirds.

As one of the most beautiful and intriguing birds found in nature, hummingbirds fascinate people around the world. The lightest birds in the sky, hummingbirds are capable of incredible feats, such as flying backwards, diving at speeds of sixty-one MPH, and beating their wings more than sixty times a second. Miraculous creatures, they are also incredibly vulnerable when they first emerge from their eggs. That’s where Brenda Sherburn comes in.

With tenderness and patience, she rescues abandoned hummingbirds and nurses them back to health until they can fly away and live in the wild. In The Hummingbird’s Gift, the extraordinary care that Brenda provides her peanut-sized patients is revealed and, in the process, shows us just how truly amazing hummingbirds are. With Sy Montgomery’s signature “joyful passion” (Library Journal), and including sixteen pages of gorgeous color photos, this beautifully written and inspiring little book celebrates the profound gift that hummingbirds are to our planet and is the ultimate gift for nature lovers and bird watchers everywhere.

Critic reviews

"Originally published as a chapter in Montgomery's 2010 book BIRDOLOGY and with a new introduction here, this brief audio is a hummingbird-sized meditation on the beauty, fragility, and resilience of these charismatic birds. As the babies are carefully fed (every 20 minutes!), cleaned, and readied for release, Montgomery's warm and intimate delivery makes listeners care about each development and setback. And her descriptions of these tiny marvels will almost certainly inspire you to step outside and observe the natural world with a new appreciation."

Wonderful!!!

OMG! This is sooooo sweet!!! I love Sy Montgomery’s work! We have tons of hummingbirds and it was just great to learn more about their life!

Such a beautiful and touching book!

Loved loved this book! As a lover of all things this story was heartfelt but educational all in one! Hummingbirds are fascinating and this was beautifully portrayed!

Fabulously and Endearingly Told

This short piece by Sy Montgomery focuses on hummingbird development, physiology, and ecology from the lens of hummingbird rescue efforts. Montgomery is best at deep dives on the lived experiences of a particular species--see her book, "The Soul of an Octopus"--and "The Hummingbird's Gift" delivers.

Part memoir, this story follows Montgomery as she visits, interviews, observes, and supports a hummingbird rescue outfit in California. I am blown away by how tenuous and phenomenal the hummingbird life cycles is, not to mention their marvelous agility and aerobatics while airborne. I now have a deep respect for all those who dedicate tireless schedules and profound fortitude in rearing orphaned hummingbirds, releasing adults into the wild, and cultivating pollinator habitat in their neighborhoods.

This is just my kind of work, and I'm so glad I read it. I recommend to all those interested in Montgomery's other works, bird watching, hummingbirds, pollinators, animal rescue and rehabilitation, memoir, ecology, and popular science.

All the knowledge about hummingbirds

I found this book after listening to “What chickens know” i love humming birds and also have been told they hold a special place in my life. I recently retired and would like to look into to being a rehaber for various animals. So joyful a story.

Brief and Bold.

I loved how short and enlightening this was.
I will care for my hummingbirds with much more empathy.