Penny Olsen: 6 books

The classic field guide What Bird Is That? has been known to bird enthusiasts throughout Australia for decades, ever since it was first published in 1931. It was written and illustrated by Neville William Cayley (18861950), son of artist Neville Henry Cayley (18541903) who, before him, had also had dreams...

What name could be a more apt description of Australia than The Land of Parrots, a name inspired by late sixteenth-century maps showing a southern region labelled Psittacorum regio? This beautiful book takes a close look at parrots in Australia, from the first published illustration of an Australian...

Around 1870, Ferdinand von Mueller, the greatest Australian botanist of the nineteenth century, began to advertise in several newspapers across Australia for lady plant collectors. This was at a time when women typically had little recourse to science, or contact with men outside their circle of friends,...

Stray Feathers showcases some of the remarkable adaptations of Australian birds. A brief introduction describes how evolution shapes form and function, followed by a series of vignettes illustrating the wondrous variety of forms and functions shaped by evolution. For example, did you know that Barn Owls...

Australia’s Wedge-tailed Eagle belongs to the family of eagles, which together span the world. Eagles are powerful predators, with exceptional powers of flight and sight. They may kill to survive, but they also sleep, play, enjoy a bath, make tender parents, and form lasting relationships. This book...

For well over a century, the Night Parrot lured its seekers into Australia's vast, arid outback. From the beginning it was a mysterious bird. Fewer than 30 specimens were collected before it all but disappeared, offering only fleeting glimpses and the occasional mummified body as proof of its continued...