Aimee Reviews~ Birdgirl by Mya-Rose Craig

I recently read something that made me smile: at some point in your mid-twenties, bird-watching creeps up on you and suddenly you’re incandescent with joy at spotting a Warbler. Ever since reading Charlie Corbett’s 12 Birds To Save Your Life, I have found this to be quite true. My shelves now have a healthy stack of spotter’s guides, and it is not uncommon to see me with my binoculars pointing skyward.

Birdgirl is the next book of this kind that I am devouring. I hadn’t heard of her when I started this book, but it very soon became clear that I should have. At only 19, Mya-Rose Craig is the youngest British person to have received an honorary doctorate in science, awarded by the University of Bristol. At 17, she was the youngest person to see half the worlds birds and in 2020, she spoke in front of 40,000 people about climate change and global climate justice at Bristol Youth Strike with Greta Thunburg.

Growing up in a family of avid bird-watchers, this memoir takes you from rainy corners of the UK, to the breathless heights of mountains in South America, and the endless horizons of Australia. It reminds you that whether the bird be a shimmering flash of blues and golds or muted browns and greys, all nature is beautiful and note-worthy. Sprinkled with gorgeous illustrations, these visuals feel like your own mini ‘twitch’ (the affectionate term for a birdwatching expedition) as you flick through the pages and spot another species. You feel Mya-Rose Craig’s thrill on the page as she spots the next creature, and may even find yourself keeping an extra eye out for a feathered friend as you go about your own day.

Birdgirl is a memoir about birding, yes - but it is about so much more. As a British-Bangladeshi person, Craig reflects on racism and diversity in nature, the importance of ecological work and supporting local initiatives abroad, and her fight for climate justice. There was one section where, whilst in Australia, Craig notices the disparity of wealth between the prominently white cities, and the experiences of indigenous Australians in more rural areas. This that really struck me as powerfully exposing and fundamentally unfair.

The parts of this book that I found most moving were Mya-Rose Craig’s experiences with the mental health system as her mother struggled for a diagnosis for her bipolar. Craig is open and generous with her experiences, and this is often extremely touching. These distressing incidents are told with sensitivity and heart. No matter how bad things get, the family always find comfort and solace in ‘twitching’ with the family. Craig talks about how these adventures where both the thrill of finding that target species of the day, but at core they are an opportunity to spend well-needed time talking and sharing in the love of birds with her beloved and supportive family.

To purchase a copy please click here.