Description

In an obsessive 82,000-mile quest for dead birds, how much trouble can one scientist get into?

Finally, the world's leading authority on the extinct Labrador Duck, Dr. Glen Chilton, shares the story of his frenzied obsession to reveal the histories behind the mysterious bird -- a saga wherein he sets out to examine the remains of every Labrador Duck, conduct genetic analysis on every Labrador Duck egg, and visit every site where the duck was shot...with many a (mis)adventure along the way.

More elusive than the Passenger Pigeon, the Dodo, or the Great Auk and breeding in places so obscure that no certain records exist of its nests, the Labrador Duck succumbed to extinction almost before anyone realized it was in decline. When Chilton began his travels, there were thought to be approximately fifty stuffed specimens, scattered among the museums of Europe and North America. However, as his search progressed, it became clear that some specimens had been lost to war and theft, while others lay hidden in far-flung collections, overseen by secretive curators. After traveling the equivalent of 3.3 times around the world with a series of oddball companions, Chilton finally began to close in on every known specimen...but not before he risked heavy-metal poisoning in Russia, swam naked in a glacier-fed stream, corresponded with a millionaire murderer, and narrowly avoided arrest in New York City.

A magnificent blend of travel writing, science, detective work, and mishap, The Curse of the Labrador Duck is the zany adventure of one biologist's obsessive quest to uncover the mysteries of one of the world's most enigmatic birds.

About the Author

Dr. Glen Chilton is an internationally-recognized ornithologist who began his university studies at sixteen and started teaching university at nineteen. Recently, after twenty-nine years of university teaching, he gave up his position as a Professor of Biology in Canada and moved to Australia with his wife. Chilton is the world's leading authority on the extinct Labrador Duck; The Curse of the Labrador Duck is his first book.

Praise for The Curse of the Labrador Duck: My Obsessive Quest to the Edge of Extinction…

"The Curse of the Labrador Duck is a fascinating wild goose chase (where the geese are all dead and aren't technically geese). Glen Chilton—currently my favorite hard-drinking ornithologist—is a wonderful guide, with prose that calls to mind James Herriot and Bill Bryson.”

— A.J. Jacobs, author of The Guinea Pig Diaries and the Year of Living Biblically

"I've seen my share of strange quests, and have even taken part in a few myself, but nothing matches Glen Chilton's galloping obsession to corner the market on rare stuffed ducks. A funny, fast-paced and oddly heroic tale.”

— Will Ferguson, author of Happiness

“From the wilds of Nova Scotia to the neglected bowels of decrepit museums, Glen Chilton is in relentless pursuit of evidence of the extinct Labrador Duck. And the curse? You'll have to read this engaging adventure to find out.”

— Tim Flannery, Author of The Weather Makers

“The Curse of the Labrador Duck is a pleasure to read and not really about a bird at all. It's about our obsessions, and how they lead us to the most wonderful, unexpected places. Glen Chilton is a funny and engaging writer. He is also a bit insane, and thank goodness for that.”

— Eric Werner, author of The Geography of Bliss

“Glen Chilton is one of those great rarities—a serious scientist who knows how to spin a fascinating yarn. The Curse of the Labrador Duck drew me in from the start and I eagerly followed Chilton's wild ride through every gritty inner-city back road, grungy gin joint, and dilapidated hotel room in North America and Europe.”

— Tim Gallagher, author of The Grail Bird: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker