Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Most books about pets seem to dwell on more common choices: dogs and cats being the most popular. This little gem came as a surprise to me. What could be more unique than a pet starling, right?

The author is a nature writer, a birdwatcher, and a committed wildlife advocate. While watching some starlings play outside her window, a story she had heard popped into her head: that of Mozart having a starling as a pet. And this random memory triggered a whole lot of action, culminating with this show more book.

You might be aware of starlings mainly for their magical murmurations. The sight of hundreds of thousands of them moving as one is bewitching to watch. But that's only one side of the story. You need to know the other side too, especially if you aren't much aware of birds in Western countries. Starlings are considered pests. If you Google for America's most hated bird, starlings come out as the winner. Lyanda Lynn Haupt herself concedes that starlings are a menace because of their huge numbers and the resultant problems because of their exploding population.

But...

Lyanda obtained a little starling for herself to see how Mozart might have been inspired by his pet. And her experience with this pet of hers proved to be unlike what she had ever imagined. Carmen, as her starling is named, turned out to be a wonderful, entertaining and intelligent companion, and still lives with the Haupt family.

The content looks into the great Wolfgang Mozart and how his pet starling might have impacted his life and his music. Mozart had discovered the starling in a Vienna pet shop, where the bird had somehow learned to sing the motif from his newest piano concerto. Enchanted, he bought the bird and kept it for three years before it died. While trying to analyse their relationship, Lyanda also tries to arrive at how the starling might have learnt the concerto.

Unlike what the title suggests, the book isn't limited to Mozart and his pet. Rather, it is all about starlings. The book presents both sides of these much-hated birds. How they are bad for the environment as well as how they are clever creatures with a great talent for mimicry. This content gets a tad too technical at times, but it is still a delight to an interested mind.

And finally, the book also presents Carmen's antics through various anecdotes peppered throughout the book, along with photographs. I loved these Carmen stories best of all. I've never been fond of the idea of having birds as pets. (This is especially because I've always seen them kept in cages.) Lyanda showed me how it is possible to have a healthy and happy bird at home without keeping it locked up in a cage. While it is still not an ideal situation for the bird, it's better than the alternative. The irony is that Carmen doesn't enjoy Mozart's music, though she loves other music and bluegrass is her favourite. So the author's original intention behind getting the starling went for a toss.

The three broad areas of content - Carmen's tales, Mozart's experience and insights about starlings - are not compartmentalized but interspersed with each other. This makes for an entertaining read because the moment the ornithological content becomes intense, either Mozart or Carmen comes as the breather.

You can make out the author's love for nature, especially for birds, throughout this book. The knowledge she offers into all things avian is amazing to read. Her sense of humour shines through in her recounting of Carmen's antics. Just how the starling learned Mozart’s piano motif is a wonderful musico-ornithological mystery. And Lyanda does her best to resolve this for us.

I enjoyed this book a lot, though it turned out a little different from what I had expected. I now see why starlings are considered a menace but I can also see the wonder of their talent. If you are a animal or bird lover, you might enjoy this offbeat read. It's not for everyone, but for those who enjoy animal-based nonfiction, it's a must.

Do note that there is some triggering content about how bird populations are kept in control or how they are made to learn how to sing.

4.25 stars from me.

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A unique blend of memoir, biography, and natural history about European Starlings and two people who have owned them: Mozart and the author. I read Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit earlier this year but wasn't in a hurry to read anything else by Ms Haupt, not because I didn't like Rooted but because there's SO MUCH TO READ.

Then I was at the library and on an endcap was a display of books about music. It was meant to be; I snatched Mozart's Starling up (still with show more no intention of reading it, I check out so many books that I never get around to reading). But the murmuration of starlings on evening walks had me asking questions, like where were all these starlings in spring and summer? Do they just know it's sunset and this is the meet-up spot?

Lovely book about a much hated bird of North America -- one that did not choose to be here, but was brought anyway because of misguided Europeans who wanted birds mentioned by Shakespeare in North America. Starlings, like House Sparrows, have proven incredibly adaptable. Learning about Carmen (Ms Haupt's pet) and Mozart was a lovely combination, I even discovered some new-to-me Mozart compositions (A Musical Joke!). Exactly what I needed to keep distracted from the news. show less

The first book I read by [a: Lyanda Lynn Haupt|16810|Lyanda Lynn Haupt|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1248017975p2/16810.jpg] was [b: The Urban Bestiary|17333244|The Urban Bestiary Encountering the Everyday Wild|Lyanda Lynn Haupt|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364181383s/17333244.jpg|24064548]. I had gotten the book in an effort to learn more about the urban wildlife that could potentially be found where I live, outside of DC, in an effort to go into my wildlife rehabilitation show more position better informed than I otherwise would have been. I ended up getting far more than I bargained for - a brilliant look into eco-philosophy, what it means to live harmoniously with nature, and how vital a perspective change in general is to harbor more positive relations between us and the world we are very much a part of (and too often apart of.)

[b: Crow Planet|6438710|Crow Planet Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness|Lyanda Lynn Haupt|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344263351s/6438710.jpg|6628596] is indeed a book about crows, but it is also about a great deal more. In looking at how crows live alongside humans, and how their numbers and ranges tend to mirror that of humans in much the same way that, say, Norway Rats do we can get a better idea of our impact upon the world and what it may look at if only the more adaptable species end up surviving. Crows do not so much displace songbirds and other more delicate species as take advantage of their displacement by other means. They thrive where humans thrive, because we tend to make environments more conducive to them. What does that say about us?

[b: Crow Planet|6438710|Crow Planet Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness|Lyanda Lynn Haupt|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344263351s/6438710.jpg|6628596] is as much about our current situation as it is a quiet hope that we don't end up in a planet where the primary bird that exists is indeed the crows of the world. It's equal parts admiration for them and awareness of what they are portents of. There is a lot to learn about crows in the book, and to admire, respect, and acknowledge. There's also so much more, and like with [b: Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants|9824|Rats Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants|Robert Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438168919s/9824.jpg|2147695] we learn a lot of our own history and ways to potentially, and joyfully improve ourselves and the world around us. show less

Legend has it that wandering through the markets of Vienna, Mozart came across a caged starling singing the theme from one of his piano concertos. Mozart purchased the bird, and it became the family pet for the next several years. It is even believed that Mozart held a funeral for the bird when it died, although he did not even attend his own father's funeral. It is also said that the starling's songs inspired some of Mozart's themes.

Nature writer and avid birdwatcher Lyanda Lynn Haupt show more investigates the truth of this story (for the most part true), and along the way examines the nature and history of the starling, an invasive species (to the U.S.), and almost universally reviled bird. To enhance her study, Haupt rescued (kidnapped?) a baby starling and raised it to adulthood. The bird, named Carmen, became a beloved family pet, and an integral part of her family.

Using the juxtaposition of the story of Mozart's starling and her relationship with Carmen Haupt examines both music and nature. Apparently, starlings have been described as "rats with wings," but Carmen is charming and delightful, and the backstory of Mozart's music and life also makes for good reading. I liked this book very much.

3 1/2 stars show less