Foreword: Bird-watching with my Dad / Barbara Kingsolver --
Introduction: How birds can save the world / John W. Fitzpatrick --
The secret lives of birds / Scott Weidensaul --
In the field: among flamingos / Gerrit Vyn --
Profile: Greg Budney, audio recordist --
Inspiration aloft / Lyanda Lynn Haupt --
In the field: a congregation of millions / Gerrit Vyn --
Profile: Shawn Langston, citizen scientist --
Beacons of our planet / John W. Fitzpatrick --
In the field: the world's most imperiled bird / Gerrit Vyn --
Profile: Sara Kaiser, researcher --
Afterword: The coming decades / Jared Diamond --
The future of birds is in our hands.