On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling who sang (an improved version of!) the theme from his Piano Concerto Number 17 in G to him. Knowing a kindred spirit when he met one, Mozart wrote "That was wonderful" in his journal and took the bird home to be his pet. For three years Mozart and his family enjoyed the uniquely delightful company of the starling until one April morning when the bird passed away.

In 2013, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Planet, rescued her own starling, Carmen, who has become a part of her family. In Mozart's Starling, Haupt explores the unlikely bond between one of history's most controversial characters and one of history's most notoriously disliked birds. Part natural history, part story, Mozart's Starling will delight readers as they learn about language, music, and the secret world of starlings.

A compelling blend of natural history, biography and memoir * Sunday Express *
This is a charming book, and a nuanced one, too. Carmen herself offers a unique window on both the avian and musical worlds, and in so doing leaves us in doubt that this much-maligned species is also blessed with many charms. * The Lady, Book of the Week *
A delightful book, whose pages are enlivened by the subversive presence of [Haupt's] pet starling, Carmen. * Evening Standard, Our Pick of the Books This Year *
Haupt's book has a sprightly energy of its own and is crammed with intelligent observations about what it is like to live with a starling. * TLS *

Lyanda Lynn Haupt is an ecophilosopher, naturalist, and author of several books, including The Urban Bestiary, Crow Planet, Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent, and Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. A winner of the Washington State Book Award and the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, she lives in Seattle with her husband and daughter.