Book excerpt: A visual record of the first four Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibitions, this book introduces the ideas behind this unique art and conservation project, providing a platform for the artists to tell us why they got involved, and how they approached the brief – to “breathe life back into the birds we have lost – so we don't lose any more”. Featuring the work of more than 180 artists and writers, Ghosts of Gone Birds captures the dazzling diversity of gone birds that exist beyond the familiar shape of the Dodo, and re-introduces the world to the delights of species like the Red-moustached Fruit Dove, the Snail-eating Coua and the Laughing Owl.