The Curse of the Labrador Duck follows bird biologist Glen Chilton in his obsessive attempt to uncover the mysteries of one of the world's most enigmatic birds. In an unexpectedly zany adventure that took the author the equivalent of 3.3 times around the world, the result is a tale of theft, wartime atrocities, insane millionaires, intrigue in the Middle East, and skinny dipping.

The Labrador Duck is often mentioned in the same breath as the Passenger Pigeon, the Dodo, and the Great Auk--great species that once roamed the planet. The Labrador Duck became extinct somewhere around...