Nifty mystery. Written in a very odd way, but still a really good mystery.
Davies deftly mixes two stories - the hunt for the only known specimen of the Bird of Ulieta discovered by Captain Cook's voyage and given to naturalist Joseph Banks - and Banks own romance, which is key to the hunt. He creates likable characters, uses symbolism gently without pounding the reader over the head - and keeps the suspense until the final page. An underrated gem.