Ever been homesick? Ever been overseas and desperate for marmite, meat pies and your best mates from school? Annie's family has moved to Wisconsin. With her only friend away in Florida for the holidays, Annie, 11, faces a long boring summer. She lies on an eagle-shaped hill and daydreams of home. Imagine her shock when the eagle breaks free from the earth and flies her home to New Zealand! But it's not a New Zealand Annie is familiar with, and when she and her new friend Moana almost walk smack into a giant moa, Annie realises why. The eagle has flown her back to New Zealand, but she's arrived a thousand years too early, and right in the midst of a battle between the birds. However, Annie's visit isn't entirely unexpected. Speaking the language of the birds, she is part of an ancient prophecy. Now she must mediate in a battle between the great bird chieftains: the violent and vengeful Te Hokioi and the thoughtful philosopher, Moa. Suddenly, Annie's summer doesn't look quite so boring after all! Can Annie and her friends help the flightless overcome the flying predators led by ambitious Te Hokioi? Will the gentle Moa survive to live on in history? And will Annie ever make it back to Wisconsin? Battle of the Birds blends fact and fiction in an action adventure for children and young adults, exploring New Zealand's varied birdlife, flight and migration, democracy, early medicine, and most of all, friendship.