Books for Bird Lovers

Winter is coming and it’s the perfect time to watch birds ~ birds at the feeder, birds hanging around the park, birds creeping up and down trees as they hunt for insects hiding in bark crevices, and birds gleaning seeds from the garden flowers we never trimmed.

So today I’m sharing books about birds ~  here on Archimedes and also over at Sally’s Bookshelf. Theme for the day: birds, citizen science

Bird Count

by Susan Edwards Richmond; illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

32 pages; ages 4-8

Peachtree Publishing, 2019

I shake Mom in the dark. “Wake up, sleepy head! It’s Bird Count Day!”

Ava is excited because this year she gets to keep tally of the birds “her” crew finds during the annual Christmas Bird Count. She’s dressed for the weather, and has the tools she needs: a notebook, a pencil, and most importantly, her eyes and her ears.

What I like about this book: We get to go along on the bird-finding field trip without leaving the warmth of our cozy home. Bird-by-bird we meet (and count) owls, chickadees, catbirds and geese. It’s a great way to become familiar with how the bird count works, in case we want to join a local census circle. Back matter tells more about each species featured in the book as well as additional information about the Christmas Bird Count. 

The Puffins Are Back (New & Updated)

by Gail Gibbons

32 pages; ages 4-8

Holiday House, 2019

A small boat comes close to an island of the coast of Maine.

Scientists have returned to study a puffin colony. Concerned about the population decline, they built burrows and brought chicks to the island. Now, years later, the scientists continue to observe the colony, learning more about the bird’s behavior.

What I like about this book: The illustrations are so inviting, and make me want to linger on the page. And the text tells a wonderful story of determination to save these iconic birds.

Beyond the Books:

If you have a bird feeder, you can become a Citizen Scientist by collecting data for Feeder Watch. Learn more at Feeder Watch.

Create your own back yard bird count. Keep track of all the birds you see during a 15-minute period of time. If you do that every month, you can get an idea of how bird populations change with the season. All you need are a notebook, pencil, and a bird guide (or two). You can also use  Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online bird fieldguide and Audubon’s online bird guide.

Make a paper-plate puffin. Here's how. While the glue dries, learn more about the puffinresearch at Matinicus Rock.

 

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. And we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.