"An enticing entry point for new birders and a helpful reference for those with experience...my family and I won't be going on a hike without it!"
--Clara Moskowitz, senior editor at Scientific American
Get out and see the birds! With Kids' Field Guide to Birds in hand, spot and learn about dozens of species of common birds--wherever your family is exploring.
*2024 National Outdoor Book Award Winner*
Featuring a bright, illustrative design, this guide offers accessible species profiles along with birding basics and a selection of activities to help you and your kids learn more about the birds found in cities, backyards, and various ecosystems. Fun facts appear throughout, and spotlights cover everything from protecting birds from window collisions to a fun bird-beak experiment. The species inside include many of North America's most common birds in all sorts of settings:
- City Sights (Urban Birds): American Crow, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Chimney Swift, European Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, House Finch, House Sparrow, Killdeer, Mallard, Monk Parakeet, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Pigeon
- Birds and Blooms (Garden, Park, and Feeder Visitors): American Goldfinch, Anna's Hummingbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Phoebe, Gray Catbird, House Wren, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Western Bluebird, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow
- Freshwater Fans (Lake, River, and Marsh Birds): Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Common Loon, Common Yellowtail, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Red-winged Blackbird, Sandhill Crane, Wood Duck
- Seabirds and Shorebirds (Coastal Birds): Brown Pelican, Common Tern, Royal Tern, Great Egret, Herring Gull, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling, Snowy Plover, White Ibis, Wood Stork
- Desert Dwellers (Arid-Climate Birds): Cactus Wren, Gambel's Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Pyrrhuloxia, Vermilion Flycatcher
- Wide-Open Spaces (Birds in Fields, Plains, and Prairies): American Kestrel, Barn Owl, Barn Swallow, Burrowing Owl, Eastern Kingbird, Greater Sage-Grouse, Loggerhead Shrike, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Snowy Owl, Swainson's Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Western Meadowlark,
- Forest Friends (Woodland Birds): Barred Owl, Common Raven, Downy Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-eyed Vireo, Western Screech-Owl, Western Tanager, Wild Turkey
Return to this captivating and essential reference again and again as you make amazing birding memories!
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
How to Use This Book
Hey, Grown Ups!
Birding Basics
Map of North America
1 Urban Birds: City Sights
2 Garden, Park, and Feeder Visitors: Birds and Blooms
3 Lake, River, and Marsh Birds: Freshwater Fans
4 Wetland and Coastal Birds: Waders and Beachgoers
5 Arid-Climate Birds: Desert Dwellers
6 Birds in Fields, Plains, and Prairies: Wide-Open Spaces
7 Woodland Birds: Forest Friends
GLOSSARY
RESOURCES
PHOTO CREDITS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX
Review Quotes:
"As a young person learning about the natural world, I wish I had had a book like this to help me easily learn about birds around me."-- Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Director of Conservation Science, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
"For many of us, birds are the entry point to developing a deeper bond with nature, but the way is often barred by the dull, clinical language of traditional guides. This book has a songbird's flitty buoyancy...Every page is a delight."-- Emily Laber-Warren, science journalist and author, A Walk in the Woods: Into the Field Guide
"The perfect family guide: an enticing entry point for new birders and a helpful reference for those with experience. The inviting graphics and photos, the clear and lively descriptions, and the fascinating facts sprinkled throughout make this a book to treasure. My family and I won't be going on a hike without it!"-- Clara Moskowitz, senior editor, Scientific American
"Daisy opens a window onto the beautiful, diverse birds of North America. She expertly encourages young people, their families, and their friends to look and learn about what they're seeing, nurturing their curiosity, and helping them form new connections with nature. This book will be magic in the hands of inquisitive kids."-- Dr. Helen Scales, author, What a Shell Can Tell and Return of the Wild
"This fun-filled, fact-filled romp through the iconic birds of North America is infused with Daisy's love for all people and the natural world. Covering everything from dinosaurs to climate change, this guide will get you (and your kids) started on your own adventures and inspire you to learn more."-- Nicola Jones, science journalist and author, Saving the Spotted Owl
Daisy Yuhas is a science journalist based in Austin, Texas. Her enthusiasm for birds has led her to follow Swallows in Alaska and Argentina, count Kestrels in Pennsylvania, boat out to penguin and puffin colonies, and seek Dickcissels with physicists on the Illinois prairie. She writes for newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times for Kids and Scientific American.
Target Age: 8-12
Cool Springs Press
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
0.16" H x 9.61" L x 7.32" W
96 pages
paperback