Our Feathered Friends: A Brief Guide to Birds

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Support groups dedicated to protecting migratory birds. Organizations ranging from BirdLife International to the Audubon Society are working to pass laws, strengthen regulations and educate policy makers and the public about the need to protect migrating birds.

You can support them with donations and by sending emails to your elected officials in favor of international treaties that are designed to keep birds and their migration routes safe. Maintain your own bird-safe habitat. Many of the birds that arrive in your yard in spring and summer are traveling back from the regions where they overwintered. Some may stay put during the warm summer; others may just drop by on their way to the Arctic Circle, where millions of birds pass June, July and August. Either way, you can give them a boost by making fresh, clean water available in bird baths or ponds and by eliminating the use of pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals in your yard.

Keep your cat indoors. Domestic cats kill approximately 2. If your cat must go outside, let it out at dusk, when most birds roost out of reach in trees, rather than during the day. Buy organic, shade-grown coffee. Birds that overwinter in the tropic need non-toxic environments with plenty of trees and bushes to live in. Shade coffee plantations maintain large trees that provide essential habitat for wintering songbirds, says the National Wildlife Federation.

Prevent birds from hitting your windows and the windows of l arge office buildings. Birds can get confused if they see the sky, trees and other nature scenes reflected in glass.

Shooting the birds Frank got people interested in counting, rather than shooting, and so, there are many ways to count, including counting the owls. Calling the owls out This is a wonderful book to simply explain how the bird count began, and why it is important, and fun. There is also a bit int he back with more information, for those who want to know more about Frank Chapman and the count.

Highly recommended for schools and libraries. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. Nov 04, Carla Johnson-Hicks rated it it was amazing Shelves: Counting Birds is a story about something I had no idea about. It starts by telling us the story of Frank Chapman and his disgust at the annual Christmas tradition of going outside and shooting as many birds as you could for fun.

This was back in the late s and early s when people were beginning to think about conservation. He came up with an idea to stop the killing of the birds, but preserving "the hunt". He published it in his magazine, Bird-Lore, which is now the Audubon Magazine. Hi Counting Birds is a story about something I had no idea about. His idea of an annual "bird count" has since developed into a worldwide conservation project organized by the Audubon Society.

This book celebrates the joy of discovery and conservation of our feathered friends, while enjoying and appreciating them in the wild. The last few pages gives information on how the bird count works, and how the average citizen can participate. One interesting tidbit, if you ever read Owl Moon by Jane Yolen about calling owls, this book is written by her daughter, the young girl in that story. There is a brief biography of Frank Chapman at the back, a hero to animals, that I had never heard of before.

The story is accompanied by great illustrations, including many of the birds counted, and would interest anyone who loves animals,especially birds. This would make a great addition to a family, public or school library. What a great project for a family to take on together. The publisher, Seagrass Press, provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own. Nov 01, Kirsti Call rated it it was amazing. Gorgeous illustrations and wonderful information about the annual bird count! Nov 26, Cheriee Weichel rated it it was amazing. Frank Chapman loved birds.

He worked at the American Museum of Natural History in the bird section. In he started a bimonthly magazine called Bird Lore that later became the Audubon magazine. Around this time Americans were starting to become aware of the destruction of wilderness areas and a conservationist movement was building: Unfortunately, not everyone cared. Each Christmas day a traditional bird hunt was held where hunters would go out and kill as many birds as they could find. They killed all kinds of birds. The team that killed the most birds was the winner. Frank Chapman did not like this. Through his magazine he proposed that rather than hunting and killing birds, they engage in a Christmas bird census.

At the first one in , 27 birdwatchers in 25 different locations counted 18, birds from 89 different species.

They hunted birds, but none of them were killed. Every year since then more and more people have joined in on this Christmas census taking so that it is now a global event. Owlers start out at midnight calling down owls and as these people are returning to their beds, the rest of the birders emerge.

All the data they collect goes to the National Audubon Society. When the count is over there is still some competition over who has the highest count, but thankfully, no birds are killed. And all because Frank Chapman loved birds. The back matter includes additional information on Frank Chapman, how to become active in bird counts in your area and other ways to become involved.

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In the notes from the author I discovered that Heidi E. Stemple is daughter to Jane Yolen. Their family was part of the bird count and she is the girl in Yolen's Owl Moon. This book is a delight to read. I was enchanted by the story itself and nearly swooned at the beauty of Clover Robin's illustrations.

Her brightly coloured collages are full of details. Whether she is illustrating landscapes or birds on their own, she imparts a vintage ambience that is perfect for this nonfiction title.

After reading this book I had to go and reread Owl Moon. I can't help but find deep layers meaning in it that I wouldn't have realized were there without this book. Sep 28, Annie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Originally published on my blog: Counting Birds is a new non-fiction title by Heidi Stemple. Due out 2nd Oct, , it's 32 pages and available in hardcover.

Aimed at younger readers ages ish , it would make a really nice read along for younger children as well. Beautifully illustrated by Clover Robin , the artwork is mixed media painted collage and does a lovely job of enhancing the text. The book is based around the life and early bird counts started by Frank Chapman which Originally published on my blog: The book is based around the life and early bird counts started by Frank Chapman which grew into the Audubon Christmas bird count.

It's so important to include young people in learning about our world and wise stewardship of our environment. This book would make really good support material for a classroom unit on conservation and birding. It's a really worthwhile and appealing book. I loved the detail in the drawings. Nov 04, eimn rated it it was amazing Shelves: When I was a teen, I started a summer program that invited me to count all the different kinds of butterflies that live in my garden Year after year, many were disappearing and it was such a joy to spot some rare one.

This book reminds me of this scientific tradition. Counting Birds is a fascinating book about the Audubon Christmas Count, an annual scientific project that invites people from all over the world to count as many birds as possible on Christmas Day. All begin with Frank Chapman, an When I was a teen, I started a summer program that invited me to count all the different kinds of butterflies that live in my garden Year after year, many were disappearing and it was such a joy to spot some rare one. All begin with Frank Chapman, an self-made ornithologist, who decided to replace the famous 'Christmas bird hunting' by a 'Christmas bird counting'.

He was inspired by the oh so famous ornithologist John Audubon, and later used his name for this annual bird counting. I enjoyed the colorful and accurate collage art style, and I especially loved when the author introduces different types of birds one by one. What a great idea to include an invitation to become of 'birder', someone helping to count bird, or to become a member of one of many other organizations that work on the preservation of birds!

From beginning to end, this is a very well-crafter book! Oct 16, Theediscerning rated it really liked it.

This is a very decent introduction for the young to the idea of organised bird counts — taking us right to the doorstep of associations that do such things well, mostly in the USA, but you can't have everything. The inspiration for them and for us would be a certain self-taught specialist, Frank Chapman, who railed against late-Victorian hunting parties and feather-based fashions. With very good design throughout, the text loses a lost of its initial simplicity and brevity in the later, detail This is a very decent introduction for the young to the idea of organised bird counts — taking us right to the doorstep of associations that do such things well, mostly in the USA, but you can't have everything.

With very good design throughout, the text loses a lost of its initial simplicity and brevity in the later, detailed sections, but the backstory as it were is encouraging, and this first step to being a 'citizen scientist' is a welcome one. Nov 05, Teresa rated it it was amazing Shelves: As a family of birders, we are well familiar with the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. However, I did not know of the story behind the event, and how it got started. Enter this beautifully illustrated book, Counting Birds.

Through the fun and lyrical text, we get to learn about the birth of the idea and all the ways it benefits birds and people and science. Knowing all this makes our membership with the organization even more meaningful! I bought a copy of this for me, and one each for frien As a family of birders, we are well familiar with the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. I bought a copy of this for me, and one each for friends the kids of some of my friends.

I highly recommend it for any birding enthusiast or naturalist.

Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends

Dec 17, Patricia Nozell rated it it was amazing. A beautiful and important new picture book NF biography about the founder, Frank Chapman, and the founding of the annual Christmas bird count - a lovely way for families and individuals, including kids, to help avian conservation efforts. Beautiful cut-paper illustrations and wonderful back matter, including ways kids can participate in the count or otherwise help conservation efforts.

Dec 02, Andreea rated it it was ok. I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I definitely like and agree with the message of this book - we should protect birds and nature. But I think there were better ways to share it. The art is lovely, but the story did not seem as entertaining and the message might get lost if it doesn't catch the kids' attention. Nov 19, Carol Ekster rated it it was amazing. Fabulous picture book biography. Sep 19, Mary Norell Hedenstrom rated it it was amazing Shelves: The story of a citizen science project. Oct 24, Mary Anne rated it it was amazing Shelves: History of the Christmas Bird count - beautiful illustrations.

Nov 27, Tanya rated it it was amazing Shelves: Using her family history of counting owls during the Audubon Christmas Bird Count as inspiration, Stemple lovingly shares how the event began: Delightful collage-style illustrations and simple back matter make it accessible for young naturalists. Oct 06, Sally Wilsey rated it it was amazing. In he began his own magazine called Bird Love. He found that more and more birds where being killed and wanted to protect them from extinction. He started a bird watcher group around Christmas time to track all the birds people see by counting and recording. It spread throughout the world.

Bird Love magazine became the Audubon Magazine and in they had their th count. This is a great thing to do for a family outing and to get children into nature and appreciate the birds and wildlife we have today. The back of the book tells you how to get involved with the count and other ways to help the birds too.

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