Recent Reads - Feed The Birds

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Feed the Birds: Attract and Identify 196 Common North American Birds by Chris Earley - I found this large field guide at my library and since I still have it handy to refer to, I think I might want to look into buyng my own copy. The book is divided into two main parts - Attracting and Feeding Birds, and Identifying Birds. Earley introduces his book with some anecdotes, info about why to feed birds, suggestions for getting kids of different ages involved, and some organizations, resources, and projects to check out (such as the Great Backyard Bird Count). Even photography tips! And the photographs throughout the book are amazing.

There's a lot of excellent and detailed information on what to put in feeders, which foods and feeder types are suited to different types of birds, and more. Another section is dedicated to making backyards wildlife friendly. It includes many practical ideas for what kind of habitats to provide, how to make sure there's adequate shelter to attract birds, and what kind of nesting boxes and materials birds will use. The only part of this I thought impractical was the focus on keeping cats indoors or in cat patios and that sort of thing. Squirrels are a plague for many people's bird feeders, and there are some suggestions for dealing with them as well. Bonus: some plans to build your own feeder boxes and platforms!

I really enjoyed the details on bird behaviors. The text itself was fairly brief, but there were excellent photos showing the different behaviors. This section led nicely into the second half of the book, Bird Identification. Earley starts off this section with general information and definitions, and then provides a photo-rich identification guide by bird type. Sparrows, Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Jays, Pigeons and Doves, Finches, and the list goes on. Lots of photos, a summary of information about each species, and some interesting little stories and tidbits sprinkled throughout.

This is a very practical and attractive book. It's larger than the pocket field guides, so it's probably not the bird identification guide you want to take on a hike, but it's perfect for a reference as you watch birds through your kitchen window. I would strongly recommend it for homeschoolers wanting to add some well-informed birdwatching to their educational pursuits!

The original version of this review originally appeared on Homeschool Coffee Break as part of the Online Book Club for April 2021. Why do I keep forgetting to post here? I'll get the May review up soon, I hope!

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