Books
A Field Guide to the Birds -- Eastern or Western, by Roger Tory Peterson, 1980, Houghton Mifflin, NY. 384 pp., 432 pp. Full-color guide to bird identification with regional maps and descriptions of each bird. Highlights key field marks useful for identification.
All the Birds of North America, by Jack L. Griggs, 1997, Harper Collins for the American Bird Conservancy.
Beginners Guide to Birds: Eastern (or Western) Region, by Donald W. and Lillian Q. Stokes, 1996, Little, Brown, and Company, Boston.
Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, by Chandler Robbins, Bertel Bruun, & Herbert Zim, 1983, Golden Press, New York ("Golden Guide"). Text, sonograms, and range maps located on pages facing illustrations. Does not include as many vagrants or accidentals as National Geographic guide or Peterson's, but is nonetheless a valuable cross-reference.
Eastern Birds: A Guide to Field Identification of North American Species, by James Coe, 1994. Golden Press, NY. Golden Guide for beginners; includes most common species pictured in their habitats.
Kaufman Focus Guides: Birds of North America, by Kenn Kaufman, 2000, Houghton Mifflin, NY, 384 pp.
National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 1987, National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C. 464 pp. Includes all North American breeding species and many vagrants, accidentals, and exotics, as well as plumage variations for many species.
Peterson First Guides: Birds: The Concise Field Guide to 188 Common Birds of North America, by Roger Tory Peterson, 1986, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley, 2000, Alfred A. Knopf Inc., NY, 544 pp. New guide written and illustrated by David Sibley. Wonderful art depicts birds in varying plumages and a variety of sub-species.
AUDIO GUIDES
Birding by Ear, by Richard K. Walton and Robert W. Lawson, 1989, Peterson Field Guides. 3 cassettes.
Common Birds and Their Songs, by Lang Elliott and Marie Read, 1998, 127 pp. Book with full-page photos for each of the 50 common species covered on the 65-minute audio CD.
Field Guide to Bird Songs -- Eastern/Central North America, by Roger Tory Peterson, 1990. 2 cassettes or 1 CD. Keyed by page number to Peterson's 4th edition of Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies. Songs and calls are recorded for over 250 species. Booklet gives location of recording.
Guide to Bird Sounds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 1985. 2 cassettes or 1 CD. Keyed by page number to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, both editions. Calls, songs, trills, and other sounds are recorded for 179 species.
Know Your Bird Sounds Volume 1: Yard, Garden and City Birds, Volume 2: Birds of the Countryside, by Lang Elliott, revised 1994, Northward Press. Each volume is a 65-minute cassette.
BEYOND THE BASICS
Beyond Birding: Field Projects for Inquisitive Birders, by Thomas C. Grubb, Jr., 1986, Boxwood Press, Pacific Grove, CA, 195 pp. Describes 20 field projects for amateur bird watchers or students that take you beyond basic birding. Each project includes background information and hypotheses to test, and outlines the equipment needed and procedure to follow. Two appendices walk you through the basic statistical tests needed, and suggestions are given with each project as to which tests are appropriate for analysis of results.
The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds, by Paul R. Erlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye, 1988, Fireside (Simon and Schuster), NY, 785 pp. (paper). Designed as a companion to field guides; gives natural history accounts for all species that breed north of Mexico, as well as short essays on a variety of bird-related topics.
The Complete Birder, by Jack Connor, 1988, Houghton Mifflin, NY, 288 pp. Covers how to choose and use binoculars, how to bird by ear, how to adjust your birding to the seasons. Suggests ways to break down difficult-to-identify groups such as warblers and shorebirds.
A Guide to Bird Behavior (3 vols.), by Donald W. Stokes, 1979, Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 300-400 pp. per volume. Discusses the observable behaviors of common North American bird species--25 species per volume. Entries for each species describe behaviors on breeding and non-breeding territories, and outline plumage changes, seasonal movements and social behaviors. Each entry also includes a guide to individual visual and auditory displays, as well as a yearly calendar showing when the different types of behaviors occur.
Life Histories of North American Birds, by A. C. Bent, 20+ volumes first published in the 1920’s - 1950 or so, the whole set republished by Dover Publications, NY in early ‘60’s. Extensive species accounts with lots of interesting anecdotal tidbits. Names of some birds may be different from current names. To find out which volume a particular species is found in, use the Index to Bent’s "Life Histories of North American Birds," published by the National Geographic Society. Most volumes of this series are out of print but widely available in libraries.
Teaching Kids About Birds, by Erik A. T. Blom, 1996, Bird Watcher’s Digest Press.
FEEDING/LANDSCAPING
The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds, by Stephen W. Kress, 1985, Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY. 377 pp. Landscaping for birds, bird feeding, bird housing, providing water. Similar to The Bird Garden (see below), but more comprehensive, with black-and-white pictures only. Out of print, but available at many libraries.
The Bird Feeder Book, by Donald and Lillian Stokes, 1987, Little, Brown and Co., NY. Basic information on feeder types, feeder maintenance, problems, and bird behavior. Discusses each common feeder bird in detail.
The Bird Garden, by Stephen W. Kress, 1995, Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. Produced by the National Audubon Society. Discusses many ways to attract birds to your back yard, from feeders and nest structures, to ponds and gardens. For each region of the U.S., contains guide to the plants that are most effective in attracting birds.
A Complete Guide to Bird Feeding, by John V. Dennis, 1994, Alfred Knopf, NY. Discusses different types of feeders, non-traditional foods to offer birds, and problems at feeders. Gives information on behavior, identification, and food preferences of feeder birds.
Creating Your Backyard Bird Garden, by David B. Donnelly, 1998, Bird Watcher’s Digest Press.
Landscaping for Wildlife, by Carrol L. Henderson, 1987, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 144 pages. A comprehensive guide to bringing wildlife to your yard or a larger piece of land; contains everything from landscape plans to tips on building brush piles, bird feeders and frog ponds. Detailed charts of plants and their use by wildlife. If not at bookstores, order from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: 117 University Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55155, 1(800) 657-3757.
Stokes Bird Gardening Book: The Complete Guide to Creating a Bird-friendly Habitat in Your Backyard, by Donald and Lillian Stokes, 1998, Little, Brown & Co., NY.
Wild About Birds: The DNR Bird Feeding Guide, 1995, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources. An excellent and thorough guide to feeding birds. Includes sections on specific birds and how to attract them, as well as sections that focus on each different type of bird food, on bird feeder types and how to build them, and on troubleshooting. See ordering information for Landscaping for Wildlife.
BOOKSTORES
American Birding Association (ABA) -- P.O. Box 6599, Colorado Springs, CO, 80934, 800/634-7736, e-mail: member@aba.org; Sales catalog -- 800/634-7736, e-mail: abasales@abasale.com
Los Angeles Audubon Bookstore -- 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90046, 213/876-0202.
Massachusetts Audubon Bookstore -- Great Rd., Lincoln, MA, 01773, (617)259-9807.
Wild Birds Unlimited -- 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850, (607)266-4928, toll-free 877/266-4928.
Amazon.com -- http://www.amazon.com/
Audubon on-line bookstore – http://www.audubon.org/market/publish
VIDEOS
How to Begin Birdwatching, by Donald and Lillian Stokes; order from Willow Creek Press, P. O. Box 147, Miocqua, WI 54548 (1-800-850-9453), and Backyard Birds of the Northeast one of a series from Terra Guides. Our local Wild Birds Unlimited located it for us. The Terra Guide Series is excellent because they begin with the easy birds and progress to the more difficult ones.
Backyard Bird Walk, a unique audio/visual set (CD and booklet) introduces sights and sounds of 24 common birds. Call NorthWord Press, 1(800)336-6398.
Animal Migration. Produced by National Geographic, 1993. Sound-color video; 21 minutes. #51520 in National Geographic Catalog. All over the earth animals undertake incredible journeys called migrations--over land, through the air, and in the water. Animals migrate to find food, to escape seasonal changes in weather, and to breed. This video is useful in the spring for teaching about warblers and the spring migration.
Backyard Birds. Produced by National Geographic, 1988. Sound-color video; 15 minutes. #51513 in National Geographic Catalog. This video introduces a variety of birds that feed, breed, and groom in a family's backyard.
Birds (Animal Classes). Produced by National Geographic, 1997. Sound-color video; 24 minutes. #52661 in National Geographic Catalog. What is a bird? How does a bird differ from other animals? A well-informed student in his multimedia classroom report gives the answers to these questions. From feathers to skeleton, viewers learn about a bird's body; its hollow bones, air sacs for pumping air to the lungs, beaks that function as tools, feet that grip and run, and eyes that see two or three times better than ours. An outstanding selection for teaching explorations in the Classroom FeederWatch curriculum.
Birds. Produced by GPN for anew series called "Backyard Safari". This is one of a new series of videos based on Jim Arnosky's character, Crinkleroot. The other videos are trees, butterflies, and dinner tools. If you are teaching birds to grades K-4, this is an excellent 30-minute video. The teacher guide provides an extensive lesson plan to accompany the video.
Eyewitness Bird. Produced by Dorling Kindersley, 1994. Sound-color video; 35 minutes. An inexpensive video for an introduction to birds. Soar through the sky and around the world in this exciting journey from the bird's distant dinosaur past to its present astonishing variety. Look close-up at the staggering range of sizes, shapes, and habitats of these feathered creatures.
Spring & Summer Songbirds of the Backyard. Produced by Willow Creek Press (1-800-850-9453); available at Wild Birds Unlimited. Color-sound video; 60 minutes. This video aids in the identification of the birds and their songs, and it is designed to view again and again. Due to the fact that spring warblers move in the trees very rapidly, we have found this a good tool to use before going out into the field to locate them.
Watching Warblers by Michael Male and Judy Fieth. Produced by Blue Earth Films of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, 1996. This husband and wife team spent 10 years filming 39 warbler species that nest in Eastern North America.
BIRD ORGANIZATIONS
Journey North, share wildlife observations via internet; get daily news reports, challenge questions, and on-line lesson plans. E-mail: jn-register-info@learner.org and on the Web: http://www.learner.org/k12. FREE!
National Audubon Society has issued a SOS for our common bird species. To learn more, visit: www.audubon.org/bird/watch/.
National Geographic Magazine, Aug. 1979, map supplement, "Bird Migration in the Americas."
Partners in Flight/Aves de las Americas, NFWF 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036.
Songbird Connection Program, produced by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation; video, posters, flashcards, teacher’s guide. Call (908)234-1225 or send check to NJCF, Bamboo Brook, 170 Longview Rd, Far Hills, NJ 07931.
The Birds in Forested Landscapes Project, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850. Email: Forest_Birds@cornell.edu.
NONFICTION
The Bird House Book: How to Build Fanciful Bird Houses and Feeders, from the Purely Practical to the Absolutely Outrageous, by Bruce Woods and David Schoonmaker, 1996, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY.
Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds, by Jim Arnosky, 1992, Bradbury Press (MacMillan Publishing Co.), New York, NY. 32 pages.
Crinkleroot's 25 Birds Every Child Should Know, by Jim Arnosky, 1993, Bradbury Press, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
Endangered Birds!, 1995, by World conservation Monitoring Centre, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Milwaukee, WI. Covers 50 species world-wide. 64pp.
Fifty Favorite Birds Coloring Book, by Lisa Bonforte, 1982, Dover Publications, Mineola, NY.
Sky Dancers: The Amazing World of North American Birds, by Diane Swanson, illustrations by Douglas Penhale, 1995, Voyageur Press, Stillwater, MN.
What Is a Bird?, by Robert Snedden, photographs by Oxford Scientific Films, 1993, Sierra Club books for Children, San Francisco, CA. 30 pages.
The Whooping Crane: A Comeback Story, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, photographs by William Munoz, 1988, Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Company, NY). 83 pp.
Birds, Nests & Eggs, by Mel Boring and Bird Watching for Kids: A Family Bird Watching Guide, by Steven A. & Elizabeth May Griffin. Take-along guides that help identify birds, NorthWord Press. Ages 8-12.
Children’s Guide to Birds, by Jinny Johnson, an introduction to birds worldwide, Simon & Schuster.
Feathered Travelers/Viajeros Alados, a bi-lingual coloring book. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoo, Washington, DC 20008 or fax order (202)673-4916.
Birds that Stopped Flying, by Elizabeth S. Austin, 1969, Random House, N.Y. Explains why 49 species of birds are no longer able to fly, how they exist today, and their chances for survival in the future.
Birds: How to Watch and Understand the Fascinating World of Birds, by J. Bailey and D. Burnie. 1992, Dorling Kindersley Inc. N.Y. One of the "Eyewitness Explorers" Book series. Well written, well illustrated, lots of good information.
BIRDS: The Plant and Seed Eaters, by J. Bailey and S. Parker. 1989, Facts on File. One of the "Encyclopedia of the Animal World" series. Discusses the natural history of many plant and seed eating species; very few are North American species. Great photographs, good graphics and maps.
Traveling with the Birds: A Book on Bird Migration, by Rudyard Boulton, 1960, Donohue, Chicago.
Bird, by David Burnie, 1988, Alfred A. Knopf, N.Y. One of the "Eye Witness Books" series. An incredibly fun book to stroll through and read. Lots of pictures, covers a lot of subjects from feathers and flying, courtship, eggs, nest building, to attracting and watching birds.
The Big Golden Book of Backyard Birds, by Kathleen Daly, 1990, Western Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin. Large format book with large text. Highlights various common birds. Nicely illustrated.
Skimmers, by Matthew Downs, 1990, Simon and Schuster, N.Y. Describes the life cycle of the Black Skimmer and how one particular flock chose a parking lot for their rookery.
Cardinals, Robins, and Other Birds, by George S. Fichter, 1993, Western Publishing, Racine, Wisconsin. Beautiful illustrations, well presented facts, simple to read.
It Could Still be a Bird, by Allan Fowler, 1990, Children's Press, Chicago. Identifies the characteristics of birds and provides specific examples including the penguin, ostrich, peacock, and pelican.
The Puffins are Back!, by Gail Gibbons, 1991, HarperCollins. Chronicles the return of Puffins off the coast of Maine. Features scientists and how they went about the task of repopulating the islands off the coast of Maine with Puffin colonies. Interesting for kids since this project is ongoing, the "Puffin folks" are based at the Lab, and the kids could correspond via email with the Puffin scientists (through the classroomfw@cornell.edu address).
Birdwatching, by Rob Hume, 1993, Random House, N.Y. One of the "Hobby Handbooks" series. Includes much biology and habitat information.
Backyard Birds of Winter, by Carol Lerner, 1994, Morrow Junior Books. Excellent book of birds likely to be seen at winter feeders. Range maps, nice bird art.
Backyard Birds of Summer, by Carol Lerner; advice on attracting birds, Morrow Junior Books.
Backyard Birds, by Jonathan Line, 1993, HarperCollins. A HarperCollins Nature Study Book, illustrated by noted bird artist Julie Zickefoose. A young people's guide to some common backyard birds: House Sparrow, European Starling, American Robin, House Wren, hummingbirds, and Nighthawk.
Outside and Inside Birds, by Sandra Markle, 1994, Bradbury Press, N.Y. Describes and contains graphic pictures of the interior chambers of bird bones, gizzards, the digestive system, heart, etc. May not be appropriate for the squeamish or very young.
Amazing Birds, by Alexandra Parsons, 1990, Alfred A. Knopf, N.Y. An "Eyewitness Junior" series book. Lots of color pictures, easy to read. Text and photos describe amazing members of the bird world, including the vulture, flamingo, hummingbird, penguin, pelican, parrot, swan, peacock, and ostrich.
Feathers, by D.H. Patent, 1992, Cobblehill Books/Dutton, N.Y. Describes in text and photos bird's feathers - from structure, type and color, to various uses.
Birds, by Edward R. Ricciuti, 1993, Blackbirch Press, Inc. Adaptations for flight, the action of flight, feathers, evolution, senses (sight, smell, hearing), metabolism, reproduction, growth, the web of life, classification.
Another Field Guide to Little-known & Seldom-seen Birds of North America, by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. 1990.
A field Guide to Little-known & Seldon-seen Birds of North America, by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. 1988.
Beyond BirdWatching, by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. 1993.
FICTION
Birdsong, by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Robert Florczak, 1997, Harcourt Brace & Co., New York, NY.
Grandmother's Pigeon, by Lois Erdrich, illustrated by Jim LaMarche, 1996, Hyperion, New York, NY.
The Magpies' Nest, retold by Joanna Foster, illustrated by Julie Downing, 1995, Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), New York, NY.
On the Wing: Bird Poems and Paintings, by Douglas Florian, 1996, Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, NY. 47 pp.
She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!, by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by David Catrow, 1997, Hyperion, New York, NY. "Fascinating tale of how two determined ladies became classic American activists -- for women, for social progress, and, of course, for the birds" by founding the Mass. Audubon Society.
Swallows in the Birdhouse, by Stephen R. Swinburne, illustrated by Robin Brickman, 1996, The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT.
This Way Home, by Lisa Westbrook Peters, 1994, Henry Holt and Co., New York, NY.
Washing the Willow Tree Loon, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, 1995, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, ages 5-8. Illustrates the importance of conservation by following the rescue, cleaning, and release of one particular bird. 28 pp.
Bird Watch, Owl Moon, Putnam and Honkers, Little Brown; all three are by Jane Yolen.
Dancers in the Garden, by Joanne Ryder, Sierra Club.
Feathers for Lunch, by Lois Ehlert, Harcourt Brace.
Fish & Flamingo and Goodbye Geese, by Nancy White Carlstrom, Little Brown.
The Bird Alphabet Book, by Jerry Pallotta, Charlesbridge.
The Owl Who Became the Moon, by Jonathan London, Dutton.
The Moon of the Winter Bird, by Jean Craighead George, Harper Collins.
This Way Home, by Lisa Westberg Peters, Henry Holt.
Bird of Jove, by David Bruce.
Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford.
Incident at Hawk's Hill, by Allan W. Eckert.
The Snow Goose, by Paul Gallico.
My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George.
Ring of Bright Waters, by Gavin Maxwell.
Trumpet of the Swan & other titles, by E. B. White.
ESSAYS
Book of Days, by Hal Borland. New York: Nick Lyons Books, W.W. Norton & Company. 1976.
The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley. New York: A Harvest Book, Harcourt, Brace & Company. 1978.
Being Alive, Haupt, Heston, Littell, & Solotaroff (editors). Evanston, Illinois: McDougal, Littell & Company. 1972.
The Environment, Haupt, Littell, & Solotaroff (editors). Evanston, Illinois: McDougal, Littell & Company. 1972.
The Great House of Birds, John Hay, (editor), San Francisco, Sierra Club Books,1996.
Arctic Dreams, by Barry Lopez. New York. Bantam Books, 1987.
The Bird Watcher's Anthology, by Roger Tory Peterson, (compiler). New York, Harcourt, Brace & Company,1957.
Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year, by Scott Weidensaul. Golden, Colorado, Fulcrum Publishing,1992.
JOURNALS
Nature Diary, by Marjolein Bastin. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. 1991.
The Bird Lover's Journal. Philadelphia, Running Press, 1988.
The Naturalist - Down to Earth, Botanical Art, & Nature Walk, by Janet Clark and Mary Alice & Gary Collins. Minneapolis, Minnesota: BurgessnPublishing Company. 1974.
The Naturalist's Field Journal, by Steven G. Herman. Vermillion, South Dakota, Buteo Books, 1986
A Trail Through Leaves, by Hannah Hinchman. New York, W W Norton & Company, 1997
Bird Egg Feather Nest, by Maryjo Koch. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1992.
Naturally Drawn: Drawings from the collection - Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. 1992.
A Sketchbook of Birds, by Charles Tunnicliffe. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1979.
Sketches of Bird Life, by Charles Tunnicliffe. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1981.
A Woman's Journal. Philadelphia, Running Press, 1985.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
Reading the Environment, by Mary Cerullo, 1997, Heinemann Books Inc., Portsmouth, NH: ISBN: 0-435-08383-X. This new resource demonstrates how to bring together the best of the language arts and the science curriculums to instill in students a curiosity about the world around them.
Sharing the Wonder of Birds with Kids, by Laura Erickson, 1997, Pfeifer-Hamilton, Duluth, Minnesota: ISBN: 1-57025-129-0. Full of creative activities, this hands-on guide goes way beyond teaching bird identification. In her light-hearted style, Laura paves the way for children to discover the beauty andsignificance of birds, how their bodies work, why they behave as they do, and why it's critical to protect and care for them.
Introducing Birds, by Pamela Hickman, Don Mills, Ontario, Federation of Ontario Naturalists. ISBN: 0-921217-93-5. This comprehensive resource includes background information about birds, complete lesson plans involving arts and crafts, math, language skills, games and puzzles, student activity sheets, and fact sheets and data on birds.
Birds, Birds, Birds, National Wildlife Federation. New and Expanded Edition. Learning Triangle Press, an imprint of McGraw Hill, New York. 0-07-047096-0. This is a creative, activities-centered education series dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The book includes "copycat" pages with games, puzzles, and pictures; ready to use activities. Also included is an extensive bibliography.
Inquiry at the Window; Pursuing the Wonder of Learners, by Phyllis and David J. Whitin, 1997, Heinemann, Portsmouth. A yearlong study of birds by a fourth grade class demonstrates how children look closely at their world, raise questions,confront scientific problems, and become empowered by the fruits of their own efforts. It is the story of inquiry itself and an inspiration for any educator concerned with preserving and fueling the innate sense of wonder we all possess.
A Guide to Bird Education Resources, the definitive guide to teaching materials nationwide. To order write to American Birding Assoc. Sales Office PO Box 6599 Colorado Springs, CO 80934.
