Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids: Activities and Ideas for Watching, Feeding, and Housing Our Feathered Friends

by Elissa Ruth Wolfson, Margaret A. Barker, National Audubon Society

Overview

* 2021 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in Hands-On Science Longlist
* 2021 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book 

Produced in association with the National Audubon Society, Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids introduces you and your children to the love of all things birding.

Whether exploring the forest, the backyard, or the city, you and your kids will learn about the habits of North America’s most popular songbirds, how to create safe and welcoming environments for them, how to observe them, and how to construct easy and safe species-appropriate birdhouses and feeders for common birds. The bird ID section includes descriptions of species and range maps.

Kids will also find 20 exciting activities and games (10 indoor, 10 outdoor), including how to form birding groups, scavenger hunts, and a birdsong listening game. In addition to practical, field-tested knowledge and fascinating information about the species covered, this guide is packed with beautiful color photography.

Since all the information presented is the product of years of National Audubon Society expertise, both you and your kids can be sure you're getting the best advice before setting about your birding adventures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760366080
Publisher:	Cool Springs Press
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	270,316
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elissa Wolfson has written and edited numerous environmental, botanical, ornithological, and veterinary publications. After graduating from Cornell University, she worked as an environmental educator for a decade, earned an MS degree, and transitioned into environmental journalism. Her clients include the National Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology and College of Veterinary Medicine. She is former editor of E, The Environmental Magazine, and Cornell Plantations Magazine, current editor of Rationality and Society, author of 101 Cool Games for Cool Cats, and co-author of Birding Adventures for Kids, The Birdhouse Book, and the American Museum of Natural History Pocket Birds of North America, Eastern and Western Regions.

Margaret A. Barker, a Chesapeake Bay–area writer and educator, grew up watching feeder birds in East Tennessee thanks to her bird-loving mother and grandmother. Covering environmental stories during a broadcast journalism career in the southeast, including at WGST, Atlanta, led to an MS degree via the Audubon Expedition Institute and an internship with Audubon’s Washington, DC, office. She managed the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch and later the Kids Growing Food school garden program for Cornell’s Department of Education. She writes for newspapers and magazines, and she is co-author of Birding Adventures for Kids, The Birdhouse Book, The FeederWatcher’s Guide to Bird Feeding, and Feeding Wild Birds in America.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

How to Use this Book 8

Chapter 1 Meet The Birds: 25 Kinds of Birds to See, Hear, and Learn About 11

Blackbird 12

Bluebirds 13

Cardinal 15

Chickadee 16

Crow 17

Dove 18

Ducks 19

Eagle 21

Finches 22

Goose 24

Gull 25

Hawk 26

Heron 27

Hummingbird 28

Jay 29

Junco 30

Nuthatch 31

Owl 32

Robin 33

Sparrows 34

Swallow 36

Turkey 37

Vulture 38

Woodpeckers 39

Wren 41

Common Nonnative Birds 42

Rock Pigeon 42

House Sparrow 43

European Starling 44

Parrots in America 45

Chapter 2 Outside with the Birds: Games, Activities, and Adventures 47

Take a Bird Walk 48

Birds Through Binoculars 50

Do-It-Yourself Birdbath 53

Bird Song Listening Game 54

Bird Migration Game 56

Easy-to-Make Berry and Peanut Bird Feeder Loop 59

Easy-to-Make Bird Butter Pinecone Feeder 60

Plants for Birds 61

Sunflowers for Songbirds 64

Hummingbird Havens 66

Chapter 3 Inside with the Birds: Games, Activities, and Adventures 69

How to Go Birding Indoors 70

Bird Clues: The Six S Questions 72

Birds Are Everywhere! 74

Bird Bodies: What's on a Bird? 75

How Wide Is Your Wingspan? 76

What Makes a Good Birdhouse? 78

Easy-to-Make Mourning Dove Nest Basket 80

Easy-to-Make Nesting Shelf for Robins and House Finches 82

Bird Feeding Experiment 84

Bird Beak Adaptations: Which Beak for Which Food? 86

Appendix: Learn more and Get Involved! 88

Reducing Bird Dangers 88

Learn More: Nature Centers, Bird Clubs, and Festivals 91

Glossary: Words for Birds 92

About The Authors 93

Acknowledgments 94

About the National Audubon Society 94

Photo Credits 95

Index 96

Editorial Reviews

"What kind of crows always stick together? Vel-crows!” A corny animal joke never fails to draw in children of all ages, and Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids knows it. The book peppers bird jokes throughout profiles of 25 common species along with field marks, cool facts, and conservation notes. Parts read as more aspirational than age-appropriate (“How you can help” the Turkey Vulture: “Support lead-free ammunition”) but overall the book pursues a fun and thoughtful approach to hooking kids on birding and conservation. The second half is chock-full of bird games and activities (some basic, some more complicated) designed to take advantage of both the great outdoors and indoors. Kids can pick and choose their adventure and still walk away with a deeper understanding of birds and how to help them."—Audubon Society

From the Publisher