In the last post I introduced you to a couple of Storey Publishing‘s new spring science titles for younger kids. Today I want to introduce you to a new one for slightly older kids: How to Look at a Bird.

How to Look at a Bird

Particularly if you’re a Charlotte Mason-style homeschooler, you may already be familiar with Clare Walker Leslie’s book, Keeping a Nature Journal (also from Storey). This new book, by the same author, is in some ways like a subset of that book and in other ways a complement to it.

As I’m sure you guessed from the title, How to Look at a Bird is all about birds. This can be a great way to step into the world of nature studies, because by narrowing the focus it eliminates the overwhelm some people may experience when trying to think about allll of nature. (Clare, now we need one just like this for “How to Look at a Plant”!)

Unlike what the title might suggest, it’s about more than just looking. It might be more aptly titled “how to observe a bird” (although that isn’t as catchy).

More About How to Look at a Bird

The book itself is small and compact. About 5-1/2 x 7 inches (and 1/2-inch thick), this paperback is easy to fit in a purse, backpack, or small tote for nature study supplies. And it breaks down the observation of birds into specific, easy-to-understand pieces.

The first section is, indeed, about what you see when you look at a bird. It details what to notice about the size, shape, color, etc. of the birds you observe.

After that it moves on to listening. What should you notice when you hear birds? What’s the difference between a bird “call” and a bird “song,” and what can you discern about what’s happening in the bird’s life and environment from what you hear?

These sections are followed by sections including tips about bird feeders, and what to watch for in bird behavior.

Finally, there’s a whole section on beginning to draw birds for your nature journal.

Interspersed throughout the entire book are profiles of a handful of “featured” birds: red-tailed hawk, chickadee, woodpeckers, European starling, Great Blue Heron, Northern Cardinal, nuthatches, hummingbirds, and western jays.

Of course the whole book is full of Clare’s lovely sketches, as well!

How to Look at a Bird: Open Your Eyes to the Joy of Watching and Knowing BirdsKeeping a Nature Journal, 3rd Edition: Deepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around YouThe Curious Nature Guide: Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You

Details to Be Aware Of

There are a couple references to evolution in this book. One is in the back matter, in the note about taxonomy. The other one I noted was in “a few amazing bird facts” on page 40. I assume most children old enough to make use of this book independently are probably old enough to expect such references in science books and work through them.

The way the book is broken down, it’s probably also beneficial for use with younger children, where a parent can use it as a guide for helping their children know what to pay attention to. But probably upper elementary school or middle school is necessary for most kids to be able to just use the book on their own. (It’s good for adults, too!)

One final note: although the bulk of the information is relevant regardless of where you live and bird-watch, the birds featured in  How to Look at a Bird are all found in North America, so if you live in another part of the world, it might feel less familiar.

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