Birds Make Nests

It's nesting season and we are getting a lot of baby birds in Rockport. Birds Make Nests by Michael Garland provides a quick look at the various types of nests birds build for their eggs and nestlings. Each page is filled with magnificent woodcuts depicting a variety of birds from the pileated woodpecker on the cover to the red-tailed hawk on the back jacket. For some birds both male and females are shown. Whether shaped like cups (hummingbird), on the ground (ostrich), or hanging from a tree (Baltimore oriole) the nests protect eggs and babies. Common names are provided on each page. One of the final scenes has a group of children watching an American Robin feeding three chicks. The book will have children and adults looking to see what nests they might find, as well as watching for the young birds to leave the nest. As an added feature, a teaching guide for the book is available online.

Baby American Coot (Port Aransas, TX)

The only thing I think is missing is an afterward with information on what to do if you find a baby bird out of the nest.  If kids go out looking for nests they may stumble on birds in need of help--or not. Often the parents are nearby and no intervention is needed. If you are sure that the bird has been abandoned, qualified rehabiltators can raise the baby bird until it fledges and can survive on its own.

Young grackle ready for release (Rockport, TX)

Baby Cardinal being raised by a rehabiltator (Rockport, TX)

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