How to Find a Bird

Jennifer Ward's How to Find a Bird offers a wonderful look at, well, how to find birds. Blend in, be quiet, look low to the ground, and be as sharp as an eagle's eye and you will find birds. Wait and be patient is often the best advice. And sometimes birds find you. 

Lushly illustrated by Diana Sudyka, the picture book is full of details and lots of birds, each labeled. One double-page spread even includes extinct birds like the Dodo and the Ivory-billed woodpecker. The final two pages offer advice on how to be a bird watcher. Great to read aloud to a young child or give as a gift.

 Bird of the Week: Whooping Cranes    

As a Master Birder I have to volunteer with Travis Audubon Society. One of the things I'm doing is contributing to their "Bird of the Week" site. Read about Whooping Cranes. They are starting to arrive in Texas. https://travisaudubon.org/uncategorized/bird-of-the-week-whooping-cranes . And while you are there, look at the information about other birds in Texas. 

I'll post information here after the posts publish for Audubon.

All About Birds: Texas and Oklahoma opens with a fold-out index of birds by categories but the table of contents includes a break down by species within each category.  Early chapters focus on beginning birding, attracting birds to your yard, and getting involved with birding. Especially appreciated is the section on types of food and feeders. A guide to common species found in Texas and Oklahoma follows. Information is drawn from Cornell’s AllAboutBirds.com. As noted in the welcome, each profile includes a map of the usual territory and full-color photos to help with plumage variations. The profile section starts with general tips for identifying birds by various traits and understanding field marks. An end of the book index helps locate specific information. Most birders probably wouldn’t carry this big of a book into the field, but it is great for learning about birds you are looking for at home or in the “wild.” Definitely worth adding to your bird collection. Other titles in the series cover California and four regions of the country.

Shorebird ID Guide

 Cornell Lab has some great resources. I wanted to share this Shorebirds Identification Chart. Two pages! 

"From plovers to peeps and beyond, become familiar with the diversity of shorebirds with this free downloadable guide! Paying attention to shape, size, and behavior goes a long way to identifying shorebirds. This helpful shorebird ID guide has full-color photos, ID tips, and a size reference chart for use at home or out in the field. You can download, print out, and bring this guide with you!" 

Shorebirds Identification Chart