Did you know that January 5th is National Bird Day? January 5th marks the end of the annual Christmas Bird Count. The Christmas Bird Count is the world’s longest-running citizen science survey; it’s been going on for more than a hundred years. During the Christmas Bird count, thousands of volunteer birders count native birds and wild bird populations all over the United States. This count forms one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data, and the results are used daily by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds.
In honor of National Bird Day, we’ve rounded up five (count ’em!) of our favorite picture books about birds. Is your favorite bird book listed here?
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A Cage Went In Search of a Bird
A long-empty birdcage takes a chance and leaves behind its attic home to find a bird to keep. Out in the world, the cage encounters many birds and offers shelter to each of them. One by one, they refuse, explaining why they belong elsewhere. The cage feels lonelier than ever – until the cage in search of a bird finds a bird in search of a cage. Is there someone out there for everyone?
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My Book of Birds
Geraldo Valério is an artist who loves birds, from majestic Golden Eagles and Snowy Owls to brilliant cardinals and jays to the tiniest of hummingbirds. Here he presents his favorites, with beautiful collage illustrations and brief descriptions that highlight intriguing facts about each one.
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The King of the Birds
In this picture book, inspired by the life of Flannery O’Connor, a young fan of fowl brings home a peacock to be the king of her collection, but he refuses to show off his colorful tail.
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The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk
For hundreds of thousands of years Great Auks thrived in the icy seas of the North Atlantic, bobbing on the waves, diving for fish and struggling up onto rocky shores to mate and hatch their fluffy chicks. But by 1844, not a single one of these magnificent birds was alive.
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Loon
Winner of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Picture Book Award, the TD Norma Fleck Award, the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable Information Book Award, and a USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor Book. Nominated for an OLA Silver Birch Express Tree Award and a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award.
