Do you know a child who is fascinated by chips and tweets that they hear outside their window? Are they constantly stopping to look at a winged friend on a wire? Kids who take the time to watch birds should be nurtured in their love for the wonderfully fascinating avian world. These bird books for kids are on the stage at the Feeding Animal Center for readers of all ages.
Bird books for preschoolers
1. Mrs. Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bird Alphabet Illustrated by Peanuckle, by Jesse Ford
The 26 letters mean 26 birds, and Mrs. Pinnacle introduces each to this colorful board book with an interesting piece of information and a vivid illustration.
Buy it: Mrs. Pinnacle’s Bird Alphabet on Amazon
2. Birds: feathers by scarlet wing, eggs and beak, illustrated by Beatrice Tinarelli
This Smithsonian Kids’ board book will delight any child who jumps into the image of our feathered friends. Combining great photography with tactile format, young readers will be overwhelmed many times through this book.
Buy it: Birds: Amazon feathers, eggs and beaks
3. Do not let the pigeon drive the bus! By Moe Williams
If you are looking for a fictional bird book for kids, this is one of the many pigeon books by Moe Williams. This Caldecott Honor Award-winning book tells the story of how an ever-cool pigeon is fun, loving and often very closely related to young children.
Buy this: Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus! At Amazon
Bird books for early elementary school kids
4. National Geographic Little Kids Katherine D. Hughes’ first major book on birds
When the youngest birdwatchers graduate from a general board book, this National Geographic Guide is the most comprehensive, but still age-appropriate, volume to choose from. There is so much to explore here, including fantastic photography and fascinating information.
Buy it: National Geographic Little Kids is the first big book of birds on Amazon
5. Arlo and Pips: King of Birds by Alice Gravel
Alice Gravel, who also wrote the Disgusting Criters series, focuses on the great crow in this graphic novel (which was followed by two additional books). Arlo the Cuck Pips befriends the bird in this colorful story, woven with information about commonly seen and unusually intelligent birds.
Buy it: Arlo and Pips: The King of Birds on the Amazon
6. Backpack Explorer: Bird Watch: What do you get? Illustrated by Ona Bayfort, by Story Publishing
Kids who are interested in seeing different kinds of feathered friends around them will really enjoy this interactive book. It includes how to scout birds and identify their songs, several interactive activities and even a log for recording notes on a magnifying glass and sight.
Buy it: Backpack Explorer: Bird Watch on Amazon
7. The Little Book of Backyard by Bird Gun, by Andrea Pennington and Cage Buckingham
The actual bird skill begins with being able to distinguish between the unique songs of each bird. The push-button feature included with this book offers 12 of the most common bird songs in North America.
Buy it: A little book of backyard bird songs on Amazon
8. The Big Book of Birds by Yuval Jomar
Part of a series focusing on different species, this large book (up to about 9-by-14 inches) is filled with the distinctive art and clever text of author-illustrator Yuval Zomar. Contains conversational information about each winged animal with vivid images.
Buy it: Big Book of Birds on Amazon
Bird books for upper primary and middle school kids
9. Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guide for Young Naturalists) by Karen Stray Knolting and Jonathan Latimer, Roger Tory Peterson
Designed with young bird watchers in mind, this volume contains Roger Tory Peterson’s acclaimed works of art, considered by many to be the father of modern bird watchers. Readers will also find an introduction to the Peterson Identification System, known as the most effective method for identifying birds.
Buy this: Backyard birds on the Amazon
10. The Backs of Birds by Richard Konisek-Moran, portrayed by Kathleen Konisek-Moran
This clever part-story book, part-informative lesson teaches kids how to start being a detective in nature. In the book ride, two young men find out what birds eat based on the size of their lips. Activities are also included.
Buy it: Bird’s lips on Amazon
11. Beginning Birdwatcher Book by Sy Barlowe
For third graders and above, they will be introduced to the bird-watching system to keep a “life list”, i.e. documentation of the date, time, place, etc. where they first saw a particular bird species. This book contains pages for journalism as well as stickers for searching for 48 different species of birds.
Buy it: Start a BirdWatcher book on Amazon
Bird books for high school kids
12. What it feels like to be a bird: nesting from flying, singing from eating — what birds are doing and why, writes David Allen Sibyl
It doesn’t matter how much a person has invested in the bird’s life. This book by one of America’s leading ornithologists will actually take readers to what it feels like to be a bird Sibyl’s example — of which 330 are included in these pages — is detailed and often life-size. Teenage readers will be glad that the writing is accessible and not too dry or scientific.
Buy it: What it feels like to be a bird on the Amazon
13. National Geographic Pocket Guide for North American Birds by Laura Erickson and Jonathan Alderfer
Growing bird watchers will love this portable guide for North American birds. The 192 pages not only help users to identify the species but also provide tips on how to use binoculars to identify winged friends and describe each bird easily understood.
Buy it: National Geographic Pocket Guide for North American Birds on Amazon
14. National Audubon Society National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds (North America, Eastern)
The best-selling and most revered Audubon guides are well-known for a reason: they are both comprehensive and gorgeous, featuring detailed photographs of each bird. It covers birds of eastern North America; Other versions cover the rest of the continent.
Buy it: National Audubon Society Field Guide Birds on Amazon
Looking for more books for kids? Check out 17 of our favorite picture books about nature.
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