The Burgess Bird Book for Children

by Thornton W. Burgess

Overview

"This book was written to supply a definite need. Its preparation was undertaken at the urgent request of booksellers and others who have felt the lack of a satisfactory medium of introduction to bird life for little children. As such, and in no sense whatever as a competitor with the many excellent books on this subject, but rather to supplement these, this volume has been written. Its primary purpose is to interest the little child in, and to make him acquainted with, those feathered friends he is most likely to see. Because there is no method of approach to the child mind equal to the story, this method of conveying information has been adopted. So far as I am aware the book is unique in this respect. In its preparation an earnest effort has been made to present as far as possible the important facts regarding the appearance, habits and characteristics of our feathered neighbors. It is intended to be at once a story book and an authoritative handbook. While it is intended for little children, it is hoped that children of larger growth may find in it much of both interest and helpfulness. Mr. Louis Agassiz Fuertes, artist and naturalist, has marvelously supplemented such value as may be in the text by his wonderful drawings in full color. They were made especially for this volume and are so accurate, so true to life, that study of them will enable any one to identify the species shown. I am greatly indebted to Mr. Fuertes for his cooperation in the endeavor to make this book of real assistance to the beginner in the study of our native birds. It is offered to the reader without apologies of any sort. It was written as a labor of love-love for little children and love for the birds. If as a result of it even a few children are led to a keener interest in and better understanding of our feathered friends, its purpose will have been accomplished."-From the Preface.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596740846
Publisher:	Digireads.com Publishing
Publication date:	01/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Author and conservationist Thornton W. Burgess (1874–1965) wrote thousands of animal stories for children, starting with the 1910 publication of Old Mother West Wind. Burgess's tales convey his fascination with wildlife and his concern for nature, teaching gentle lessons about ecology and respect for the environment.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	v
1.	Jenny Wren Arrives: Introducing the House Wren	1
2.	The Old Orchard Bully: The English or House Sparrow	6
3.	Jenny Has a Good Word for Some Sparrows: The Song, White-throated and Fox Sparrows	10
4.	Chippy, Sweetvoice, and Dotty: The Chipping, Vesper and Tree Sparrows	15
5.	Peter Learns Something He Hadn't Guessed: The Bluebird and the Robin	21
6.	An Old Friend in a New Home: The Phoebe and the Least Flycatcher	27
7.	The Watchman of the Old Orchard: The Kingbird and the Great Crested Flycatcher	33
8.	Old Clothes and Old Houses: The Wood Pewee and Some Nesting Places	39
9.	Longbill and Teeter: The Woodcock and the Spotted Sandpiper	44
10.	Redwing and Yellow Wing: The Red-winged Blackbird and the Golden-winged Flicker	50
11.	Drummers and Carpenters: The Downy, Hairy and Red-headed Woodpeckers	57
12.	Some Unlike Relatives: The Cowbird and the Baltimore Oriole	62
13.	More of the Blackbird Family: The Orchard Oriole and the Bobolink	68
14.	Bob White and Carol the Meadow Lark: The So-called Quail and the Meadow Lark	74
15.	A Swallow and One Who Isn't: The Tree Swallow and the Chimney Swift	80
16.	A Robber in the Old Orchard: The Purple Martin and the Barn Swallow	85
17.	More Robbers: The Crow and the Blue Jay	91
18.	Some Homes in the Green Forest: The Crow, the Oven Bird and the Redtailed Hawk	96
19.	A Maker of Thunder and a Friend in Black: The Ruffed Grouse and the Crow Blackbird	102
20.	A Fisherman Robbed: The Osprey and the Bald-headed Eagle	108
21.	A Fishing Party: The Great Blue Heron and the Kingfisher	114
22.	Some Feathered Diggers: The Bank Swallow, the Kingfisher and the Sparrow Hawk	120
23.	Some Big Mouths: The Nighthawk, the Whip-poor-will and Chuck-will's-widow	126
24.	The Warblers Arrive: The Redstart and the Yellow Warbler	132
25.	Three Cousins Quite Unlike: The Black and White Warbler, the Maryland Yellow-Throat and the Yellow-breasted Chat	138
26.	Peter Gets a Lame Neck: The Parula, Myrtle and Magnolia Warblers	143
27.	A New Friend and an Old One: The Cardinal and the Catbird	149
28.	Peter Sees Rosebreast and Finds Redcoat: The Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Scarlet Tanager	155
29.	The Constant Singers: The Red-eyed, Warbling and Yellow-throated Vireos	162
30.	Jenny Wren's Cousins: The Brown Thrasher and the Mockingbird	166
31.	Voices of the Dusk: The Wood, Hermit and Wilson's Thrushes	172
32.	Peter Saves a Friend and Learns Something: The Towhee and the Indigo Bunting	178
33.	A Royal Dresser and a Late Nester: The Purple Linnet and the Goldfinch	183
34.	Mourner the Dove and Cuckoo: The Mourning Dove and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo	189
35.	A Butcher and a Hummer: The Shrike and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird	195
36.	A Stranger and a Dandy: The English Starling and the Cedar Waxwing	201
37.	Farewells and Welcomes: The Chickadee	207
38.	Honker and Dippy Arrive: The Canada Goose and the Loon	213
39.	Peter Discovers Two Old Friends: The White-breasted Nuthatch and the Brown Creeper	219
40.	Some Merry Seed-eaters: The Tree Sparrow and the Junco	224
41.	More Friends Come with the Snow: The Snow Bunting and the Horned Lark	229
42.	Peter Learns Something About Spooky: The Screech Owl	234
43.	Queer Feet and a Queerer Bill: The Ruffed Grouse and the Crossbills	240
44.	More Folks in Red: The Pine Grosbeak and the Redpoll	245
45.	Peter Sees Two Terrible Feathered Hunters: The Goshawk and the Great Horned Owl	250
	Index	256