The Kids' Guide to Birds of Texas: Fun Facts, Activities and 90 Cool Birds
By Stan Tekiela
()
About this ebook
With fun activities for the whole family, like building a birdhouse and preparing your own bird food, this is a must-have beginner's guide to bird watching in the Lone Star State!
Stan Tekiela’s famous Birds of Texas Field Guide has been delighting bird watchers for years. Now, the award-winning author has written the perfect bird identification guide for children!
The Kids’ Guide to Birds of Texas features:
- 90 of the most common and important birds to know
- Species organized by color for ease of use
- Full-color photographs and a full page of information for each bird
- Field marks, favorite hangouts, calls/songs, a range map, and Stan’s cool facts, making identification a snap!
Related to The Kids' Guide to Birds of Texas
Related ebooks
Parakeets And Budgies – Raising, Feeding, And Hand-Training Your Keet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crows Hate People! And Other Strange Facts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStan Tekiela’s Birding for Beginners: Northeast: Your Guide to Feeders, Food, and the Most Common Backyard Birds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSquirrels For Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLowji Discovers America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zombie Surf Commandos from Mars! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For the Love of Texas: Tell Me about the Colonists! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHector Afloat Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Red Riding Hood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKing Cobras Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tales of the Wild West: Tall Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrouble with a Tiny t Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings14 Fun Facts About Dodo Birds: A 15-Minute Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFamous Stories Every Child Should Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life in a Pond Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Could You Survive the Jurassic Period?: An Interactive Prehistoric Adventure Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Marvelous Land of Oz: Original Oz Stories 1904 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What's Great about Tennessee? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fizzopolis #3: Snoodles! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5SAMI THE MAGIC BEAR: A Trip to the Hospital!: (Full-Color Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Vandal Scandal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Illustrated Patchwork Girl of Oz Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGerms Up Close Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dinosaur Picture Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHerald of the Flame Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Northwind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Little Marauder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Dinosaur Ate My Socks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wind in the Willows (Illustrated by Nancy Barnhart) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Animals For You
Mr. Popper's Penguins Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stuart Little Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horse and His Boy: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crabby the Crab Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brave Like a Bee: Bedtime Stories for Children, Bedtime Stories for Kids, Children’s Books Ages 3 - 5, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Coraline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Wild: Warriors #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Velveteen Rabbit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prince Caspian: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Jealous Lion: Bedtime Stories for Children, Bedtime Stories for Kids, Children’s Books Ages 3 - 5, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Garden: The 100th Anniversary Edition with Tasha Tudor Art and Bonus Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty: Ready, Set, Go-Cart! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shiloh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pout-Pout Fish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bear Went Over the Mountain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa (A Beautifully Illustrated Children's Picture Book) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bad Kitty Gets a Bath Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Kids' Guide to Birds of Texas
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Kids' Guide to Birds of Texas - Stan Tekiela
Birds that are mostly black
Brown-headed Cowbird
Look for the brown head
MALE
FEMALE
What to look for:
glossy black bird with a chocolate-brown head and a sharp, pointed gray bill
Where you’ll find them:
forest edges, open fields, farmlands and backyards
Calls and songs:
sings a low, gurgling song that sounds like water moving; cowbird young are raised by other bird parents, but they still end up singing and calling like their own parents, whom they’ve never heard
On the move:
Mom flies quietly to another bird’s nest, swiftly lays an egg, then flies quickly away
What they eat:
insects and seeds; visits seed feeders
Nest:
doesn’t nest; lays eggs in the nests of other birds
Eggs, chicks and childcare:
white eggs with brown marks; the host bird incubates any number of cowbird eggs in her nest and feeds the cowbird young along with her own
Spends the winter:
in Texas and other southern states
REAL QUICK
Size
7 ½"
Nest
NONE
Feeder
TUBE OR HOPPER
year-round
SAW IT
STAN’S COOL STUFF
Cowbirds are brood parasites, meaning they don’t nest or raise their own families. Instead, they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, leaving the host birds to raise their young. Cowbirds have laid their eggs in the nests of more than 200 other bird species.
European Starling
Look for the glittering, iridescent feathers
BREEDING
WINTER
What to look for:
shiny and iridescent purplish-black in spring and summer, speckled in fall and winter; yellow bill in spring, gray in fall; pointed wings and a short tail
Where you’ll find them:
lines up with other starlings on power lines; found in all habitats but usually associated with people, farms, suburban yards and cities
Calls and songs:
mimics the songs of up to 20 bird species; mimics other sounds, even imitating the human voice
On the move:
large family groups gather with blackbirds in fall
What they eat:
bugs, seeds and fruit; visits seed and suet feeders
Nest:
cavity; filled with dried grass; often takes a cavity from other birds
Eggs, chicks and childcare:
4–6 bluish eggs with brown marks; Mom and Dad sit on the eggs and feed the babies
Spends the winter:
in Texas and other southern states
REAL QUICK
Size
7 ½"
Nest
CAVITY
Feeder
TUBE OR HOPPER
year-round
SAW IT
STAN’S COOL STUFF
The starling is a mimic that can sound like any other bird. It’s not a native bird; 100 starlings from Europe were introduced to New York City in 1890–91. Today, European Starlings are one of the most common songbirds in the country.
Eastern & Spotted Towhee
Look for the black head
EASTERN MALE
FEMALE
SPOTTED MALE
FEMALE
What to look for:
mostly black bird with rusty sides, a white belly, red eyes, and a long black tail with a white tip
Where to find them:
shrubby areas with short trees and thick bushes, backyards and parks
Calls and songs:
calls tow-hee
distinctly; also has a characteristic call that sounds like drink-your-tea
On the move:
short flights between shrubby areas and heavy cover; flashes white wing patches during flight
What they eat:
insects, seeds and fruit; comes to ground feeders
Nest:
cup; Mom constructs the nest
Eggs, chicks and childcare:
3–4 creamy-white eggs with brown marks; Mom incubates the eggs; Dad and Mom feed the young
Spends the winter:
in Texas and other southern states
REAL QUICK
Size
8 ½"
Nest
CUP
Feeder
GROUND
Eastern
Spotted
year-round
winter
SAW IT
STAN’S COOL STUFF
The towhee is named for its distinctive tow-hee
call. It hops backward with both feet, raking leaves to find insects and seeds. It is a large species of sparrow, nearly the size of a robin. It often has more than one clutch of eggs each breeding season.
Red-winged Blackbird
Look for the red-and-yellow shoulder patches
MALE
FEMALE
What to look for:
black bird with red-and-yellow shoulder patches on upper wings; shoulder patches can be partially or completely covered