About This:
One of our favorite Nature Books is the Burgess Bird Book by Thornton W. Burgess. We love Burgess and his stories and so we tend to linger longer in them than others. This page is dedicated to detailing our discoveries about the North American birds he covers. Check it out and fly with us!
Below, you will find a search engine where you can type the Burgess Bird into the search bar. It will lead you to the post for that Burgess Bird! If you don’t see one, it may be that I’m still working on writing the post for the bird. If that’s the case go straight over to Cornell Lab’s allaboutbirds.org and type the species of the bird into their search bar. That website made our time in The Burgess Bird Book for Children so sweet! It’s a great place to go and visit along with The Burgess Birds in Detail.
Feel free to share your discoveries about each of the Burgess Birds with us and enjoy The Burgess Bird Coloring & Writing Pages!
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You’ll find our Coloring and Writing Pages for the Burgess Birds here:
Our Family’s Time in The Burgess Bird Book – all the birds!
Burgess Bird Book
We began our time in a Cycle 2 of A Gentle Feast this week and started a new nature study book that you know we are excited about… The Burgess Bird Book. Thornton W. Burgess is so good at capturing the animal life of the forest through his characters. In The Burgess Bird Book, Peter…
Jenny Wren
We started The Burgess Bird Book this past week with Jenny Wren. Jenny is a common House Wren. I have to admit that I don’t think I’ve ever identified a Wren before, even though they are common over most of the Western Hemisphere. As we read the book and learned more about Wrens, we realized…
Bully, The House Sparrow
I almost titled this blog post “Bully,” but I realized that may be a bit misleading. What an interesting name for Burgess to name the little house sparrows that we see so often. If you look at a range map for the House Sparrow, you’ll see that they reside in 49 of the 50 states…
Little Friend
Little Friend is a Song Sparrow in the Burgess Bird Book. He is a little sparrow characterized as the opposite of Bully, hence his name is “Little Friend.” The Cornell Lab notes that, “it’s one of the first species you should suspect if you see a streaky sparrow in an open, shrubby, or wet area.…
Whitethroat
Meet the White-throated Sparrow, a bird who loves the North, but can be found almost all over the North American continent. Of whom Jenny Wren mentions, “he is one of the largest of the tribe (of Sparrows) and has such a lovely white throat. He really is handsome with his black and white cap and…
Scratcher
Scratcher is a Fox Sparrow, known for his round body and rust brown coloring. Peter Rabbit remarks that: “(t)he only thing I’ve against him is the color of his coat. It reminds me of Reddy Fox, and I don’t like anything that reminds me of that fellow.” The Burgess Bird Book, Living Books Press Edition,…
Chipping Sparrow
One of the smallest of the sparrow family, Chippy, has a rufous cap. If you love nature study, you may come across the word “rufous” often because so many animals are labeled by this descriptive term. Rufous means reddish brown in color. It can be a really helpful descriptor to keep in mind when you…
Dotty, The Tree Sparrow
In Chapter 4 of The Burgess Bird Book, Peter explains to Johnny Chuck, who sleeps all winter, that Dotty is a Tree Sparrow who takes Chippy’s place when Chippy flies south for the Winter. Then when Chippy flies north, Dotty goes even more north (p. 19, The Burgess Bird Book, Living Books Press). What’s confusing…
Sweetvoice, The Vesper Sparrow
Our final sparrow is Sweetvoice, the Vesper Sparrow. The name that Burgess gave this bird, Sweetvoice, and even Vesper have labeled this Sparrow perfectly and here’s why: Vesper Sparrows sing a sweet tinkling song during the day and well into the evening hours—the twilight of vespers, prompting its name… a sweet series of musical slurs…
The Eastern Bluebird: Winsome
When we first moved to Illinois, one of our closest preserves was the Reed Turner Woodland in Long Grove. Small but diverse, this woodland is comprised of multiple ecosystems and the perfect place to take young children wanting to explore nature. It has become one of our favorite places to explore throughout the seasons and…
Welcome Robin
I have been excited to write about Welcome Robin for awhile now. In part because Robins have been a part of our bird journey since we arrived in the US as a family in May of 2020. They were the birds that we loved to watch and that we learned about first when we were…
The Eastern Phoebe, Dear Me
The Eastern Pheobe’s name comes from it’s call- “Phoebe”. Thornton W. Burgess named the Phoebe in his book “Dear Me” because he described it’s called as “Dear me! Dear Me! Dear Me!” Which one do you think fits the Phoebe’s call: Go Trail’s Eastern Phoebe Call on Youtube The Eastern Phoebe is a Flycatcher, which…
Chebec, the Least Flycatcher
You can see above all the things we learned about Chebec this term. Chebec… I really like the name that Burgess gave this bird. Since he named it after its call, I had to hear for myself! Find Garth McElroy’s video of Chebec on Youtube Burgess identifies this call as a repeated use of it’s…
Scrapper, the Eastern Kingbird
Tough name, right? Scrapper is the Eastern Kingbird in Thornton W. Burgess’ “Burgess Bird Book.” So why is the Kingbird called Scrapper? It seems that they are always looking for a fight with bigger birds who try to prey on smaller birds. Hear how Burgess describes this fellow: A white-throated, white-breasted bird, having a black…
Cresty, a Lover of Snake Skin
The Great Crested Flycatcher. I love the way that allaboutbirds describes this bird: “A large, assertive flycatcher with reddish-brown accents and a lemon-yellow belly is a common bird of Eastern woodlands. Its habit of hunting high in the canopy means it’s not particularly conspicuous – until you learn its very distinctive call, an emphatic rising…
Eastern Wood-Pewee
“A little bit bigger than his cousin, Chebec, but looked very much like him,” Peter thought about Pewee, the Eastern Wood-Pewee. He loves to repeat his name. “Pee-wee! Pee-wee!” Give him a listen: Pewee is called the Wood-Pewee because you’ll most often find him in the forest. Allaboutbirds.org highlights that “when several flycatcher species live…
The American Woodcock, Longbill
Here we come to a beloved chapter in the Burgess Bird Book, chapter 9. We fell in love with Longbill, who’s Writing Page you can see above, very quickly and I’ll tell you why… You’ll have to tell me yourself if you can resist his irresistible moves when you see them here: This rocking back…
Teeter, The Spotted Sandpiper
While reading The Burgess Bird Book, I realized very quickly that I have a soft spot for small birds with long legs. I could watch them for hours. When we lived in Dubai, my husband and I loved to spot Plovers, watching as they circled and diverted our attention, protecting their young. You may not…
Redwing
Growing up in Texas, I had no idea about Red-winged Blackbirds, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. It wasn’t until I moved to Illinois that I saw one for the first time. They are so prevalent around us and I have a few stories to tell about them because of their habits and characteristics.…
Yellow Wing, the Northern Flicker
What comes after Red Wing in The Burgess Bird Book? Yellow Wing of course! Yellow Wing is a Northern Flicker, an absolutely beautiful bird. Thornton W. Burgess describes him like this: The sides and throat were a soft reddish-tan and on each side at the beginning of the bill was a black patch. The top…
Downy and Hairy
When we started The Burgess Bird Book, I just couldn’t wait to get to Chapter 11, Drummers and Carpenters. I knew that’s where Peter Rabbit would learn the difference between a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker. I fought the temptation and was able to wait patiently for the day when we would read it…
Redhead, the Red-headed Woodpecker
Our last Burgess Woodpecker is the Red-headed Woodpecker, a striking bird dressed in deep red, white and black. This is a good time to ask and answer the question, why do woodpeckers drum on wood? When I was growing up I believed that the reason was limited to their search for food, insects living in…
Sally Sly, the Brown-headed Cowbird
Spring Forward, a Pleasure to Hear Springing forward isn’t always the easiest or nicest of events on the calendar, but one thing I really enjoyed this morning is that I was able to hear the birds wake with the dawn and chorus their calls to each other again. I sat reading on the couch in…
Goldy, the Baltimore Oriole
Now on to a bird that causes a lot of excitement in the Spring. Who is a cousin of Sally Sly the Brown-headed Cowbird, but who is a lot more popular: Goldy, the Baltimore Oriole. Baltimore Orioles are members of the Blackbird family, but they certainly contain more vibrant colors than others in their family.…
Weaver, the Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole you’ve probably heard of before, but Orchard Oriole? Maybe not. The Orchard Oriole exchanges the beautiful orange of his Baltimore cousin with a chestnut brown. The females are very different from the males, wearing yellow and green feathers. Here is a video of what an Immature Male looks like, much more like the…
Bubbling Bob, the Bobolink
What a fun sentence full of alliteration: Today our Burgess bird is Bubbling Bob the Bobolink! Writing that this morning is a great start to the day. Bobolinks… ever heard of them? Unfortunately, this is a bird that is getting harder to find. If you are hoping to ever spot one you should look in…
Bob White, the Northern Bobwhite
This Spring, I took a break from posting in order to observe and enjoy the Spring Migration. It has been absolutely amazing to meet the different birds that pass through our area on their way North. Some of the highlights of the Spring Migration this year were seeing: Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, SOOOO many Warblers enjoying the…
Carol, the Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlarks are very common in the prairie grasslands around where I live. Have I seen one? No, not yet, but it is my goal to see one out in the field. How often do you go to a particular ecosystem in order to see a particular bird? Most often, I don’t organize our outings…
Skimmer, the Tree Swallow
Skimmer is our next Burgess Bird in detail and he is a beautiful iridescent bird with blueish-green on his back and white on his stomach. We know exactly where to venture in order to see Tree Swallows. We go to the Deer Grove Preserve in our community where there are some open swampy areas. We…
Sooty, the Chimney Swift
So, the big question is…. Is a Chimney Swift a swallow? Even Peter thinks that Sooty, the Chimney Swift, is a swallow, but he isn’t! Burgess lets Jenny Wren answers our question, “He hasn’t any one nearer than some sort of second cousins, Boomer the Nighthawk, Whippoorwill, and Hummer the Hummingbird” (Burgess Bird Book, Living…
Twitter the Purple Martin
As the largest of the Swallow family, Purple Martins are very social birds. Take it from Skimmer the Tree Swallow who explains to Johnny Chuck: “I like a home by myself, such as I’ve got here, but Twitter loves company. He likes to live in an apartment house with a lot of his own kind.…
Forktail, the Barn Swallow
Barn Swallows are one of my favorite birds to watch as they fly over fields catching insects and really perform remarkable aerial acrobatics in the process. It always calming to watch and enjoy their flight for food. Often, you will find Barn Swallows far away from any barns, which are a common place for them…
Blacky, the American Crow
“Caw, caw, caw” is a ringing call that many people would recognize by sound. Crows are large birds and very intelligent. Allaboutbirds mentions: “Crows sometimes make and use tools. Examples include a captive crow using a cup to carry water over to a bowl of dry mash; shaping a piece of wood and then sticking…
Sammy, the Blue Jay
We live in the midst of many trees and often hear the call “Jay Jay Jay.” I love that this is one call that everyone in my family can identify, from our 2 year old to my husband. You might have heard Sammy in the trees and not realized it before. Listen in on the…
Teacher, the Ovenbird
I had never even heard about Ovenbirds before we read “The Burgess Bird Book for Children.” Burgess names the Oven Bird in his book Teacher because of the way it mimics his call, “Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher!” And he explains why he is called the Ovenbird: It is because of the way Mrs. Teacher…
Redtail, the Red-tailed Hawk
We live in a part of the United States where it so easy to catch a glimpse of this beautiful bird. I actually love the changing of Fall to Winter for this reason. As we travel around in our car during the day I’ll keep my eye on the sky, looking for a large bird…
Creaker, the Common Grackle
I didn’t know a lot about birds as a kid and they weren’t really on my radar. However, Grackles are a bird that I knew and could identify as they came through our area in droves, gathering noisily together in trees! One really interesting thing that we learned through Cornell Lab’s allaboutbirds is their impact…
Plunger, the Osprey
Chapter twenty in “The Burgess Bird Book for Children” is certainly a chapter full of magnificent birds. Brilliant at what they do and spectacular to watch, Ospreys are amazing to see up close and personal and if you live near water you may see them often. Here is their signature whistle for you to identify…
King Eagle, the Bald Eagle
To be honest, it’s hard for me not to picture the Eagle from the various Angry Birds movies when I use the name King Eagle. However in reality these birds are much more majestic and regal than the characterization from those movies. They are also very well known. Cornell Lab’s allaboutbirds.org highlights that “the Bald…
Longlegs, the Great Blue Heron
Who doesn’t love spotting a Great Blue Heron wading through water on the shallow edge of a lake or pond? It is so calming to see how they hunt for a meal while they are stalking their prey above the water. They move slowly as they search, but when it comes to catching a fish…
Rattles, the Belted Kingfisher
I hope that by this point in your in-depth walk through “The Burgess Animal Book for Children” you are encouraged. Encouraged especially in reading Burgess’ accounts of North American birds and seeing it line up with the details that Cornell Lab shares about these birds. I, for one, am so grateful that our family found…
Banker, the Bank Swallow
In Burgess’ classic The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Chapter 22 finds Peter Rabbit surprised as he sees a bird sticking his head out of a hole made in the river bank. At this point in his journey, Peter has just spoken with Rattles the Kingfisher, who is another bird who makes its nest in…
Killy, the American Kestrel
The American Kestrel is truly a beautiful bird. Burgess describes him like this: Very trim and handsome was Killy. His back was reddish-brown crossed by bars of black. His tail was reddish-brown with a band of black near its end and a white tip. His wings were slaty-blue with little bars of black, the longest…
Boomer, the Common Nighthawk
This is a bird that I had never heard of before reading The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess. Boomer has a small bill but a very big mouth, as Peter Rabbit learns. But that isn’t the only thing that Peter learns about Boomer first hand… Peter tipped his head way back.…
Whip poor Will, the Whip-Poor-Will
Have you ever met a Whip-poor-will? Introduced to Peter Rabbit as one of Boomer the Common Nighthawk’s cousins, “Whip-poor-will has just the same kind of big mouth and he is dressed very much like Boomer, save that there are no white patches on his wings.” (Thornton W. Burgess, The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Living…
Chuck-will’s-widow
Chapter 23 of Burgess’ classic “The Burgess Bird Book for Children” rounds out with one more bird: Chuck-will’s-widow. It’s funny to me that I had never heard of any of the three birds before and the chapter finishes with the perfect retort from Jenny Wren: “That’s what comes of never having traveled,” retorted Jenny Wren.…
Zee Zee, the American Redstart
We are getting into some migrating birds at just the right time of year, right before the Spring migration! Here we have the American Redstart, the first of our many Warblers. I love what Burgess shares about Warblers wrote through the eyes of Peter the Rabbit: If there is one family of feathered friends which…
Sunshine, the Yellow Warbler
I would love to meet someone named Sunshine, wouldn’t you? Peter Rabbit meets Sunshine in Ch. 24 of Thornton W. Burgess’ classic, “The Burgess Bird Book for Children.” Sunshine is a Yellow Warbler and perfectly named for his bright yellow feathers, although he isn’t entirely yellow but also has reddish brown streaks on his breast…
Creeper, the Black and White Warbler
The Black and White Warbler could easily be misidentified as a Brown Creeper because even as Peter Rabbit notices, they act similarly. Listen in on Creeper’s tactic for his very un-Warbler, Nuthatch-like behavior: “I’m going to let you into a little secret, Peter. The rest of them (Warblers) get their living from the leaves and…
Mummer, the Common Yellowthroat
Talk about making a statement, the Common Yellowthroat is easy to identify by his black face mask. The females do not have the black masks, but otherwise look very similar with yellow throats and a little more brown along their backs. The Common Yellowthroat is another Warbler who is often prey to Brown-headed Cowbirds’ brood…
Chut-Chut, the Yellow-breasted Chat
Thornton W. Burgess writes about Chut-Chut being a little different from the other Warblers. He mentions the Yellow-breasted Chat’s difference in size, being a little larger than other Warblers, and even his cautious behavior. This is a really interesting case for those who love Natural History because at the time that “The Burgess Bird Book…
Sprite, the Northern Parula
As quickly as the Warblers arrived, they left. In Burgess’ classic “The Burgess Bird Book for Children,” Peter finds a Warbler that stays in the Green Forest, the Northern Parula. He notices Sprite by finding his nest which looks like a bunch of moss hanging from a tree. Cornell Lab explains that Northern Parulas actually…
Fidget, the Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow patches are all you need to recognize Fidget when he is flitting about in the forest. Burgess describes him as a “black and gray bird with a yellow cap, yellow sides, and a yellow patch at the root of his tail” (Burgess, p. 132, Living Book Press edition). You may have noticed that he…
Weechi, the Magnolia Warbler
Bold in black and yellow is the Magnolia Warbler! As we have seen in The Burgess Bird Book for Children, there are many warblers with black, yellow, and white patterns, but the Magnolia Warbler takes the cake with his striking combination. Burgess describes him like this, The top of his head and the back of his neck…
Glory, the Northern Cardinal
One of the most beloved birds, the Northern Cardinal is a bird that can be identified easily by most people. Did you know that it is the state bird for seven states? The states included are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Cardinals are a great guest to any backyard because…
Kitty, the Gray Catbird
When we started to learn about Kitty, I was hung up on one thing. I realized that there are two spellings for gray and so I was hung up on “why”!?! This really came about because we lived in Dubai for so long where British English is used and periodically when I’m writing and reading,…
Rosebreast, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Two years ago I was astounded when I looked outside my window and identified the first Rose-breasted Grosbeak to visit our bird feeder. It was early spring and I was enjoying the number of birds migrating through north eastern Illinois. I felt like it was a major triumph to attract a new bird, and one…
Redcoat, the Scarlet Tanager
The Scarlet Tanager is another elusive bird that I have been pleased to see in person while walking in a forest preserve in Northeastern Illinois. Being summertime, it was easier to spot the male because he was bearing his feathers of a red body and black wings. Due to spending some time reading about Scarlet…
Warble, the Warbling Vireo
Have you wondered what warble means? We heard it when we went through the Warblers, which are a family of insect-eating, smaller birds found migrating up and down North America with the changing of seasons. It’s now when we come to Warble that the question pops into my head. To warble is to sing softly…
Yellow-throated Vireo
The Yellow-throated Vireo is one of the beautiful singers who also has a beautiful throat. Burgess doesn’t go into any detail about this bird, although Jenny Wren does tell Peter that he is the distinguishable one of the lot. So let’s find out a little more about him. Looking into what Cornell Lab has compiled,…
Brownie, the Brown Thrasher
In Chapter 30 of The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Jenny Wren asks Peter if he has seen her bigger cousin. If you know the size of a House Wren, you would be just as surprised as Peter was at her question. This larger super family that she is speaking of as her second cousins…
Melody, the Wood Thrush
In Chapter 31 we happen upon Peter at the time of dusk, listening to the birds sing themselves to sleep. He hears one voice after the others have stopped, very clearly in the wood, from a tree just back of him, there poured fourth a song so clear, so sweet, so wonderfully suited to that…
Hermit, the Hermit Thrush
In The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Burgess doesn’t go into great detail about the Hermit Thrush except to say a few things. He comments that his song is even more lovely than Melody’s. If you want to hear it for yourself, you can check here. Although he doesn’t go into detail, if you live…
Veery, the Veery
Veery, the Veery… it just rolls off the tongue. But what exactly is a Veery? In his classic, The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Thornton W. Burgess mentions that Veery has been named Wilson’s Thrush and Tawny Thrush as well. Veery has this name now because of his call, which you can sample here. I…
Chewink, the Eastern Towhee
We find Peter Rabbit having to make a brave choice as he sees Chewink, the Eastern Towhee for the first time in The Burgess Book for Children, by Thornton W. Burgess. As he is observing Chewink scratch along the ground for food, he sees Reddy Fox preparing to capture Chewink. Peter doesn’t want to be…
Indigo, the Indigo Bunting
Why are Indigo Buntings blue? Do you have any idea? If a bird is blue it’s because it doesn’t have blue pigment. Isn’t it so interesting how that works? As Cornell Lab tells us, Their jewel-like color comes instead from microscopic structures in their feathers that refract and reflect blue light, much like the airborne…
Linnet, the Purple Finch
The name Linnet and why Burgess would choose it, caused me to pause and think this morning. Amazingly in my research, I discovered that it comes from Welsh, French origin and means “songbird.” I am always encouraged by Thornton W. Burgess’ thoroughness when delivering natural history to children. To think about how much thought and…
Chicoree, the American Goldfinch
American Goldfinches are a great bird to try and attract to your backyard bird feeder. They love seeds, especially nyjer and sunflower seeds, which makes it easy for them to be year-round in many places around the United States. One thing that Peter Rabbit picks up on in The Burgess Bird Book for Children are…
Mourner, the Mourning Dove
We have the tendency to overlook animals that we see often, and that includes Mourning Doves. I’ve heard people confuse them for Pigeons, and that’s okay! Let’s get a few things right about them. Thornton W. Burgess actually clears up some things about Mourner in Chapter 34 of The Burgess Bird Book for Children. Peter…
Cuckoo, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Sometimes we are so disconnected from the natural world that we need good reminders of how helpful animals can be when they live around us. We are always concerned about getting rid of pests, so I love to use the Burgess Books to help bridge the gap and give us a better insight to how…
Butcher, the Loggerhead Shrike
The Basics of this Burgess Bird A Loggerhead Shrike is a species of bird that many have probably never heard of before. I can say that was true for me before reading Thornton W. Burgess’ classic, The Burgess Bird Book for Children. They are a really incredible bird to learn more about. Since our first…
Hummer, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird
When does the smallest bird create the biggest stir? Well, maybe all the time! We love tiny birds. They are amazing to see and to watch. Hummingbirds are always met with excitement and gratefulness as they return from the south each spring. I absolutely love our hummingbird feeder, which hangs right outside of my kitchen…
Speckles, the European Starling
European Starlings seem to be everywhere during different seasons. If you look at their range, you’ll see that they cover almost all of North America. It’s amazing that these Starlings were first brought to North America by those who loved Shakespeare and now they cover almost the whole continent (allaboutbirds). European Starlings vs. Common Grackles…
Dandy, the Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwings are beautiful birds. For a while, I was on the hunt to see one because I knew that we lived within their year-round range. I first spotted them near Pictured Rocks Lakeshore in a little place called Au Train, Michigan. Au Train has a river flowing through it and a small inland lake.…
Tommy Tit, the Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadees are one of our favorite birds because they stay in our area through winter. They love to live among evergreen, willow, and birch trees along with Nuthatches and Woodpeckers. They are named after one of their calls: “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee” and are about the cutest birds you’ll ever see. According to allaboutbirds.org, Cornell Lab adds…
Honker, the Canada Goose
I remember when we first moved to North America from overseas everything was brand new to the kids. One day we were walking in a nature preserve and the kids marveled at the birds. They chose the perfect time, as a couple was walking by, to exclaim, “Geese! Geese! Look! Geese!” This made the couple…
Dippy, the Common Loon
Depending on where you live, the Common Loon may not be so common to you. Hear how Thornton W. Burgess introduces the Common Loon to the story in his classic The Burgess Bird Book for Children, Just then Honker was interrupted by wild, strange sounds from the middle of the Great River. It sounded like…
Yank-Yank, the White-breasted Nuthatch
“Secret Agent Man, Secret Agent Man….” I sing this to myself every time I see the White-breasted Nuthatch swoop down to land on our platform feeder. The White-breasted Nuthatch even looks like he is dressed in a tuxedo. The White-breasted Nuthatch is a bark forager. This means that they like to hunt for insects in…
Seep-Seep, the Brown Creeper
The Brown Creeper really has a name suited to it. If you have ever seen this bird creeping up and down trees, you’ll agree! It’s a joy to know that so many birds rely on trees in their ecosystems. Along with Woodpeckers, Flickers, Chickadees, and Nuthatches, Brown Creepers have a good and important relationship with…
You’ll find our Coloring and Writing Pages for the Burgess Birds here:
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