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Burgess Bird Book

  • Chebec, the Least Flycatcher

    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…

  • 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…

  • 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 Bluebird: Winsome

    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…

  • 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…

  • Chipping Sparrow

    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…

  • Burgess Bird Book CHAPTERS 13-24

    Burgess Bird Book CHAPTERS 13-24

    Included in Chapters 13 through 24 of The Burgess Bird Book are the Eastern Meadowlark, Swallows and a Swift, a Kingfisher, a Great Blue Heron, a Whip Poor Will, a Common Nighthawk and more! The Red Tailed Hawk was the most difficult bird to draw as a coloring page, but to be honest so were…

  • Scratcher

    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,…

  • 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…

  • Little Friend

    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.…

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