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Birds: Eyewitness    by David Burnie Amazon.com order for
Birds
by David Burnie
Order:  USA  Can
DK Publishing, 2008 (2008)
Hardcover

Read an Excerpt

* *   Reviewed by Michelle York

DK Publishing has a book that's for the birders.

Not for the birds, but for those who appreciate them - and at a young age. The book, Birds by David Burnie, in association with The Natural History Museum, is part of DK Publishing's Eyewitness series. The series targets a topic, and then breaks it up into fascinating detail. Each book is crammed with information and bright photography, yet it is thoroughly readable. This book, which is appropriate for middle-schoolers, takes readers on another Eyewitness adventure.

Burnie, a zoologist, brings young birders into the nests and the sky, tracing every aspect of the bird, even its link to a dinosaur. He shows how birds can maneuver and take off, and explains their capacity for both speed and endurance.

If ever a young birder wondered how a nest was made, this is the book to find answers. (Hint, it often requires a mud lining.) In fact, birds are tremendous architects. While many create traditional bowl-shaped nests, some can craft nests into little purse-like objects, dangling from a tree branch. Others build multi-story nests, like high-rise apartments.

As a side venture, readers could use information from this book to make their yard more bird-friendly, especially in winter when food supplies are low. The bottom line: Eyewitness: Birds is perfect for the little hatchling at home.

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