Stan Tekiela - The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota: Fun Facts, Activities and 85 Cool Birds

To all the children who enjoy the world of birds as much as I do. Special thanks to the National Wildlife Refuge System along with state and local agencies, both public and private, for stewarding the lands that are critical to the many bird species we so love. Edited by Sandy Livoti Cover and book design by Jonathan Norberg Illustrations by Elleyna Ruud Range maps produced by Anthony Hertzel Photo credits by photographer and page number: Cover photos by Stan Tekiela: Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Screech-Owl, Wood Duck, Baltimore Oriole, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal and Bald Eagle. All photos by Stan Tekiela except . To the best of the publishers knowledge, all photos were of live birds. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota: Fun Facts, Activities and 85 Cool Birds Copyright 2018 by Stan Tekiela Published by Adventure Publications An imprint of AdventureKEEN (800) 678-7006 www.adventurepublications.net All rights reserved Printed in China ISBN: 978-1-59193-786-9 (pbk.); 978-1-59193-787-6 (ebook) The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota is a fun, easy-to-use guide for anyone interested in seeing and identifying birds. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota: Fun Facts, Activities and 85 Cool Birds Copyright 2018 by Stan Tekiela Published by Adventure Publications An imprint of AdventureKEEN (800) 678-7006 www.adventurepublications.net All rights reserved Printed in China ISBN: 978-1-59193-786-9 (pbk.); 978-1-59193-787-6 (ebook) The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota is a fun, easy-to-use guide for anyone interested in seeing and identifying birds.

As a child, I spent hours of enjoyment watching birds come to a wooden feeder that my father built in our backyard. We were the only family in the neighborhood who fed birds, and we became known as the nature family. Now, more people feed birds in their backyards than those who go hunting or fishing combined. Not only has it become very popular to feed and watch birds, but young and old alike are also identifying them and learning more about them. Minnesota is a fantastic place to see all sorts of birds. In fact, more than 400 species are found here! That makes it one of the top states to watch an incredible variety of birds.

In this field guide for Minnesota, Im featuring 85 of the most common of these great species. We have a wide range of habitats across Minnesota, and each supports different kinds of birds. Our major habitats include forest, prairie and aquatic environments, all of which are widespread in the state. Minnesota has lots of deciduous forest habitats! Here, leaves fall off the trees each autumn. Birds that prefer this habitat are often bright and colorful, and they build nests in leafy trees. We also have a fair amount of coniferous forest.

The trees here are evergreen, with green needles staying on the branches throughout the year. Conifers attract other types of birds, many of which migrate out of Minnesota in winter. Our prairies draw fascinating birds that enjoy a grassy, treeless environment. In this setting, they often nest on the ground. In addition, we have a ton of lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands. The weather here also plays a role in the kinds of birds we see. The weather here also plays a role in the kinds of birds we see.

Warm-weather tropical birds, such as orioles, hummingbirds and warblers, visit us in summer. We see an assortment of other birds during migration in fall and spring, including geese and swans. Juncos, owls and more are common in winter. On top of it all, our backyard birds, most notably chickadees and finches, enjoy the seasons year-round. As you can see, Minnesota is a terrific place to watch all kinds of cool birds. It is my sincere hope that you and your family will like watching and feeding birds as much as I did with my family when I was a kid.

Let this handy book guide you into a lifetime of appreciating birds and nature.

Its good to know the names of a birds body parts. The right terminology will help you describe and identify a bird when you talk about it with your friends and family. The basic parts of a bird are labeled in the illustration below. The drawing is a combination (composite) of several birds and should not be regarded as one particular species. I am fascinated with bird nests! They are amazing structures that do more than just provide a place for egg laying.

Nests create a small climate-controlled environment thats beneficial for both keeping the eggs warm and raising the young after they hatch. From the high treetops to the ground, there are many kinds of nests. Some are simple, while others are complex. In any case, they function in nearly the same way. Nests help to contain the eggs so they dont roll away. They also help to keep baby birds warm on cold nights, cool on hot days and dry during rains.

The following illustrations show the major types of nests that birds build in Minnesota. GROUND PLATFORM CUP PENDULOUS CAVITY A ground nest can be a mound of plant materials on the ground or in the water. Some are just a shallow spot scraped in the earth. A platform nest is a cluster of sticks with a depression in the center. It is secured to the platform of a tree fork, or to several tree branches. A cup nest has a cupped interior, like a bowl.

A pendulous nest is a woven nest that hangs and swings freely, like a pendulum, from a branch. A cavity nest is simply a cavity, or hole, usually in a tree. The first step in nest building is to choose an appropriate site. Each bird species has a unique requirement for this. Some birds, such as American Robins, just need a tree branch. Others, like Eastern Bluebirds, look for a cavity and build the nest inside.

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