Title: City Bird
Authors: Angela Harrison Vinet and Janis Hatten Harrison
Series: Birds Illustrated Collection, book 2
Major Themes: Birdwatching, Field Guides, Nature
Synopsis: Gorgeous illustrations and intriguing descriptions make these 50 common city birds a delight to read about—and encourages you to go exploring for yourself!
Earlier this year, I had fun reading Country Bird, a bird book with gorgeous illustrations that reminded me of my grandmother’s love of birdwatching. When I saw that City Bird was also slated to be released at some stage, I decided I’d keep an eye out for it. I’m glad I did! This one is somewhat different from Country Bird, but both are a lot of fun, and the illustrations are delightful.
Publisher’s description:
Get an informed yet cheeky perspective on the fascinating language of birds in urban areas with this witty twist on a traditional field guide.
In the city, the lights are bright, the people move fast, and birds are everywhere! City Bird pairs scientific insight on the sounds and songs unique to birds inhabiting urban areas of North America and vibrant illustrations to help birders of all stripes identify their feathered neighbors with with a light-hearted narrative that reflects the personality and characteristics of city slickers around the world. As you explore, discover fun facts and jot down your thoughts and observations in the note-taking section.
There are plenty of places in the urban jungle to spot beautiful birds, from a park while on your lunch break to your own fire escape or balcony. Take a beat away from the hustle and bustle of city life to meet 50 City Birds, including:
- Any city-dweller’s familiar sidewalk friend, the Rock Pigeon
- The House Sparrow, hopping down the street for their daily commute
- The Peregrine Falcon, nesting on a landmark building or bridge near you
- Mute Swans and Mallards, who spend their days paddling through urban waterways
My thoughts:
I’m probably biased since I’m a country girl at heart, but I don’t think City Bird was quite as good as the first book. Still, what this book may have lacked in charm it made up for in usefulness. This isn’t your classic field guide; instead, it’s a mixture of photographic-quality painted illustrations and intriguing descriptions of the different birds. I love that this book doesn’t just talk about what the birds look like or what they sound like; it delves into nesting and territory habits, as well as common foods for the different species.
Where this book differs from Country Bird is that the descriptions accompanying these birds were more familiar to me, and thus not quite as fun—I loved all the southernisms in Country Bird! Still, I did enjoy seeing familiar phrases attached to different birds as I read—“green with envy”, “no place like home”, “diamond in the rough”, etc. They all added to the lighthearted way this book was written. And yes, sometimes it did feel slightly forced, but usually, it was pretty good.
If you’re looking for a good bird book to get you started on your birding journey, City Bird and its accompanying book Country Bird could be a great resource. The books in this series are not nearly as technical as your typical field guide, but in my opinion, they’re a lot more fun. They’d also make great gifts for bird lovers; the illustrations are rather stunning. I enjoyed reading through this book, and although I’m sure there are more than 50 (or so) different kinds of birds that live in or near cities, this feels like a good representation of them.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: Pages 49 and 51 both mention adaptation—allusions to evolution. Page 53 mentions females who don’t necessarily just breed with one male. Page 59 says: “While these birds are monogamous, sometimes the male will have a side chick who may or may not decide to evict the older female.” With the last two, I didn’t necessarily appreciate the allusions/the way these relationships were talked about.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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