My First Book of Canadian Birds

The key word in this book’s title is First. My First Book of Canadian Birds is not a comprehensive field guide to Canadian birds. Instead, it is a simple introduction to 14 birds that can be found in Canada, with most being temporary, migratory residents. They are: Robin, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Red-Winged Blackbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Canada Goose, Common Loon, Northern Gannet, Atlantic Puffin, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Blue Jay, Yellow Warbler, Snowy Owl and Grey Jay.

The book opens with an illustration of a mother and child standing outside and peering skyward, with the mother saying, “Look up into the sky, sweetheart. A bird! What kind of bird is it?” and the book closes with the mother’s asking, “Sweetheart, what’s your favourite bird?” Each of the child’s 14 possible responses is treated over two pages, with the first page containing Miller’s brief factual hint as to the target bird’s identity while its facing recto contains a Doak collage of the focal bird and the text consisting of the bird’s name.

Given that Nimbus Publishing is located in Nova Scotia, it is understandable why the Northern Gannet and Atlantic Puffin, whose range is limited to just the Atlantic region, were included. Most of the other birds, however, do have a more national range though my research indicates that the Rocky Mountains appear to pose a barrier to some. Consequently, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is not normally resident in British Columbia, but children in that province will still encounter other hummingbird species. With some four-fifths of Canada’s population now living in urban areas, birds that favour less built-up environments, birds such as the Grey Jay and the Common Loon, will likely only be seen by those who venture into the countryside. And, though the Belted Kingfisher is widely distributed across Canada, its need for fish limits it to geographic areas having streams and rivers that host its prey. City-based beginning birders should still be able to see Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Canada Geese, Hummingbirds, Blue Jays and Warblers (and, occasionally in years of depleted northern food sources, Snowy Owls).

Doak’s collage illustrations are excellent and provide enough detail that children will easily connect them with the real bird when they see it. One of my favourites is her illustration of the Grey Jay wherein she has captured the bird’s very soft, somewhat fluffy, appearance. During my winter camping days in Manitoba’s forests, a “Whiskey-Jack” (as we called it locally) would silently wing into our camp, looking for food to steal. Doak’s illustrations also merit revisiting as she broadly places each bird in an appropriate setting that includes interesting little details. For instance, the Hairy Woodpecker is gripping a tree trunk while insects crawl on nearby branches. The Great Blue Heron, hunting in a swamp, is accompanied by another, but much smaller, hunter - a dragonfly.

Hopefully, this author and illustrator team will combine their talents in “My Second Book of Canadian Birds.” Might I nominate the American Goldfinch, the Chickadee, the American Crow and the ubiquitous House Sparrow for inclusion.

My First Book of Canadian Birds is an excellent introduction to bird identification, and it belongs in homes, primary school collections and public libraries.