Citizen Bird Scenes from Bird-Life in Plain English for Beginners

by Mabel Osgood Wright, Elliott Coues, Louis Agassiz Fuertes (Illustrator)

A party of Swallows perched on the telegraph wires beside the highway where it passed Orchard Farm. They were resting after a breakfast of insects, which they had caught on the wing, after the custom of their family. As it was only the first of May they had plenty of time before nest-building, and so were having a little neighborly chat. If you had glanced at these birds carelessly, you might have thought they were all of one kind; but they were not. The smallest was the Bank Swallow, a sober-hued little fellow, with a short, sharp-pointed tail, his back feathers looking like a dusty brown cloak, fastened in front by a neck-band between his light throat and breast.

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

Mabel Osgood Wright (1859 – 1934) was an American author. She was an early leader in the Audubon movement who wrote extensively about nature and birds.

From her beginnings as a writer about children, nature, and outdoor life, Wright's reception from the public was cordial. However, when she began to publish works of fiction, she concealed her identity as their author until they had won recognition independently, taking the pseudonym of "Barbara".

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally. That took ages. Old-fashioned, repetitive writing style made it tough to wade through. Thank goodness that's over. Also thought the black housekeeper was very reminiscent of Mammy from Gone with the Wind, and still don't know what color "Quaker" is. And they approved the hunting of some birds (that tasted good), which feathers for fashion was always bad, except in ostriches. Apparently.

[Boniva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this one on the Project Gutenberg website. It's a beginner's book on birds, aimed at older children, but full of good bird information. It was published in 1897. Mabel Wright (1859 - 1934) was an author and amateur naturalist; Elliot Coues was a leading ornithologist. The illustrations are by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the Audubon of his day. The premise of the book is that Dodo (short for Theodora) and her brother Nat are visiting their Uncle Roy and cousin Olive in the country. Uncle Roy happens to be an ornithologist and teaches the children about Citizen Bird, his meaning being that birds are good American citizens and do many useful jobs for man. The parts of the book starring the family's servant "Mammy-Bun" needless to say are not politically correct. And, alas, there is no mention of the titmouse.

[Poiema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quaintly told, old-fashioned nature reading with a surprising amount of ornithology woven into the plot. My children have used this book when they were in 2nd grade. It's much more interesting than a modern day textbook, though you would do well to scout out good pictures to help you identify the various birds.