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

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

Beginning bird book for older children. Illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

ebook

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.