Focusing on birds of Florida, this children’s field guide features full-color photographs and information about 87 bird species, organized by color to help kids quickly and easily identify birds throughout the state.

Species List

• Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
• Blackbird, Red-winged (Agelaius phoeniceus)
• Bluebird, Eastern (Sialia sialis)
• Bunting, Indigo (Passerina cyanea)
• Bunting, Painted (Passerina ciris)
• Cardinal, Northern (Cardinalis cardinalis)
• Catbird, Gray (Dumetella carolinensis)
• Chickadee, Carolina (Poecile carolinensis)
• Coot, American (Fulica americana)
• Cormorant, Double-crested (Phalacrocorax auritus)
• Cowbird, Brown-headed (Molothrus ater)
• Crane, Sandhill (Antigone canadensis)
• Crow, American (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
• Crow, Fish (Corvus ossifragus)
• Dove, Common Ground- (Columbina passerina)
• Dove, Eurasian Collared- (Streptopelia decaocto)
• Dove, Mourning (Zenaida macroura)
• Duck, Ring-necked (Aythya collaris)
• Eagle, Bald (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
• Egret, Cattle (Bubulcus ibis)
• Egret, Great (Ardea alba)
• Egret, Snowy (Egretta thula)
• Finch, House (Haemorhous mexicanus)
• Flicker, Northern (yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus)
• Gallinule, Common (Gallinula galeata)
• Goldfinch, American (Spinus tristis)
• Grackle, Boat-tailed (Quiscalus major)
• Grackle, Common (Quiscalus quiscula)
• Grebe, Pied-billed (Podilymbus podiceps)
• Gull, Laughing (Larus atricilla)
• Gull, Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis)
• Hawk, Red-shouldered (Florida) (Buteo lineatus)
• Hawk, Red-tailed (Buteo jamaicensis)
• Heron, Great Blue (Ardea herodias)
• Heron, Green (Butorides virescens)
• Heron, Little Blue (Egretta caerulea)
• Heron, Tricolored (Egretta tricolor)
• Hummingbird, Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Ibis, White (Eudocimus albus)
• Jay, Blue (Cyanocitta cristata)
• Jay, Florida Scrub- (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
• Kestrel, American (Falco sparverius)
• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
• Kingfisher, Belted (Megaceryle alcyon)
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
• Meadowlark, Eastern (Sturnella magna)
• Mockingbird, Northern (Mimus polyglottos)
• Nuthatch, Brown-headed (Sitta pusilla)
• Oriole, Baltimore (Icterus galbula)
• Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
• Owl, Barred (Strix varia)
• Owl, Burrowing (Florida) (Athene cunicularia)
• Owl, Eastern Screech- (Megascops asio)
• Owl, Great Horned (Bubo virginianus)
• Oystercatcher, American (Haematopus palliatus)
• Parakeet, Monk (Miopsitta monachus)
• Pelican, American White (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
• Pelican, Brown (Pelecanus occidentalis)
• Pigeon, Rock (Columba livia)
• Plover, Black-bellied (Pluvialis squatarola)
• Robin, American (Turdus migratorius)
• Sanderling (Calidris alba)
• Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied (Sphyrapicus varius)
• Shoveler, Northern (Spatula clypeata)
• Shrike, Loggerhead (Lanius ludovicianus)
• Sparrow, House (Passer domesticus)
• Spoonbill, Roseate (Platalea ajaja)
• Starling, European (Sturnus vulgaris)
• Stork, Wood (Mycteria americana)
• Swallow, Tree (Tachycineta bicolor)
• Teal, Blue-winged (Spatula discors)
• Thrasher, Brown (Toxostoma rufum)
• Titmouse, Tufted (Baeolophus bicolor)
• Towhee, Eastern (white-eyed) (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
• Turkey, Wild (Meleagris gallopavo)
• Turnstone, Ruddy (Arenaria interpres)
• Vulture, Black (Coragyps atratus)
• Vulture, Turkey (Cathartes aura)
• Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Setophaga coronata)
• Waxwing, Cedar (Bombycilla cedrorum)
• Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
• Woodpecker, Downy (Dryobates pubescens)
• Woodpecker, Hairy (Dryobates villosus)
• Woodpecker, Pileated (Dryocopus pileatus)
• Woodpecker, Red-bellied (Melanerpes carolinus)
• Wren, Carolina (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
• Wren, House (Troglodytes aedon)

Mostly Blue

Indigo Bunting
Look for the vibrant blue feathers

What to look for: vibrant blue with scattered dark marks on the wings and tail; plumage gleams in direct sunlight and appears dull on cloudy days or in shade 

Where you'll find them: woodland edges, where it feasts on insects; parks and yards 

Calls and songs: male often sings from treetops to attract a mate; female is quiet 

On the move: migrates at night in flocks of 5–10 birds 

What they eat: insects, seeds and fruit; only visits seed feeders early in spring, when bugs are in short supply 

Nest: cup in a small tree or shrub, low to the ground 

Eggs, chicks & childcare: 3–4 pale blue eggs; Mom sits on the eggs and attends to the young 

Spends the winter: migrates to southern states, Mexico, Central and South America 

Stan's Cool Stuff
This male is actually gray! Like Blue Jays (pg.67) and other blue birds, there’s no blue pigment in the feathers. Sunlight refraction in the structure of the feathers makes them look blue. Males molt in autumn and look like the brown females during winter.

Real Quick
Size: 5-1/2"
Nest: cup
Feeder: hopper

The Birding Children’s Books are state-specific field guides designed specifically for children, ages 8 to 12. They utilize a colorful design and an innovative, user-friendly format to make bird identification simple, informative, and fun. Written by award-winning author Stan Tekiela and featuring full-color photography, each book conveniently organizes birds—only species found in that state—by color. When young readers see a bird, they open the book to the correct color grouping, where every species gets a full-color photograph with a corresponding full-page description that includes field marks, calls/songs, nest, size, a range map, Stan’s cool facts, and more. Plus, males and females get their own entries if their appearances vary. As an added bonus, each book includes activities for the whole family, like building a birdhouse and preparing your own bird food. At 5" x 7", the compact books are a fun size for kids and are easy to carry on hikes and to keep handy near a window. The Birding Children’s Books are 240 pages, include more than 80 species, and are priced at $13.95.