More than a coloring book! Learn to properly care for bluebirds and native cavity nesting birds while having fun and relaxing.
Hosting bluebirds is more than setting up a birdhouse and letting nature take its course. It is an important responsibility because these birds and other native cavity nesting birds have been on a decline. When you practice good stewardship in your backyard, you can make a huge difference for songbirds.
Each illustration relates to an important topic when it comes to bluebirding. While you relax and color, take a moment to read the information on the left side of the spread. By the end of the book, you’ll be amazed at how much you learned.
Don’t be afraid to play around with color. While this book has references on the back cover with many of the birds in this book, you are free to take artistic liberties and have fun.
CONTENT WARNINGS
This book deals with wildlife conservation and discusses the realities of nature. Some content in this book mentions euthanasia, fatal bird attacks and predation. Mention of these situations are in the gentlest way possible. None of these concepts are illustrated. No images in this book show an animal being harmed. In fact, all illustrations try to portray wildlife in flattering ways. Due to the nature of some of the text in this book, it is recommended for ages 11 and up.
- About The Author
- Content Warning
- Tested Media
- Eastern Bluebirds
- Mountain Bluebirds
- Western Bluebirds
- Other Cavity Nesting Birds
- Important Nest Box Specifications
- Types of Nest Boxes
- Where to Put Nest Boxes
- Bluebird Territory Size
- Bluebirds and House Hunting
- Nesting Cycle
- Nest Box Cleaning
- Blowfly Parasites
- Improper Mounting & Decorative Birdhouses
- Nest Box Essentials and Proper Setup
- Predatory Mammals
- Protection From Snakes
- Threats From Corvids
- Birds of Prey and Noel Guards
- House Wren Competition
- House Wren Invasion Prevention
- Carolina Wrens Are No Danger
- Protecting Chickadees
- Pairing Nest Boxes With Other Species
- House Finch Friends
- Threats From House Sparrows
- Identifying House Sparrows
- Threats From Eurasian Tree Sparrows
- Native Sparrows Not a Threat
- Threats From European Starlings
- Preventing Invasive Competition
- Dealing With Cowbirds
- Bluebird Diet in the Wild
- The Necessity of Bugs
- Providing Mealworms
- Bluebird Feeders
- Bluebird Habitat
- Providing Water
- Nest Box Monitoring
- Bluebird Fledge Day
- Juvenile Care
- Joy in Conservation and Hope in Inspiration
- Acknowledgments and Bibliography
- One-sided coloring pages so that you don’t have to decide between your favorite pieces.
- Detailed information on the left side to teach you all about bluebird management while you color in the right side.
- Words set against a dark background to minimize seeing text on the opposite page through the illustrations.
- Photo descriptions in the bottom margin.
- Reference photos of some of the different bird species mentioned in this book are located on the back cover.
Tested Media
We tested different media types to figure out what works best with this coloring book and what doesn’t, especially since this is thinner paper.
- Alcohol based markers – NOT RECOMMENDED. There is severe bleed-through into multiple pages with alcohol-based markers. Use several sheets of paper underneath. Markers may also degrade paper.
- Colored pencils – Highly recommended.
- Colored pencils with solvents – If using a solvent or rubbing alcohol for blending, there is a very small amount of bleed-through. Use sheets of paper underneath.
- Colored pens – Recommended with little issue. It may help to use sheets of paper underneath, but little bleed-through was discovered.
- Crayons – Highly recommended. No issues.
- Washable markers – There is a small amount of bleed-through, which will impact the text on the other side and possibly other illustrations. Use a sheet of paper or two underneath to protect other illustrations. Markers may degrade paper a little bit.
- Watercolor paints – NOT RECOMMENDED. Water will crinkle the pages and dampen other pages.
About the Author
Katharine Martin has a degree in biology and more than 10 years of experience in science writing and literary research.
After a few years of managing native cavity nesting birds, she discovered how detrimental misinformation is to wildlife. Without proper education, a lot of good intentions have negative consequences.
Her long-term goal is to inspire others toward a heart for wildlife stewardship and conservation as she was inspired by wonderful people in the field. Author Bio Here.