
Here is a beautiful free book of birds written by the author of The Tree Book that we used in the Fruit Trees and Forests portion of our free nature study. Little Friends in Feathers is an excellent introduction to the common birds you are likely to see around your home. This beautifully illustrated book covers 72 birds grouped by family:
- Thrushes.
- Woodpeckers.
- Sparrows.
- Finches.
- Grosbeaks.
- Blackbirds.
- Tanagers.
- Flycatchers.
- Wrens.
- Swallows.
- Mocking birds.
- Warblers.
- Vireos.
Along with robins, bluebirds, kingfishers, blue jays, cuckoos, hummingbirds, and many more!
There are many lessons to learn simply by observing nature. A book like this, that includes (or references) a wide variety of literature, poetry, and more, can be the basis for content learning in the younger years while the student focuses on developing reading and writing skills.
Full of poetry and story, myth and legend, analogy and metaphor, yet very approachable for young listeners, Little Friends in Feathers will become your new family favorite!
Free eBook
Suggestions
- Since there are 72 birds, you could read two sections each week for one year of study.
- Create a simple notebook with one page for each bird while retaining the groups of birds.
- Use the poetry passages for copywork on the bird page.
- Let your student narrate each reading.
- Have your child copy or draw each bird. If this is too difficult or too much of a chore, find pictures to cut and paste.
- Older students can copy the classification.
- See how many of the birds mentioned you can find. Keep a checklist.
Additional Resources

Drawing and Writing Notebooking Paper
Simple pages for narrations, copywork, and illustrations.
Little Friends in Feathers by Inez McFee
Someone may want to grab this beautiful hardback while it is available!
Birds
Other resources covering birds here at DIY Homeschooler.
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