• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Wild birds are everywhere, from the dry deserts to the icy poles. We see them soaring overhead, paddling across water, flitting through trees, pecking at the ground or our backyard bird feeders and singing from fence posts. Birds contribute to the health of the planet and provide pleasure for millions of people, but wild birds are in trouble. Today, almost 200 bird species are critically endangered. They are threatened by habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, pesticides, plastics in the environment, human-made structures and other animals. Bird’s Eye View looks at why wild birds are important, why they need help and what young people all over the world are doing and can do to give wild birds a boost.

Novelist and biologist Ann Eriksson combines her background in ecology with her life experiences to create works of fiction populated with rich characters and grounded in nature. She is the author of the novels In the Hands of Anubis(2009), Decomposing Maggie(2003) and Falling from Grace(2010), which received the Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal for Western Canadian Fiction. Ann was born in Saskatchewan and grew up in the Canadian Prairie provinces, eventually migrating to the West Coast in the late seventies.

Ann Eriksson's profile page

“Scientists recently announced that North America lost a shocking 3 billion birds in recent decades. Eriksson's timely book is a passionate and beautifully illustrated appeal to bird lovers of all ages.”

Bridget Stutchbury, author of Silence of the Songbirds and The Bird Detective

“An excellent compilation of everything birds! Bird’s-Eye View is a jam-packed educational resource for the classroom and at home. It captures the beauty and wonder of birds, balancing natural history with science and conservation. The personal accounts from the author, Tweets from the Flyway, and profiles of Young Birders ignite curiosity and inspire action for birds in our own backyards and communities.”

Liza Barney, Education Program Coordinator at Bird Studies Canada

“Anyone, young or old, who wants to learn more about the birds that live in their neighborhood or on the other side of the planet will love this book. The latest science on breeding biology, behavior, feeding habits, conservation concerns and much more is arrayed in an attractive, easy-to-follow layout with eye-popping photos and text boxes containing facts that will surprise even the most experienced bird nerd. Ann Eriksson has put together a book that teachers and kids will return to again and again to discover the wonders of birds and what we can all do to help them thrive.”

Trevor Herriot, author and naturalist