Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
Cincinnati bird enthusiasts, take note: The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) is YOUR paradise. There’s no trills, chirps, or squawks about it!
Not only does CHPL's physical and digital collection contain bird-related materials, but it also boasts programs, exhibits, and more for feathered friends fans. Outside any given branch, you may see finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, falcons, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, robins, and, of course, our favorite city dwellers: pigeons. Special guests were also recently spotted at the Sharonville Branch: nesting hawks.
Bird Nerds
Birds Nerds is a great place to start in celebrating all-things avian. Browse Birds Nerds events, including a monthly Mindful Birdwatching series hosted at the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, where you can engage with the natural world around you by birdwatching quietly, intentionally, and calmly.
For bookish birders, consider the Downtown Main Library’s Birds Nerds Book Club, which is held every third Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30 p.m.
Looking for an afternoon activity? Explore our self-guided tour through the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. Learn about the resting sites of noted naturalists, artists, and bird lovers that call Spring Grove home.
Events, Exhibits, Enthusiasts, Oh My!
Along with Birds Nerds, there are events across our 41 branches sure to delight avian aficionados and newbies alike. While not specifically bird-related, the Clifton Branch hosts weekly Wellbeing Walks in Burnet Woods. This spring, they have seen nesting red-shouldered hawks, swallows catching insects over the pond, baby mallards, and Canadian geese.
Have you stopped by Feathered Impressions yet? The exhibit, which opened at the Downtown Main Library this May, features 17th-century naturalist Francis Willoughby's Ornithology (1678); Georges-Louis Leclerc, Come de Buffon’s Histoire naturelle des Oiseaux (1770-1786); and Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio (1886), a project started by local 19th century artist, Genevieve Estelle Jones, and finished by her family following her untimely death from typhoid fever.
This exhibit also includes The Birds of America (1827-1838), John James Audubon’s monumental work of naturalist art, as well as a collection of ornithological illustrations across three centuries.
A collection of illustrations by John James Audubon.
A collection of illustrations by John James Audubon.
A collection of illustrations by John James Audubon.
A collection of illustrations by John James Audubon.
The exhibit is free to see! Head to the Downtown Main Library’s Joseph S. Stern Cincinnati Room to explore Feathered Impressions during regular open hours. Plus, be on the lookout for events attached to the exhibit.
While you’re at the Downtown Main Library, make sure to peruse Bird is the Word, a book display located on the second floor that will run through July. From reads on the history of the Audubon Society and ornithological prints to field guides and maps on bird migration, there’s something for every kind of birder.
Birding Backpacks
The Harrison Branch has two check out-able birding backpacks! Each bag includes a pair of adult binoculars, a pair of kid binoculars, tips and tricks for birding beginners, suggested viewing locations, a guide to Ohio’s birds for adults, and a guide aimed for kids. All you need is a Library card! Backpacks are only available at the Harrison Branch.
Book Recommendations from On-Staff Birders
Are you looking for bird-related book recommendations? We asked Library staff (who happen to be birders!) for suggestions. Plus, make sure to browse lists curated by Lea Shull, Library Customer Advisor at the Downtown Main Library, on the Birds Nerds webpage.
Mandi Beecroft, Mariemont Branch Manager
The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson was a fascinating account about the world of fly tying and the role of bird feathers. I knew virtually nothing about it and was horrified by the lengths people would go to acquire these beautiful feathers. It was a depressing read for someone who loves birds, but the history nerd in me couldn’t get enough of it.
I read My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George as a child and rediscovered it very recently. While the book is not exclusively about birds, the main character’s falcon, Frightful, plays an important role. As a child who couldn’t get enough of the outdoors and yearned to get ‘back to nature,’ this book drew me in and continues to resonate as an adult.
Katie Burnside, Library Customer Advisor, Clifton Branch
One of my favorite books I’ve read about birds is The Thing With Feathers. Each chapter of the book talks about really interesting behaviors of a different bird species. It’s very readable and accessible to people with very little knowledge of birds or science.
Erik Brueggemann, Library Customer Advisor, Pleasant Ridge Branch
Two books I would recommend are Slow Birding and Backyard Bird Chronicles. It is pretty amazing what you can see when you take the time to start noticing what’s already around you.
Bonus: If you’re looking for free apps to help you on your birding journey, Library staff recommended Audubon, a field guide where you can record and see sightings, and Merlin, which analyzes bird song. You can even reserve a Discovery Pass for Great Parks of Hamilton County or Pyramid Hill Sculpture & Museum, where you may just sight a bird (or two, or three, or dozens).
Of course, the Library has several field guides in our collection. Pick your favorite title and add it to your holds shelf for birding adventures to come.
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