Out of the Nest:
Artists Birdhouses
A Texas HELP Exhibition
Programming Guide
Kathryn Arnett, Orange Fantasia Birdhouse, 2002, wood, paint, tin, and wire, 18 x 14 x 11 1/4
inches; courtesy the artist
HELP, a program of ExhibitsUSA in partnership with the Texas Association of Museums, is
made possible through the combined vision and generosity of The Brown Foundation, Inc., of
Houston; The Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; The
Meadows Foundation; the Texas Commission on the Arts; and the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, a federal agency that fosters innovation, leadership, and a lifetime of
learning.
© 2003 All Rights Reserved, Mid-America Arts Alliance and ExhibitsUSA
Out of the Nest: Artists’ Birdhouses
Programming Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................1
Overview
Exhibition Description ................................................................................................2
Educational Materials Checklist .................................................................................3
How to Contact ExhibitsUSA.....................................................................................5
Reference Materials
Text Panels..................................................................................................................6
Label Text .................................................................................................................10
Exhibition Checklist..................................................................................................21
Tour Schedule ...........................................................................................................24
Artist Biographies .....................................................................................................25
The History of Birdhouses ........................................................................................33
Birdhouse Basics.......................................................................................................35
Hey, Bird Brain: Did You Know? ............................................................................36
Texas’s State Bird: The Mockingbird.......................................................................39
Glossary ....................................................................................................................40
National Birding Organizations and Activities.........................................................42
Texas Birding Resources ..........................................................................................46
Bibliography .............................................................................................................50
Audio Resources .......................................................................................................62
Videography..............................................................................................................63
Web Sites ..................................................................................................................64
Programming Resources
Community Event Planning and Programming Suggestions....................................71
Slide Show Authorization .........................................................................................76
Slide Show Script......................................................................................................77
Speaker List and Resources ......................................................................................82
Museum Activity Plans.............................................................................................84
Lesson Plans..............................................................................................................89
Pre-Visit Lesson Plans ........................................................................................90
Post-Visit Lesson Plans.......................................................................................98
Treasure Hunt Guide...............................................................................................103
Treasure Hunt..................................................................................................... sleeve
Introduction
This programming guide has been developed to provide resources and activity ideas for
education curators, docents, and teachers. We hope these materials will provide you with
a number of useful tools that will make the exhibition a success for your organization and
for your community. This copy is yours to keep. Each venue receives a copy, so please
DO NOT pack this guide into the crates. Please contact ExhibitsUSA at 800.473.3872 if
you have questions or suggestions regarding the content of this guide.
The programming guide is divided into three sections containing the following:
Overview
This section provides a brief description of the exhibition, a materials checklist, and
information about how to contact ExhibitsUSA.
Reference Materials
This section provides copies of text materials that will be displayed in the gallery along
with information about topics related to the exhibition. It includes:
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Text panels
Label text
Artist biographies
Glossary
Annotated bibliography, videography, and suggested Web sites
Programming Resources
This section provides ideas and activities for your museum’s educational needs as well as
for teachers whose classes will visit the exhibition. It includes the following resources:
•
•
•
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Slide show
Speaker resources
Museum activity plans
Pre- and post-visit lesson plans
Family gallery guide
1
Exhibition Description
Hardly a day goes by when we don’t see or hear birds. These magnificent creatures can
be found in the countryside as well as in urban areas. In spite of their loss of natural
habitat, birds have adjusted to humans’ presence and have learned to live with us in a
world of asphalt and concrete. People, too, have a basic need to be connected to nature.
As people become more aware of the array of bird life surrounding them, they find ways
to encourage birds to nest and feed by providing man-made structures, including
birdhouses. Out of the Nest: Artists’ Birdhouses looks at three distinct types of
birdhouses: the purely functional birdhouse, the hobby birdhouse, and the folk and fine
art birdhouse.
Section One of Out of the Nest introduces the type of birdhouse favored by the serious
birder or naturalist. It features five typical designs for birdhouses, looking at the elements
of shape and utility that attract different species of birds. A sample bird profile of the
Texas bird that would inhabit each house helps visitors to make connections about
attracting birds in their own areas. This section also explains how the man-made
birdhouse works as a substitute for nesting that occurs naturally.
Section Two looks at the art of constructing and painting birdhouses and represents the
maker’s preoccupation with “hobby.” Sometimes these birdhouses serve the requirements
of wild birds, and sometimes they simply add whimsy or charm to the backyard. Often,
these birdhouses adorn the interior of a home and are not actually intended for occupancy
by birds. Included in this section are birdhouses made from ordinary objects such as pots
or gourds and birdhouses created in miniature of a human environment, such as the
Alamo. Also featured here are birdhouses beautifully crafted from wood, leather, glass,
and metal by skilled artisans.
Finally, Section Three spotlights some of the most interesting and innovative examples of
birdhouses created by trained and self-taught artists. These creations often fully abandon
the notion of birdhouse as a domicile for birds in favor of aesthetic intentions. The
birdhouse provides a canvas for the artists’ commentary, as with Sarah Oblinger’s Home
Is Where the Heart Is; it is also a particularly effective vehicle for artists to make
environmental statements, as with her piece Home for Holy Birds. These birdhouses are
sometimes made for purely aesthetic purposes, such as Jennie Bireline’s Paradise
Birdhouse or Marsha Judd’s The House of Understanding. Other birdhouses in this
category demonstrate an interest in escapism or fantasy, as with Bird Gargler: Troll by
Douglas Fey. This section will surprise and amaze visitors with its vast range of
creativity.
2
Educational Materials Checklist
Several support materials will be traveling with the exhibition. Should any of these
materials be missing or fail to arrive, please call ExhibitsUSA at 800.473.3872 and we
will locate or replace the missing items as soon as possible. Please be sure to repack these
items in the crates before you send the exhibition to the next venue.
Adult Books
Dillon, Mike. The Art of the Birdhouse: Flights of Fancy. Kansas City, MO: Andrews
McMeel: 1997.
———. The Great Birdhouse Book. New York: Sterling, 1999.
Garisto, Leslie. Birdhouses: Imaginative Housing for the Feathered Community. New
York: Barnes and Noble, 1992.
Laubauch, Rene, and Christyna M. Laubauch. The Backyard Birdhouse Book: Building
Nestboxes and Creating Natural Habitats. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1998.
Rappole, John H. Birds of Texas: A Field Guide. Vol. 14. College Station: Texas A&M
University Press, 1994.
Stokes, Donald, and Lillian Stokes. Stokes Birdhouse Book: The Complete Guide to
Attracting Nesting Birds. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1990.
Tyson, John. Homes and Shelters for Backyard Birds. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H.
Publications, 2000.
Wolfman, Peri, and Charles Gold. Birdhousing. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1992.
Children’s Books
Gottlieb, Dale. Tulip Builds a Birdhouse. Santa Fe, NM: Envision, 1998.
Haus, Robyn. Make Your Own Bird Houses and Feeders. Charlotte, VT: Williamson
Publishing, 2001.
Herkert, Barbara. Birds in Your Backyard. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 2001.
James, Simon. The Birdwatchers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2002.
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Milford, Susan. Bird Tales from Near and Far. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing,
1998.
National Wildlife Federation. Birds, Birds, Birds. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1997.
Spaulding, Dean T. Housing Our Feathered Friends. Minneapolis, MN: Learner
Publications, 1997.
Swinburne, Stephen R. Swallows in the Birdhouse. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press,
1996.
Ziefert, Harriet. Birdhouse for Rent. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Cassette Tape
Favorite Texas Birds: Their Songs and Calls. College Station: Texas A&M University,
1993. Cassette tape.
Videocassettes
George Harrison’s Birds of the Backyard. 60 min. Company for Home Entertainment,
1989. Videocassette.
How to Begin Birdwatching. 50 min. Company for Home Entertainment, 1998.
Videocassette.
Toys
Four plush bird toys that make bird calls:
Wood Duck
Northern Cardinal
Great Horned Owl
American Robin
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How to Contact ExhibitsUSA
If you have any questions or comments, ExhibitsUSA is just a phone call away. You can
reach us by telephone at 800.473.3872 or by e-mail at the addresses listed below. For
questions about specific topics, consult the list below.
If you have questions about…
Contact… ___________________
Scheduling an exhibition, exhibition contracts Nicole Forster
Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
Shipping, installation, or packing
Angelette Hart
Registrar
[email protected]
Educational materials, program resources
Nancy Crockett
Curator of Education
[email protected]
Proposing an exhibition
Jennifer Cahn
Curator of Exhibitions
[email protected]
Texas HELP (Hands-on Experiential
Edana McSweeney
Learning Project), training workshops, listserv, Project Co-Director
consultants, questions, problems, or requests
[email protected]
Brian Crockett
Project Co-Director
801.424.2697
[email protected]
Anne Lacey
Business Manager/HELP Associate
[email protected]
ExhibitsUSA
912 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 700
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Phone (toll free): 800.473.3872
Fax: 816.421.3918
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Text Panels
Introduction
Hardly a day goes by when we don’t see birds. We are fascinated by their music and in
awe of their flight. Equally at home in the city or the country, birds have adjusted to the
presence of humans and have learned to live with them. People, too, have a basic need to
connect with nature. As we become more aware of the delight of bird life around our
homes, we find ways to encourage birds to nest and feed by improving their habitat with
man-made structures, including birdhouses. Interest in birdhouses comes from both a
desire to have birds in the garden and from the charm of seeing a funny little birdhouse
tucked in the yard, adding an architectural and playful dimension to our gardens.
Today, with the loss of habitat, birds, especially those that are cavity nesters, are often
hard-pressed to find adequate nesting locations. Birdhouses provide safe and suitable
housing and afford humans the enjoyment of watching birds and their nesting behaviors.
Out of the Nest: Artists’ Birdhouses looks at three distinct types of birdhouses: the purely
functional birdhouse, the hobbyist’s birdhouse, and the artist’s birdhouse. Naturalists
build birdhouses to cultivate birds in yards as natural pest control or to satisfy their
interest in amateur science—bird-watching (or “birding”) is a well-established and
popular activity throughout North America. Hobbyists delight in building birdhouses that
will perhaps never see the out-of-doors. These craftspeople love the precise
miniaturization and playfulness of decorative birdhouses, showing off the woodworker’s
skill or the painter’s creativity. Finally, self-taught and trained artists use the birdhouse as
a medium to express artistic vision or to make social or political statements. These
creations often fully abandon the notion of birdhouse as a domicile for birds in favor of
aesthetic intentions.
Out of the Nest will surprise and amaze you with its vast range of creativity. Enjoy these
functional and fanciful birdhouses inspired by some of nature’s most engaging creatures:
birds.
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The Right Box for the Right Bird
The popular hobby of attracting and providing for wild birds brings us a deeper
understanding of nature. Regardless of where you live, the opportunity to aid our
feathered friends exists on your own property. In order to successfully attract birds, you
must have these four environmental elements somewhere on or near your property: food,
water, shelter, and space. Inexpensive to buy and easy to make, birdhouses are the
simplest way to attract nesting birds.
There are two different types of homes that can provide shelter for nesting birds in a
backyard habitat. They are generally categorized as cavity and non-cavity dwellings,
based on where a bird will naturally nest. A cavity-nesting bird is one that typically nests
in a hole in a dead tree. These are the types of birds that would use a birdhouse. Cavity
nesters include titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, flickers, bluebirds, swallows, purple
martins, and many woodpeckers, to name just a few. Non-cavity nesting birds are the
birds that typically build their nests on the ledge of a building or in the fork of a tree. An
open-fronted nesting shelf is most likely to be used by robins, swallows, sparrows, and
phoebes.
Given the options open to them in the natural world, one might think that birds aren’t
particularly choosy about where they nest. After all, most of us have seen birds making
homes in such unlikely spots as mailboxes, drain spouts, or even the tailpipes of cars.
Still, most bird species are difficult to lure into man-made housing. The principal rule in
choosing a birdhouse is to decide on a house that is designed for the type of bird you are
trying to attract. There is no such thing as a “universal” birdhouse. Each species has
specific requirements for the size of the entrance hole and for the dimensions of the
interior space. The birdhouse’s distance from the ground; its exposure to sunlight,
prevailing winds, and rainfall; and the quantity and quality of the surrounding vegetation
all influence a bird’s very particular choice of a home.
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The Birdhouse as Hobby
Although birdhouses are by definition functional, they are just as often fanciful, reflecting
the hobbies, skills, and craftsmanship of their creators. As objects of charm and beauty,
birdhouses have become popular garden ornaments. Like the designs of the gardens
themselves, they can be elegant or informal, whimsical or rustic.
Hobby birdhouses are made by people who have chosen to make birdhouses as a pastime
while making a living by some other means. These birdhouses are known for their
decorative elements, their fine craftsmanship, and their originality. Many people bring
these birdhouses indoors and use them as decorating tools in their homes, while other
hobby birdhouses serve as ornamental additions to gardens and are not necessarily
attractive to birds or practical for a pair to nest in.
Frequently these birdhouses take the shape of buildings inhabited by humans, combining
a love of design with a reverence for nature, with a good dose of wit added. By reducing
architectural design to an avian scale, birdhouse designers create structures that add a
lighthearted note to the outdoor landscape and remind us that we humans are not alone in
our search for comfortable shelter.
Although their creators remain largely anonymous, hobby birdhouses are highly
collectible. When these birdhouses are replete with handmade touches and quirky charm,
their value increases. The hobbyists who created the birdhouses for this exhibition reveal
some of the best examples of excellence in building birdhouses.
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Artists’ Birdhouses
The birdhouses in this section of the exhibition are made by artists who are known for
making works of fine art or folk art but do not solely create birdhouses. Many of the
artists represented here were invited to make a birdhouse specifically for this exhibition.
In an age of increasing environmental awareness, birdhouses have become a subject of
art, as well as a vehicle for a variety of political, philosophical, religious, and
environmental viewpoints. These artists have found a unique art form to free their
imaginations. Most abandon the notion of the birdhouse as a utilitarian home for birds in
favor of creative expression.
In addition to birdhouses created by artists who have formal art training, self-taught
artists have created some of the most strikingly original birdhouses in this exhibition.
These men and women, who have no formal artistic training, have nevertheless created
exciting works of art. Self-taught artists come from all walks of life and varied ethnic
backgrounds. Many of them began creating art later in life after suffering an illness,
injury, or trauma, or after experiencing a visionary epiphany. These artists share a desire
to tell a story, the use of highly abstracted forms, and a tendency toward decoration and
embellishment of their surfaces. Intuitively, these artists have mastered the elements of
color, form, composition, and texture to create art that is original, fresh, and enduring.
The gifted artists in this section of the exhibition have taken the birdhouse out of the
realm of function and have elevated it to something as wondrous and beautiful as the
winged creatures that inspired them.
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Object Labels
Natural Birdhouses
Bluebird House
2003
Wood and metal
Private collection
There are three species of bluebirds in Texas: the Eastern, the Mountain, and the Western
Bluebird. The bluebird is a sought-after resident of many backyard birders because of its
vibrant color and beautiful song. At one time, bluebird populations were declining
because of habitat loss and competition from introduced birds such as European starlings
and house sparrows. However, bluebird nesting box programs have become extremely
popular and successful. Some bluebird trails, as strings of bluebird houses are called, go
on for many miles, maintained and erected by dedicated volunteers.
If you live in an area that borders open grassy fields or an orchard, you will probably be
able to attract bluebirds. These areas provide the bluebird with an abundant supply of
insects, its favorite food. A bluebird birdhouse should be made of wood with a slanted
roof. The dimensions can vary depending on the design, but the entrance hole should be
one and a half inches wide so that starlings cannot get into the box. Bluebirds prefer a
nest box in the open, with a view of predators. Mounting the birdhouse less than five feet
above the ground will discourage sparrows, who prefer to be much higher, from nesting.
Multiple bluebird houses should be kept at least a hundred yards apart.
Purple Martin Gourds
2003
Gourds
Courtesy 50 States Bird Feeders
Lightweight and easy to replace, gourds make excellent birdhouses and can be purchased
or grown in your own backyard. They make suitable homes for several varieties of cavity
nesters, such as bluebirds, martins, swallows, chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers, Great
Crested Flycatchers, titmice, screech owls, kestrels, and nuthatches. Each bird has its own
requirements for habitat, entrance-hole size, and cavity dimensions.
The gourd birdhouse is commonly used to house the largest North American swallow, the
Purple Martin, which lives communally in colonies that may contain hundreds of birds.
Because their diet consists of flying insects caught on the wing, Purple Martins are
valued for their ability to control insect populations and are so welcome in the backyard
that almost all Purple Martin housing is provided by humans.
Purple Martins are fairly large birds, so the entrance hole to the gourd must be two and a
quarter inches wide, drilled about one inch from the base of the gourd. The dried seeds
10
and fiber material are removed, and then several quarter-inch holes should be drilled near
the bottom of the gourd to help provide additional ventilation and drainage. Research
shows that martins prefer houses that are painted white. White reflects the summer sun,
enhances the dark entrance hole for martins searching for houses in the spring, and
creates cooler temperatures within. The martin gourds should be placed at least fourteen
feet from the ground, using pulley systems to get the gourds up and down. A large, open
field is the ideal habitat for attracting Purple Martins.
Nesting Shelf for Robins
2003
Wood
Private collection
Birds such as phoebes, robins, and Barn Swallows prefer to nest in an open shelter.
Nesting shelves are just that: flat shelves attached to the wall of a house, barn, or garage
under the eaves. For more exposed areas, roofed nesting shelves are preferred.
This nesting shelf is designed for robins, recognized by many as the bird that announces
spring. Robins are easily attracted to large, well-groomed grassy yards with ample
supplies of earthworms, their main food source. Typically, they choose as a nesting site a
fork of a tree or a horizontal ledge of a building or house, but they will use a nesting shelf
that is about eight inches deep and six inches wide.
Cover is extremely important for non-cavity nesters. An open-fronted nesting shelf
should be placed in an area that is partially secluded by vegetation, protected from
predators, and placed about six to twelve feet above the ground. The shelf should include
a sloped roof and be left unstained and unpainted.
Wood Duck House
2003
Wood
Private collection
Although most of us never think of ducks as perching or nesting in trees, one Texas
species that regularly does so is the Wood Duck. Woodies cannot create their own
nesting holes in trees, so they are dependent on flickers, woodpeckers, or squirrels, who
can create cavities large enough for them to nest in. Because of the scarcity of natural
nesting places, hunting, and habitat destruction, Wood Duck populations declined
drastically in the early 1900s. They have made, however, a significant comeback in the
last twenty years because of popular nesting box programs.
If you have property that has a stream or pond surrounded by mature woodland, you can
probably attract Wood Ducks. One variation that distinguishes this birdhouse from boxes
for songbirds is its oval entrance hole. The nesting box should be placed at least four feet
11
from the ground when the nest is placed over water and at least ten feet up when placed
over land. When mounted, the box must have a clear path to the water’s edge, as newborn
Woodies immediately leave the nest box to find water. The inside of the box should be
wired with mesh or wooden steps so the ducklings can climb out easily, and filled with
two to four inches of fresh wood chips to keep eggs from rolling around and to provide
insulation. Guards on the poles help to prevent predators from invading the box.
Wren Birdhouse
2003
Wood
Private collection
The House Wren, Carolina Wren, and Bewick’s Wren are three Texas wren species that
will readily accept backyard houses. Wrens are not picky about where they build their
nests; if it is a hole they can fit into, it is an appropriate place to build. The basic cavitystyle birdhouse is easily accepted by wrens. The entrance hole should be no larger than
one and a quarter inches in diameter to keep out House Sparrows and predators. Because
wrens use small sticks and twigs for nesting material, a birdhouse with a slot for an
entrance versus a hole also works well.
Male wrens are known to build several nests for females to choose from, so it is a good
idea to put out several wren boxes in the spring. The birdhouses can be hung from tree
branches five to ten feet above the ground in an area that provides some cover and sun
about sixty percent of the time. To deter predators such as cats, raccoons, sparrows, and
starlings, this birdhouse should not have a perch and should be equipped with predator
guards.
Wrens will nest twice each summer. After that, they retreat into the dense underbrush and
deep woods and are seldom seen for the remainder of the summer months.
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Hobby Birdhouses
Charline M. Allie
Teapot Mosaic Birdhouse
2003
Ceramic
Courtesy the artist
After a career in the floral industry as a designer and business owner, Michigan native
Charline Allie enjoys her semiretirement by creating unique mosaic designs for the
garden and home. Her signature pieces are teapot birdhouses, which give new life to
broken collectibles.
Bill Arnold
Alamo Birdhouse
2003
Wood
Courtesy the artist
Virtually every style of dwelling built by human hands has been re-created in the form of
a birdhouse. Many birdhouses are small-scale reproductions of specific buildings or
regional architecture. Here, Texas native Bill Arnold has recreated the Alamo to avian
scale. The design, his first, is the cornerstone of a flourishing business promoting Texas
architecture, lifestyle, and heritage through garden crafts.
Robert Clemons
Home Tweet Home
2002
Wood
Courtesy the artist
After a career in rural telecommunications, Tennessee resident Bobby Clemons began a
new career in woodturning. A woodturner uses a lathe to shape wood. One of the oldest
of all machine tools, a lathe works by rapidly spinning the wood against a fixed cutting
tool. Clemons created these beautiful woodturned pieces as Christmas tree ornaments.
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Robert Clemons
Ornament Bird Villa
2003
Wood
6¾x2x2¼
Courtesy the artist
Woodturning was a very popular source of wooden items in the Middle Ages, and wellknown artists such as Leonardo da Vinci were early exponents of the trade. But by the
nineteenth century, industrialism led to the decline of woodturning, as many items
previously handmade were mass-produced. Woodturning as a hobby, however, has
become popular over the last twenty years, marrying old techniques with new tools and
machinery to create unique and exciting designs.
Mike Dillon
Leather Birdhouse
1997
Wood and leather
Courtesy the artist
Designer Mike Dillon’s striking aviary creations provide aesthetic excitement as well as
function. His Seattle company, Dillon Works! Inc., designs and fabricates unique,
dimensional elements for venues ranging from theme parks to exhibits. Dillon began
building birdhouses as a creative outlet and has used them for functional home décor and
gifts. He finds birdhouses an inspiration for using a variety of materials and for
abandoning tradition rules of construction.
Elsie Farrell-Poucel
Bejeweled Bedazzled Birdhouse
2003
Wood, sequins, ribbon, glitter, and bird figurine
Courtesy the artist
A native of Long Island, New York, Elsie Farrell-Poucel has always been attracted to the
natural beauty and wildlife of the area. While creating her hand-painted crystal in her
glass-walled studio, Farrell-Poucel enjoys watching the antics of birds. Her “bejeweled,
bedazzled” birdhouses provide elegant, whimsical, and totally unique abodes for her
aviary friends.
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Jerry Glass
The Ivy House
2002
Wood and metal
Courtesy Heartwood
Jerry Glass, an ordained Baptist minister, began creating birdhouses late in life, a talent
that burgeoned from his tenure on the craft show circuit. Glass designs birdhouses that
are based on full-sized structures, making a concerted effort to maintain architectural
integrity on a bird-sized scale. Here, a bell-like dome tops a whitewashed base, complete
with a metal ivy tendril that functions as a perch.
Tom Holmes
The “Wright” Birdhouse
2003
Wood
Courtesy the artist
Tom Holmes is an artist, sculptor, and craftsman who lives and works in northeastern
Pennsylvania. He holds a B.A. in music composition, history, and theory from the Crane
School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. His eclectic approach to life and art allows him the
freedom to work in many mediums, including wood, metal, stone, and glass. The
“Wright” Birdhouse was inspired and influenced by the work of architects Frank Lloyd
Wright and Malcolm Wells. The artist designed this particular house as part of his line of
birdhouse products.
Patricia Huntsman
Sunny Acres Retreat
2002
Gourd, beads, grapevine, and acrylic paint
Courtesy the artist
This gourd was grown on Patricia Huntsman’s ranch, named “Sunny Acres,” in the High
Desert of California. She dried, cleaned, and prepared the gourd herself. The paintings on
the gourd are her take on the Mexican Bird of Paradise bush and the Sage-Brush
Checkerspot butterfly. The dried grapevine is also from Huntsman’s garden.
15
William Stull
Recycled Shelter
2002
Metal and wood
Courtesy Crowing Rooster Productions
New York organic gardener Willie Stull is an artisan who takes antiques and combines
them with silver-plated flatware to create whimsical wind chimes and one-of-a-kind
birdhouses and bird feeders. By living close to nature and producing art from recycled
materials, Stull is able to apply his “waste not, want not, less is more” philosophies and
focus on his quality of life.
Knox Wilkinson
Untitled
2002
Wood
Private collection
Knox Wilkinson, who lives in Rome, Georgia, is mentally disabled. With the support of
his family and the help of a neighbor, Wilkinson fabricates and paints his unusual
birdhouses. This brightly painted example is intended as interior décor.
Artists’ Birdhouses
Kathryn Arnett
Orange Fantasia Birdhouse
2002
Wood, paint, tin, and wire
Courtesy the artist
Native Texan Kathryn Arnett grew up on a farm, giving her an early connection with the
natural world. Now living in New Orleans, Arnett carries on her interest in environmental
issues, as evidenced in her choice of mediums: recycled scrap metal and wood (mostly
collected from homes that have been torn down or remodeled). She employs several
people to create her designs, running her studio like a machine shop, where welding,
riveting, wiring, sheet metal fabrication, and carpentry are the primary methods used.
16
Inge Balch
Mobile Home for the Roadrunner
2003
Ceramic and metal
Courtesy the artist
Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, and currently living in Kansas, Inge Balch’s
art is influenced by the vastness of her adopted country, prehistoric culture, mythology,
and architecture. Obviously not intended for occupation by an actual roadrunner, this
playful piece of art is a tribute to the Warner Brothers cartoons featuring the Roadrunner
and Wile E. Coyote.
Boris Bally
Home for Holy Birds
1995
Fabricated bronze, turned ebony, and silver accents
Courtesy the artist
Boris Bally’s award-winning work is both elegant and innovative, employing the use of
jeweler’s skills on non-precious materials. His work transforms weathered scrap
materials into joyful objects for reflection. Bally’s pieces celebrate the industrial aesthetic
in the form of objects for the home and, with the sculptural birdhouse Holy Home for
Birds, for the garden as well. The solemn cross symbol is enlivened by its intended use as
a home for birds, which may enter via precious ebony perches.
Jennie Bireline
Paradise Birdhouse
2003
Earthenware, terra sigillata, and 23-karat gold leaf
Courtesy the artist
This sculptural birdhouse was created by North Carolina artist Jennie Bireline. An early
and significant influence on her ceramic work developed from a visit to Mesa Verde,
Colorado, where she first saw the pottery of the Anasazi or “Ancient Ones.” Using both
new and traditional methods, Bireline creates highly decorated pots that are more about
movement, gesture, and balance than about traditional function.
17
Douglas Fey
Bird Gargler: Troll
2003
Earthenware and wood
Courtesy the artist
Derived from a combination of colonial American earthenware birdhouses called “bird
bottles” and medieval gargoyles, Douglas Fey creates Bird Garglers™, his own hybrid
creations. These whimsical birdhouses appear to “gargle” the birds that nest and care for
young in them. Each birdhouse is individually made; no molds are used in their
production. By attending to each Bird Gargler separately, the artist is free to explore the
endless variations and combinations of physical attributes, thereby imparting a unique
character to each birdhouse.
Marsha Judd
The House of Understanding
2002
Ceramic
Courtesy the artist
Marsha Judd is a ceramic artist from Los Angeles, California. A dedicated
conservationist, Judd’s sculptures speak of nature as a metaphor for life, of the evolution
of change and its profound effects. A working mother, Judd currently teaches ceramics at
California State University, Fullerton, and maintains a studio at home in an effort to
“always be close to my kids.”
Melissa Koch
Glass Mosaic Birdhouse with Blue Jay Colors
2003
Glass
Courtesy the artist
Artist Melissa Koch pays tribute to the Blue Jay in this beautiful glass mosaic birdhouse.
An ardent naturalist, urban advocate, and environmentalist, Koch bought a five-acre tract
of vacant urban land in Kansas City to preserve as a wildlife and bird refuge. When she’s
not making sculpture and birdhouses, Koch is a jazz/blues singer in the band Doghouse
Jazz.
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Peter Loose
Black Rooster Birdhouse
2002
Acrylic paint on wood with found objects, peanuts, and coffee beans
Courtesy Marcia Weber Art Objects
After a period of emotional stress and physical illness, self-taught artist Peter Loose took
up painting. With the encouragement of friends and his own will to paint, Loose has
turned his pastime into a full-time occupation in Georgia, creating bright and bold
paintings, birdhouses, and sculptural musical instruments with animal imagery and a
humorous touch.
Diane Moreno
Untitled
2003
Wood
Courtesy the artist
Twisted tree branches, gnarly roots, driftwood, rusted tin, and weathered wood are the
materials Diane Moreno gathers near her tiny town in northern New Mexico to create her
art. Basically a self-taught woodworker, Moreno specializes in making nichos, little
cabinets inspired by those made by Spanish colonials in thick adobe walls. Here, she
branches out to create a rustic yet sophisticated birdhouse.
Kathy Ruth Neal
She’s Cuckoo
2002
Wood, acrylic, and wood putty
Courtesy the artist
Self-taught artist Kathy Ruth Neal is the granddaughter of silent film actor and make-up
artist Walter Whipple, who inspired Neal’s interest in color, art, and drama. She’s Cuckoo
pays tribute to a common birdhouse form in which a human figure’s open mouth serves
as the entrance hole.
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Kathy Ruth Neal
The Bird Catcher
2003
Wood acrylic, wood putty, and pheasant feather
Courtesy the artist
In 1994, Kathy Ruth Neal was spending time in the Great Smoky Mountains in
Tennessee, recovering from successful treatment of breast cancer. While ambling along a
mountain trail, she picked up a branch and tried her hand at whittling. This casual act
turned into a full-time pursuit for Neal, who now carves whole designs from wood and
paints them in bright colors. The carved assemblages represent vignettes of everyday life
that reflect, according to the artist, political events, religious subject matter, and scenes
from films.
Sarah Oblinger
Home Is Where the Heart Is
2003
Papier mache and paint
Courtesy the artist
A common theme among artists in general and birdhouse builders in particular is animal
forms. Many artists approach these forms with reverence, but the vibrant colors and pure
whimsy of Sarah Oblinger’s birdhouse demonstrate a unique approach and artistic
sensibility. This peacock’s outstretched wings reveal a message from the artist herself.
Prolific writing on the piece of art itself, revealing the ruminations and opinions of the
artist, is a hallmark of self-taught art. Oblinger is a native of Wichita, Kansas, now living
in New Mexico.
Benjamin Franklin Perkins
All American Birdhouse–Convention Hall for Love Birds
1991
Acrylic paint and wood
Courtesy Marcia Weber Art Objects
Reverend Benjamin Franklin “B. F.” Perkins began creating a colorful environment
surrounding the Hartline Assembly Church of God (where he was pastor) at the age of
sixty-two. Perkins made individual paintings as well, preferring patriotic and American
historical subjects and painting on boards, wood panels, and gourds. Though essentially
self-taught, Perkins is believed to have taken a few art classes at Albert Brewer Junior
College in Fayette, Alabama. Perkins decorates his numerous “churches for birds” with
patriotic and religious motifs, including flags, the Statue of Liberty, and bits of writing,
all in a striking palette of red, white, and blue.
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Exhibition Checklist
Dimensions given in inches, height preceding width preceding depth.
Natural Birdhouses
7.
1. Bluebird Birdhouse
2003
Wood and metal
15 x 8 3/4 x 9 1/8
Private collection
2003
Wood
8 3/4 x 11 3/8 x 6 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2. Purple Martin Gourds
2003
Gourds
Gourd 1: 9 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4
Gourd 2: 12 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 7 1/4
Gourd 3: 9 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4
Overall: 12 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 7 1/4
Courtesy 50 States Bird Feeders
8.
Robert Clemons
Home Tweet Home
2002
Wood
4 x 2 x 2 1/4
Courtesy the artist
9.
3. Nesting Shelf for Robins
2003
Wood
12 x 7 x 9 1/2
Private collection
Robert Clemons
Ornament Bird Villa
2003
Wood
6 3/4 x 2 x 2 1/4
Courtesy the artist
10. Mike Dillon
Leather Birdhouse
1997
Wood and leather
14 1/2 x 8 3/4 x 9 7/8
Courtesy the artist
4. Wood Duck House
2003
Wood
24 x 11 x 15
Private collection
5. Wren Birdhouse
2003
Wood
9 1/4 x 9 x 7 1/2
Private collection
11. Jerry Glass
The Ivy House
2002
Wood and metal
19 1/2 x 8 3/4 x 8 3/4
Courtesy Heartwood
Hobby Birdhouses
6.
Bill Arnold
Alamo Birdhouse
12. Tom Holmes
The “Wright” Birdhouse
Charline M. Allie
Teapot Mosaic Birdhouse
2003
Ceramic
9 x 7 x 7 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2003
Wood
26 x 13 7/8 x 14
Courtesy the artist
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19. Boris Bally
13. Patricia Huntsman
Sunny Acres Retreat
Home for Holy Birds
2002
Gourd, beads, grapevine, and acrylic paint
11 x 12 x 9 1/2
Courtesy the artist
1995
Fabricated bronze, turned ebony, and
silver accents
25 1/2 x 11 3/4 x 17 1/2
Courtesy the artist
14. Elsie Farrell Poucel
Bejeweled Bedazzled Birdhouse
20. Jennie Bireline
Paradise Birdhouse
2003
Wood, sequins, ribbon, glitter, and bird
figurine
7 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 5 5/16
Courtesy the artist
2003
Earthenware, terra sigillata, and 23-karat
gold leaf
10 x 11 1/2 x 6 1/2
Courtesy the artist
15. William Stull
Recycled Shelter
21. Douglas Fey
Bird Gargler: Troll
2002
Metal and wood
16 1/2 x 6 3/4 x 5
Courtesy Crowing Rooster Productions
2003
Earthenware and wood
10 x 8 1/4 x 10
Courtesy the artist
16. Knox Wilkinson
Untitled
2002
Wood
7 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 7 1/4
Private collection
22. Marsha Judd
The House of Understanding
2002
Ceramic
7 1/2 x 10 x 11
Courtesy the artist
Artist Birdhouses
23. Melissa Koch
Glass Mosaic Birdhouse with Blue Jay
Colors
2003
Glass
15 7/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 7/8
Courtesy the artist
17. Kathryn Arnett
Orange Fantasia Birdhouse
2002
Wood, paint, tin, and wire
18 x 14 x 11 1/4
Courtesy the artist
24. Peter Loose
18. Inge Balch
Black Rooster Birdhouse
Mobile Home for the Roadrunner
2002
Acrylic paint on wood with found objects,
peanuts, and coffee beans
19 1/2 x 16 x 2 1/4
Courtesy Marcia Weber Art Objects
2003
Ceramic and metal
12 1/2 x 10 1/4 x 8
Courtesy the artist
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25. Diane Moreno
Untitled
2003
Wood
16 3/4 x 10 x 6
Courtesy the artist
Wall Panels
P1. ExhibitsUSA Credit Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
P2. Texas HELP Credit Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
26. Kathy Ruth Neal
She’s Cuckoo
P3. Out of the Nest Introduction Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
2002
Wood, acrylic, and wood putty
12 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 11
Courtesy the artist
P4. The Right Box for the Right Bird Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
P5. The Birdhouse as Hobby Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
27. Kathy Ruth Neal
The Bird Catcher
2003
Wood, acrylic, wood putty and pheasant
feather
10 13/16 x 12 x 6 1/2
Courtesy the artist
P6. Artists’ Birdhouses Panel
Framed dimensions: 24 x 20 x 1 1/4
28. Sarah Oblinger
Home Is Where the Heart Is
2003
Papier mache and paint
19 x 20 1/2 x 8 1/2
Courtesy the artist
29. Benjamin Franklin Perkins
All American Birdhouse–Convention
Hall for Love Birds
1991
Acrylic paint and wood
8 1/2 x 17 x 11 1/2
Courtesy Marcia Weber Art Objects
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Tour Schedule
September 01, 2003—October 05, 2003
West Bay Common School Museum
League City, Texas
October 21, 2003—December 15, 2003
Shelby County Museum
Center, Texas
January 05, 2004—March 10, 2004
XIT Museum
Dalhart, Texas
March 25, 2004—April 30, 2004
Moody Mansion & Museum
Galveston, Texas
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Artist Biographies
Charline M. Allie (1946–)
Charline Allie was born in Ontonagon, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Upon graduating from high school there, she attended Northern Michigan University.
Allie spent many years in the floral industry as a designer and business owner, sharing
her floral designs in many floral shows and participating in design competitions
throughout the Midwest. Today, she enjoys semiretirement and spends her spare time
creating unique mosaic designs for the garden and the home. Her signature pieces are
teapot birdhouses, which give new life to broken collectibles. She has also done larger
commissioned pieces with religious, ethnic, and wildlife themes.
Kathryn Arnett (1953–)
Kathryn Arnett grew up on a farm in Texas, where her family raised pecans, peanuts,
cattle, and farm animals. Inspired by her mentally challenged brother, she taught special
education before moving to Crested Butte, Colorado. There, she started a sewing
operation, creating children’s hand-sewn, hand-painted clothing. After four years of cold
and snow, Arnett moved to Corrales, New Mexico, continuing her clothing business. One
day, however, as she made her way through a scrap yard, she encountered enormous piles
of scrap metal and big machinery that triggered a creative idea. She bought three hundred
pounds of scrap metal, the beginning of many tons of recycled materials that have
become her art.
Arnett moved to New Orleans to access a variety of recycled materials that were not
available in New Mexico, mostly from torn down or restored homes. The addition of
wood as a medium inspired her to create in new directions. In her own studio today,
Arnett employs several people to create her designs in a manufacturing process much like
that of a machine shop. Welding, riveting, wiring, sheet metal fabrication, and carpentry
are the primary methods used.
Bill Arnold (1942–)
Bill Arnold was born and raised in the Hill Country of central Texas. He served in the
Army, worked for over thirty years as a union carpenter, and raised two daughters with
his wife of thirty-five years. Bill is a sixth-generation Texan whose ancestors include
DeWitt colonists, Stephen F. Austin colonists, and participants in the war for Texas
Independence. He has always had a keen interest in Texas history, and when he retired,
he began his second career as a self-taught artisan, making wooden birdhouses
celebrating Texas, past and present. His first design was the Alamo birdhouse, and it
became the cornerstone of a flourishing business promoting Texas architecture, lifestyle,
and heritage through garden crafts. He continues to create and build new designs as his
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work spreads throughout the country, with each creation continuing to reflect his Texas
roots.
Inge Balch (1944–)
Inge Gyrite Balch is a native of Copenhagen, Denmark. In her late teens, Balch visited
the United States and worked as an au pair for several families before settling
permanently in Kansas. Today, Balch chairs the Art Department at Baker University in
Baldwin City, Kansas. She teaches ceramics, sculpture, design, and art education. Balch
earned her B.F.A. in ceramics and B.A. in Art History at Kansas State University in 1983
and finished her M.F.A. in ceramics at the University of Kansas in 1986.
Balch’s art is influenced by the vastness of her adopted country, political and domestic
issues, and the attributes of the various saints that offer much fodder for her work.
Balch’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Boris Bally (1961–)
Boris Bally’s award-winning work is both witty and innovative, employing the use of
jeweler’s skills on non-precious materials. His work transforms weathered scrap
materials into joyful objects for reflection. The artist’s pieces celebrate the industrial
aesthetic through sculptural birdhouses and objects for the home. Bally’s work has
received two Rhode Island Council on the Arts Fellowships in Design and a Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts Fellowship. His work is featured in numerous international
exhibitions and publications.
Jennie Bireline (1936–)
Born in Oklahoma, Jennie Bireline spent her formative years in southwest Texas, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado. An early and significant influence on her ceramic
work developed from a visit to Mesa Verde, Colorado, where she first saw the pottery of
the Anasazi or “Ancient Ones.” Although she was only eleven years old at the time, the
pots she saw there never left her consciousness.
Bireline’s mature work has been exhibited and collected throughout the United States and
in Japan and has been widely published in ceramic books and journals. She is an active
studio potter and serves on the ceramics faculty of the Crafts Center of North Carolina
State University. Prior to this position, Bireline was on the staff of the North Carolina
Museum of Art as a curator and educator in charge of a collection of three-dimensional
art objects and cultural artifacts specifically designated as exhibits for the blind and
visually impaired.
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Robert Clemons (1941–)
Robert Clemons was born in Michigan and raised in Jackson County in central
Tennessee. He began woodworking at an early age in his grandfather’s shop and began
woodturning in the mid-1970s. After retiring from a career in rural telecommunications
in 1997, Clemons began a new career in woodturning. Today, he teaches at the
Appalachian Craft Center in Smithville, Tennessee, the Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg,
Tennessee, and the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. He
demonstrates at regional symposia and woodturning chapters throughout the Southeast.
Clemons is active in several woodturning chapters and is currently president of the
American Association of Woodturners.
Mike Dillon (1960–)
A native of Ellensburg, Washington, Mike Dillon began his artistic career helping to
create commercials for Coca-Cola and Jeep. After moves to New York City (where he
fabricated mechanical window displays for leading department stores) and Seattle (where
he worked as a production artist for Nordstrom), Dillon moved to Los Angeles, where he
honed his skills building props and sets for commercials and movies. He spent five years
at Walt Disney Imagineering, designing and building themed elements for Epcot Center,
Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.
Dillon and his wife returned to Seattle in 1985 and started Dillon Works, Inc. out of his
grandmother-in-law’s basement. Dillon Works is a company that designs and builds
unique, dimensional elements for theme parks, casinos, retail displays, restaurants,
commercials, exhibits, and much more. After moving three times, the company today
occupies its own 28,000-square-foot production facility and has a staff of more than sixty
during its busy periods. Dillon has authored two books on birdhouses, both of which are
traveling with the exhibition.
Elsie Farrell-Poucel (1946–)
Elsie Farrell-Poucel was born and still resides on the south shore of Long Island, New
York. The natural beauty of the area has always been of interest to her, particularly the
wildlife. While creating her hand-painted crystal in her glass-walled studio, enjoying
watching the antics of many birds, Farrell-Poucel decided that the birds needed an elegant
and totally different abode. Being a self-taught artist and unconventional by nature, she
created the bejeweled, bedazzled aviary homes that now decorate her backyard and
studio, creating a touch of whimsy in these spaces. Farrell-Poucel asserts that her credo,
“Life is short and unpredictable, so treat yourself kindly every day and use your ‘good
stuff’ on you,” applies to the birds she loves to watch as well.
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Douglas Fey (1947–)
Douglas Fey was born and raised in Colorado. After graduating from the University of
Colorado with a B.F.A. and an M.A., Fey held teaching positions at Valparaiso
University in Indiana and the Evanston Art Center in Illinois. Later, he moved to
Baltimore and established the ceramics department at the University of Maryland,
Baltimore County. After a few years, he returned to Colorado, where he resides today. He
served as exhibits coordinator and then as gallery director for the University of Colorado
Art Galleries, while he continued to be an actively producing ceramic artist for thirty-five
years.
Shown nationally, Fey’s work is directly related to a keen sense of the importance and
beauty of the natural environment. His aesthetic concerns span the spectrum from his
Bird Gargler™ birdhouses and related garden adornments to his sculptural ceramic
works, which are derivative of the desert southwest landscape. Although diverse in
appearance, all of Fey’s works elicit thoughtful contemplation and enjoyment of their
spirit, as well as an appreciation of line, form, color, and of course, the birds.
Jerry Glass (1945–)
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Jerry Glass graduated from Mississippi College and the
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary before being ordained a Baptist minister.
Glass began his career creating birdhouses late in life. He designs birdhouses that are
“architecture for the birds,” basing his designs on full-size structures. He makes a
concerted effort to maintain the architectural integrity of the form as he renders various
features on a bird-sized scale. In addition to architectural accuracy, function is
incorporated into the form. Most of the items created by the artist are reproduced in large
quantities and marketed throughout the United States through his birdhouse business.
Glass currently lives and works in Star, Mississippi, constantly creating new birdhouse
and bird feeder designs.
Tom Holmes (1964–)
Tom Holmes is an artist, sculptor, and craftsman who lives and works in northeastern
Pennsylvania. He holds a B.A. in music composition, history, and theory from the Crane
School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. His eclectic approach to life and art allows him the
freedom to work in many mediums, including wood, metal, stone, and glass. The last ten
years have seen Holmes working on an outdoor sculpture garden he calls the “World
Monument,” an interactive architectural monument structure intended to enlighten and
inform. Holmes regards it as one of his life’s essential works. He also continues to build
his “Sound Sculpture,” an interactive sound stage production of original musical
instruments. Both of these endeavors underscore Holmes’s belief that “by subtly
enhancing our environments, we subtly enhance ourselves.”
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Patricia Huntsman (1948–)
A native Californian, Patricia Huntsman grew up in the Los Angeles area and discovered
at an early age that she had a creative streak, setting into motion the direction for the rest
of her life. With art as the major focus of her education, she earned several scholarships
to various art institutes and was commissioned for various special projects. She also
developed a successful landscaping business, and she created a new landscaping
movement wherein pots filled with colorful and unusual plants are used to create
landscapes in the garden as well as the interior of homes. Now retired at age fifty-five
and living with her husband in the High Desert of California on a ranch named “Sunny
Acres,” Huntsman divides her time between caring for her numerous farm animals,
laboring in her own garden, and enjoying her newfound art, creating ornamental gourds.
Marsha Judd (1959–)
Marsha Judd is a ceramic artist who was born in Los Angeles, California. Her childhood
was spent in Orange, California, at a time when that area was a relatively undeveloped
agricultural suburb. With the ever-growing housing developments pressing in on her
natural surroundings, the young artist found herself increasingly aware of the evolution of
change and its profound effects. Judd’s sculptures speak of “nature as a metaphor for life
itself,” her images and thoughts shaped by these early experiences. Today, she continues
to explore her personal landscape by portraying moments of time in her own evolution of
love, family, and life.
Judd earned her degree in ceramics from California State University, Fullerton, where she
currently teaches. A working mother and artist, she maintains a studio at home in an
effort to “always be close to my kids.” Judd also works with All the Arts, for All the Kids
Arts Foundation, a support foundation that provides hands-on art experiences in the
classroom for 13,500 students. She actively shows her work in California and throughout
the United States and conducts workshops about her burnishing and urban-friendly firing
techniques.
Melissa Koch (1950–)
Melissa Koch is an artist/sculptor/artisan/designer who earned a B.F.A. from the Rhode
Island School of Design in 1972. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania; early in her
life, she acquired a sensitivity to nature, animals, and especially birds. After graduating
from college, she moved west and has spent many years working in the field of
architectural restoration and design/rehab in Kansas City, Missouri. She is an ardent
naturalist, urban advocate, and environmentalist. After failing to elicit support from
public conservation groups, the artist bought a five-acre tract of vacant urban land to
preserve it as a wildlife and bird refuge. Currently, Koch is busy designing a large
triptych: three monumental glass mosaic-tiled birdhouses whose impressive design and
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scale symbolize a value and reverence for nature. In addition to making sculpture and
birdhouses, Melissa Koch is a jazz/blues singer in a Kansas City band, Doghouse Jazz.
Peter Loose (1963–)
Born in Silver Springs, Maryland, Peter Loose has always been fascinated by nature.
School was always a chore, but it eventually led him to work as a state park naturalist and
as a naturalist for the Audubon Society. In 1986, he moved to Georgia to work at a nature
center.
After a period of emotional stress and physical illness, Loose began painting with
watercolors. With no particular goal in mind, he began creating “strange little paintings”
dominated by splotches of color on typing paper. Encouraged by friends and motivated
by a strong will to paint, he switched to acrylics and canvas, turning his paintings into the
whimsical art he creates today.
Loose’s style, bright colors, and bold animal imagery is gaining popularity nationally in
addition to Georgia. Painting has become his full-time occupation and way of life. He
currently shares a six-acre plot of land with his wife Sandy and with a variety of animals.
Inspired by his beautiful surroundings, Loose continues to make paintings, birdhouses,
and sculptural musical instruments, his trademark being snake-shaped dulcimers.
Diane Moreno (1944–)
Diane Moreno was a Kansas insurance adjuster specializing in fatalities and bodily injury
when she decided to abandon that career to fulfill her dream of working with her hands.
Moving to a tiny village in northern New Mexico, she began making “nichos,” or little
cabinets inspired by those made by Spanish colonials in thick adobe walls. Made of
juniper and piñon, they are laboriously put together and adorned with handcrafted tin and
other materials.
As she interacts with nature on a daily basis, Moreno gathers tree branches, gnarly roots,
driftwood, rusted tin, and weathered wood as materials for her art. Mostly self-taught, she
learned to work with wood and found that her lack of formal education allowed her the
freedom to realize her own artistic vision. Although she has taken some fine
woodworking classes, through which she has gained more technique, she continues to let
imagination be her guide.
Kathy Ruth Neal (1945–)
Kathy Ruth Neal is an identical twin born in Oakland, California. Her maternal
grandfather, Walter Whipple, was a make-up artist and silent screen actor. Her lifelong
interest in colors, painting, and drama is a gift from her grandfather. Many of her
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woodcarvings depict what she considers to be vignettes of American life: events of the
day, politics, or scenes at the movies or the circus.
Neal spent much of her working life as a TWA flight attendant. She traveled the world
over; then, in 1994, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following successful
treatment, she recuperated in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. While walking
on the Appalachian Trail, she picked up a gnarled piece of wood and began to whittle
with a pocketknife. She has never stopped carving.
Sarah Oblinger (1952–)
Sarah Oblinger was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She did not start out to be an
artist; she believed she would grow up to be a social worker. She graduated from Kansas
State University with a B.S. in Horticultural Therapy in 1976. Oblinger moved to
California in 1978 to teach vocational rehabilitation. While living there, she experienced
a severe depression that led her to the practice of present moment awareness. She
discovered that painting helped her cope with her depression. The artist moved back to
Kansas to focus on her process painting and open her own teaching studio in 1994. The
studio, Paint or Die, was dedicated to using painting as an engaged meditation, based on
Oblinger’s belief that painting is a profound way to experience one’s feelings without
being overwhelmed by them. Oblinger now resides in Dixon, New Mexico, where she
offers painting retreats at her home and teaches nationally with her mentor, Stewart
Cubley.
Benjamin Franklin Perkins (1904–1993)
Benjamin Franklin Perkins was born in Vernon, Alabama, and, after traveling the world
as a Marine, settled down in the Washington, D.C., area to raise his two daughters. In
1969, he returned to Alabama and started his own country church. He began painting and
adorning the buildings on his property with patterns and signs in red, white, and blue,
painting mostly in acrylic, often on canvas. His unique style had an exotic but genuine
mix of patriotism and religious fervor. These colors and themes may also be found in his
smaller-scale artworks such as gourds, boards, and canvas.
Open-heart surgery slowed Perkins down briefly in 1977. While recovering, he enrolled
in an art course and was soon sharing his lifetime of memories and personal messages
through his paintings. In 1992, Perkins suffered a second heart attack and died of heart
failure on January 13, 1993, at the age of 88.
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William Stull (1952–)
William Stull is an organic gardener, published author, and artisan who takes antiques
and combines them with silver-plated flatware to create whimsical wind chimes and oneof-a-kind birdhouses and bird feeders. He lives in western New York State on 4.5 acres
with his wife of twenty years, Kathleen. By living close to nature, Stull is able to apply
his “waste not, want not, less is more” philosophies and focus on his quality of life.
Knox Wilkinson (1957–)
Knox Wilkinson lives in Rome, Georgia, and is a self-taught artist who is mentally
disabled. With the support of his family, Wilkinson made a name for himself in the 1980s
by creating beautiful birdhouses (a neighbor helps him to construct the birdhouses and
Wilkinson paints them).
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The History of Birdhouses
From Birdhousing by Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold and For the Birds: Creating a
Sanctuary published by Meredith Books.
The practice of crafting shelters for nesting wildfowl isn’t a new one. In fact, its roots go
well back into both North American and European history. Members of some Native
American tribes hung hollow gourds to attract nesting Purple Martins. Audubon claimed
that the territorial martins were valued because they’d drive away Turkey Vultures that
might otherwise dine off the Natives’ meat racks. In Europe in the Middle Ages,
birdhouses were erected out of an even purer pragmatism: the fledgling starling and
sparrows born therein were regularly gathered and eaten.
Most antique birdhouses that exist today are less than seventy-five years old. Earlier
examples are rare, since the structures saw hard use, spending year after year in sun,
wind, and rain. Relatively few older birdhouses have endured the ravages of weather and
time to survive to the present day.
The American tradition of building rustic birdhouses was born out of necessity long ago
when early settlers started farming their new land. They had learned from their fathers
and grandfathers that the best way to protect their crops was to build and put up “bird
boxes” to attract insect-eating birds to their fields and gardens. Birds also provided a rich
source of fertilizer. During the long winter months, when there were fewer farm chores,
building birdhouses because a useful pastime. A farmer might replicate the town church,
his barn, or a neighbor’s farmhouse instead of building a simple utilitarian bird box.
Birdhouses reached a height of expression during the Victorian era, an age marked by its
celebration of domestic virtues and an unprecedented enthusiasm for the idea of home.
The Victorians promoted the idea of the yard and garden as an extension of the house
itself. Birdhouses became one of the most popular garden ornaments. In the Victorian
age, birds—because of their plumage and song—inspired another decorative element in
already fanciful gardens. During this era, birdhouses became a favorite form of folly,
building elegant birdhouses in the form of elegant mansions. These elaborate birdhouses
could have a dozen stories, as well as steeples, balustrades, and finials topping it all.
At the turn of the twentieth century, America witnessed a proliferation of single-family
detached homes, which introduced a dramatically different lifestyle and at the same time,
an age of birdhouse building that idealized this new American dream. Whereas earlier
birdhouses were built to serve a useful purpose, birdhouse design at the start of the
twentieth century brought an explosion of creative endeavors. Birdhouses went from
being solely a functional item to an expression of wild architectural flights of fancy.
Popular magazines of the day catered to the desire for a more genteel way of life by
promoting birdhouses as essential ornaments no civilized garden should be without and
providing patterns for building them.
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The 1930s saw many examples of humans reaching out to provide shelter to birds,
perhaps as recompense for the lack of security so many felt during the unsettling times.
While political campaigns were promising a chicken in every pot, housing bluebirds was
gaining popularity, thanks to T. E. Musselman, an Illinois educator who was concerned
that agriculture and development were robbing bluebirds of natural nesting sites. He
began experimenting with bluebird houses placed on fence posts at his farm and
encouraged others to do the same, earning the nickname “The Birdman” through
numerous radio broadcasts, correspondence, lectures, and articles in newspapers and
magazines. He also became known throughout the Midwest as the founder of many
“Bluebird Trails,” as the long fence-post rows of bluebird houses came to be known. As
the 1930s came to a close, however, public interest in birds and birdhouses began to wane
as the apprehension over events in Europe and the specter of war loomed.
Luckily, the postwar growth of the 1950s extended to birdhouses. Flush with enthusiasm,
cash, and the freedom of the suburbs, Americans shared their bounty with their avian
friends. Popular magazines swelled with birdhouse plans in the dawn of the do-it-yourself
era. A growing lawn and garden ornament industry applied wartime mass-production
techniques to the manufacturing of birdhouses. Galvanized sheet-metal birdhouses with
cone-shaped roofs became a fad. With their smooth hard sides, all-metal birdhouses
provided a foil to four-footed egg thieves. Metal birdhouses posed a problem, however:
they overheated, and their popularity soon disappeared. Another sign of trouble in the
1950s can be found in the pages of Audubon magazine, where bird enthusiasts were
frequently advised to spray the insides of their birdhouses with DDT to keep insects
under control. Even the 1950s boom in advertising affected birds and their habitats. In
parts of the South, for example, the steep roofs of Purple Martin apartments along busy
roadsides often advertised a local tourist attraction.
Birdhouses did not disappear during the 1960s, but they did not prosper. Magazines, by
and large, quit publishing plans. Even when plans were offered, they usually required
some novelty to sell. With a steady rise in affluence, life’s simpler pleasures were
overwhelmed in the noisy acquisitiveness of an increasingly commercial society.
Devoted bird-watchers, in this era of fast cars and color TV, came to be seen as
doddering eccentrics, squares who were out of touch with “where it was at.”
With the dawning of the “Age of Aquarius,” pollution, riots, and rising crime rates
showed that something was lacking. Many people started looking to the country for a
way out, but a renewed interest in nature and folk crafts remained mostly underground. In
the mid-1980s, however, folk art moved into the mainstream. Art historians, gallery
owners, and museum curators descended on this endlessly rich and fertile source of
homegrown artistic genius. Birdhouses were some of the beneficiaries of this attention.
Today, heightened concerns about the quality of our environment have again sharpened
our focus on nature. Vanishing habitats and declining songbird populations have
suddenly rendered priceless the simple pleasure of a bird’s song. A birdhouse no longer is
seen as a graceful gesture for a civilized backyard but as a lifeboat for birds in a stormy
and difficult world.
34
Birdhouse Basics
Commercial birdhouses are made from a variety of materials. Durable, natural wood in
three-quarter-inch thickness remains the best choice, but any sort of wood is fine as long
as it has not been treated with preservatives. There’s no particular reason to paint the
outside of a birdhouse—the birds prefer the natural look of weathered wood—but if you
do, use a water-based paint. Never paint the inside of a birdhouse.
Avoid birdhouses with a metal roof, as this can cause dangerous overheating. One major
goal of a birdhouse is to keep the occupants as dry as possible. Select birdhouses with
slanted roofs that extend for at least three inches over the entrance hole. Some water will
still get into the house, so be sure the floor has drainage holes at least three-eighths-inch
wide in all four corners.
Ventilation is critical to a birdhouse to help maintain an even temperature. Be sure your
birdhouse has vent holes near the tops of the side walls.
Cleanliness is also extremely important for birdhouses. Skin and feather parasites such as
red mites will breed in the birdhouse, but the real danger is from blowfly larvae. These
blood-sucking parasites can kill nestlings. A good birdhouse can be easily cleaned by
lifting off the roof or dropping down a front or side panel.
New birdhouses have the best chance for occupation if they are put up in the very early
spring, when birds start looking around for suitable nesting sites.
In general, the size of the nest box and its entrance hole will determine which birds it
attracts. Birds like a snug fit—if the box is too big, birds are subject to predation and will
have trouble keeping their eggs and chicks warm. Where you place the nest box will have
an effect on which birds use it. Place nest boxes in sheltered areas, away from all-day
sunlight. Don’t put up nest boxes near feeders. Put only one birdhouse in a tree and put
up no more than four or five houses per acre of land. Birds particularly like houses
perched on high posts at the edge of a field.
35
Hey, Bird Brain: Did You Know…?
This assortment of interesting bird facts may be helpful to docents as they prepare
information for this exhibition, or may be used as publicity teasers or as the basis for
additional text for children’s exhibits.
•
Like the English (or House) Sparrow, the European Starling is a non-indigenous
species. They were both actually introduced into North America as part of a plan
to stock the continent with all the birds mentioned in the writings of Shakespeare!
Bird-watchers consider these birds to be pests and aggressive competitors with
native cavity nesters.
•
House Sparrows love birdhouses, and they’re not overly picky about the
neighborhood they find their dwellings in. They do, however, prefer to perch
before they enter. Many “desirable” species can enter a hole without using a
perch. Serious birders leave perches off their birdhouses; a perch can provide easy
access for such predators as squirrels and provides a convenient place for nonnative species such as starlings and sparrows to sit while they wait to drive off the
parent birds and attack the chicks.
•
A bird’s beak is the best guide to what food it eats. The heavy seed-cracking
beaks of cardinals and finches; the insect-probes of the robin, woodpecker, and
woodcock; and the multipurpose bill of the opportunistic starling are some
examples.
•
Birds have no teeth, so they must swallow their food whole. To help grind the
food up inside their muscular stomachs, birds swallow bits of sand or gravel. A
small amount of grit can be mixed with seeds in a feeder to help birds digest their
food more easily.
•
The situation for songbirds in North America is bleak. Recent studies show major
declines in the populations of many North American species. Of the fifty-six
species of songbirds surveyed, seventy percent suffered declines. Many bird
populations are dropping at a rate of two percent each year. If this trend continues,
songbirds will soon become rare in North America.
•
It is a myth that baby birds that are handled by humans will be killed by the
parents because they “smell like people.” Most birds have a poorly developed
sense of smell and rely on vision as their primary sense.
•
In Texas, bird-watching is the most popular outdoor activity behind gardening.
•
The female bird generally eats the eggshells of her hatched chicks; this helps her
to replace the calcium she used to make the eggs.
36
•
Birds have been around for at least 150 million years—far longer than humans.
The earliest birds were probably developed from dinosaurs. What sets birds apart
from other creatures? They are warm-blooded like mammals; lay eggs like
reptiles and amphibians; most of them fly, like insects and bats; and some even
swim, like fish. The element that makes birds unique is their feathers.
•
Nests are not homes for adult birds. They are simply the places where birds lay
their eggs.
•
Many bird parents have bare “brood patches” on their bodies, where the feathers
fall from a patch of skin so the eggs are next to the warm blood vessels.
•
Most birds do not appreciate yards that are too tidy; they are not attracted to
highly manicured landscaping. They prefer a yard that offers dead branches, trees,
and logs, which attract the insects that many birds feed on.
•
A U.S. Department of the Interior survey determined that sixty million people
engage in residential bird feeding.
•
Bird-watching, after hiking and backpacking, is the fastest growing form of
outdoor recreation in the U.S.
•
Of the approximately 650 different species of breeding birds found in North
America, only eighty-six nest in cavities.
•
It is illegal to disturb, or even photograph, nesting birds. Never steal eggs from
the nest.
•
February 19 is National Homes for Birds Day, a day when people can think about
the importance of nesting in the lives of birds.
•
Cavity nesters have large clutches of about eight to twelve eggs. Non-cavity
nesters have smaller clutches of three to five eggs. Cavity nesters have larger
clutches because their eggs and young birds are better protected from predators
than are the offspring of non-cavity nesters.
•
Most birds, especially ones that will nest in your yard, do not reuse their nests
from year to year or even from brood to brood.
•
It is against the law to collect birds’ nests without a special license. If birds do
build a nest in one of your birdhouses, you can remove and discard the nest after
nesting season—late in the fall. You cannot keep the nest. Only scientists who
work with birds and study their nesting habits are permitted to keep birds’ nests.
37
•
Color on birds’ eggs acts as camouflage. The eggs of cavity nesters do not need to
be camouflaged because they are protected from predators’ eyes inside the cavity,
so they are usually white.
•
Brightly painted birdhouses serve no purpose for birds, who prefer light and
natural colors such as grays, browns, and greens. These colors reflect heat and
sunlight much better and are less conspicuous to predators. One exception is a
Purple Martin house, which should always be white.
•
If you’ve ever been told that you eat like a bird, maybe you better slow up a bit!
Although people think that birds eat very little, the truth is that most birds eat the
equivalent of one-fourth of their weight in food each day. That means if you
weigh sixty pounds, you would eat fifteen pounds of food each day in birdland.
Migrating birds really pack it on. Some increase their weight by as much as fifty
percent before they begin their journey. Be glad you don’t really eat like a bird!
•
You should avoid placing a birdhouse near birdfeeders or feeding stations. The
activity of such sites disturbs the parents of baby birds.
•
Birdhouses that are attached to poles are generally more protected from predators
than are those hung from branches or attached to tree trunks. Poles are
considerably more difficult for predators to climb than are trees.
•
A male wren will build several nests in the spring and then take the female around
to show her his handiwork, from which she selects the house of her liking where
the eggs will later be laid.
•
The untidy nests of House Sparrows are major nuisances in many yards. These
birds are not native species and are not protected by law, so their nests can be
destroyed if you wish.
•
Studies have found that cavity nesters have a sixty to eighty percent fledging
success rate, whereas open nesters have only a twenty to forty percent success
rate. Also, open nesters leave the nest for the first time at nine to eleven days,
whereas cavity nesters tend to fledge at an average of sixteen to twenty-two days.
This extended brooding period leaves young cavity-nesting birds stronger, larger,
and better able to fly, and contributes to the overall higher survival rate of the
cavity nesters’ young.
38
Texas’s State Bird: The Mockingbird
Adapted from The Folklore of Birds by Laura C. Martin.
Texas’s state bird, the mockingbird, is not a cavity nester, so it would not use a
birdhouse, but it will build a nest in the dense shrubbery of a backyard. The pale gray and
white mockingbird is about the size of a robin (ten inches in length) and is one of the best
songsters among birds. It may sing at any hour of the day or night and pumps its long tail
as it sings. The mockingbird can sound like other birds, a barking dog, a mewing cat, an
airplane, a frog, a cricket, or even like a creaking gate (hence its name). Its white wing
patches make it easy to see in flight. Mockingbirds are commonly found throughout the
Southeast, the lower half of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California, but their range
seems to be expanding northward. Mockingbirds eat wild berries, seeds, insects, and
invertebrates. The scientific name of the mockingbird is mimus polyglottos, from the
Greek mimus, or mimic, and polyglottos, meaning many-tongued.
The mockingbird’s song was once considered so beautiful that great numbers of these
birds were captured in the wild and kept as caged birds, until laws were passed making
the practice illegal. The bird’s uncanny ability to mimic many different sounds is used by
male mockingbirds to attract females.
A Texan-Mexican folktale relates how the mockingbird received the white markings on
its wings. The story goes that at the beginning of time, all the animals spoke Spanish, but
the mockingbird was so proud of his song that he became conceited, declaring that it was
he that caused the flowers to dance. Full of pride, he began to sing to the flowers. Just as
he began his song, a hawk snatched him up and carried him away. The frightened
mockingbird cried out, “Con el favor de Dios!” admitting that he could do nothing
without the help of the Lord. The hawk dropped him in the field, tearing his wings in the
process. As he lay bleeding, a dove came to him and, taking white feathers from her own
back, healed him. Since then, the mockingbird has worn these white feathers as a
reminder to be humble.
The mockingbird eventually became a symbol of the romantic image of the American
South, and many well-known writers have heaped praises on it. It is perhaps Walt
Whitman’s poem “Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking” that brought the greatest
literary attention to the mockingbird. It is from this poem that the mockingbird first
became a symbol of hope. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, published in
1960, the mockingbird is a symbol of the innocent and the helpless.
The mockingbird will not hesitate to defend its territory, even against much larger and
stronger birds. This characteristic was taken into consideration when Texas chose this
bird as its state symbol in 1927. The Texas legislature’s resolution states that the
mockingbird is “a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense,
like any true Texan….”
39
Glossary
Baffle: Any element added to a birdhouse in order to thwart predators.
Birder: A person who is a serious birdwatcher. Birders often travel great distances in
search of different species.
Birdwatcher: Any person who takes an interest in birds.
Blue list: Designation for bird populations whose numbers have declined or whose range
has been reduced.
Brood: Group of young birds hatched at one time and cared for by the same parents.
Brood parasitism: The laying of eggs by one bird species (such as the cowbird) in the
nest of another.
Brood patch: A bare area on the female bird’s belly that is in direct contact with the eggs
or young.
Cavity nesters: Birds that build nests in natural or man-made cavities to protect the nest
from bad weather and predators.
Clutch: A set of eggs that are incubated together.
Ectoparasite: An organism that lives on the surface of a bird’s body, to the detriment of
the host.
Embryo: An animal in an early stage of development, before birth or hatching.
Field guide: A book that gives pictures and descriptions of different kinds of birds. Field
guides help birdwatchers identify the birds they see.
Fledgling: A young bird that has left the nest but is still under the parents’ care.
Folk art: Creative methods that have been passed down from generation to generation,
coming from the craft tradition.
Grit: The bits of sand or gravel that birds must swallow to help them digest their food.
Immature bird: A bird that is not yet old enough to breed.
Incubate: To warm eggs by sitting on them so they will develop and hatch.
Juvenile bird: A bird that is still in its first set of feathers, those it had when it left the
nest.
40
Migrant birds: Bird species that make annual transitions to different habitats to fulfill
their breeding, nesting, and food-source needs.
Millet: Tiny, round, white seeds that are the major ingredient in the seed mixes sold for
feeding cage birds. Next to black-oil sunflower seeds, they are the food most birds prefer.
Nectar: Sugar water that attracts hummingbirds. To make nectar, combine one part white
sugar with four parts hot water and stir well until all the sugar is dissolved.
Nesting: The process of building nests, laying eggs, and raising young. Most birds nest in
the spring and summer.
Nestling: A young bird still in the nest.
Non-cavity nesters: Birds that build nests out in the open. Most birds are non-cavity
nesters.
Ornithologist: A scientist who studies birds and their behavior.
Platform nesters: Birds that build nests in open spaces, such as under eaves or in the
crotches of tree branches.
Predator: An animal or bird that lives by preying on other animals.
Preen: To clean or smooth the feathers with the beak or bill.
Primary cavity nesters: Birds, such as woodpeckers, that excavate their own nest sites.
Resident birds: Birds that stay in one place year-round.
Secondary cavity nesters: Cavity-nesting birds that rely on pre-existing holes.
Self-taught art: A popular term for art by untrained artists.
Suet: Beef fat, generally but not always from around the kidneys. Birds enjoy suet plain
or mixed with other foods.
Transient birds: Bird species that follow a food source and might endure cold or hot
temperatures as long as their dietary needs are met.
41
National Bird Organizations and Activities
The American Birding Association
PO Box 6599
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
800.850.2473
Fax: 719.578.1480
www.americanbirding.org
This organization is for serious birders and is the semiofficial arbiter of birding records
and unusual sightings in the United States.
American Ornithologists Union
c/o Division of Birds
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560
202.357.2031
Association of Field Ornithologists, Inc.
PO Box 1897
Lawrence, KS 66044-8897
Bird Feeders’ Society
PO Box 225
Mystic, CT 06355
Cornell Nest Box Network
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology/CNBN
PO Box 11
Ithaca, NY 14851-0011
607.254.2473
42
The National Audubon Society
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
212.979.3000
www.audubon.org
Today the National Audubon Society has more than five hundred chapters and staff in ten
regional offices. Its national sanctuary system protects more than 250,000 acres, with
hundreds of additional acres protected by local chapters.
National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program
8925 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA 22184-0001
The federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program shows homeowners how to attract
birds and other wildlife by providing food and cover. Kits are available for $12.95.
National Wildlife Federation
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
800.432.6564
The National Wildlife Federation sponsors the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. The
program provides helpful information for those who wish to improve conditions for
wildlife where they live.
North American Bluebird Association
Box 6295
Silver Spring, MD 20906
Information about nest boxes for bluebirds and establishing a bluebird trail are available
from this organization.
Project FeederWatch
Room 55
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Sponsored by the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University, Project FeederWatch
is a large-scale survey designed to improve our understanding of North American bird
43
populations. Participants record information about their feeder visitors on special data
forms one or two days a week, every other week between November and March.
Sierra Club
730 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
World Wildlife Fund
1250 Twenty-fourth Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20037
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
Washington, DC 20240
This agency can provide information on birdhouses, supplemental feeding, National
Wildlife Refuges, bird banding, and much more.
Visual Resources for Ornithology
1900 Ben Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.299.1000
This organization boasts the world’s largest collection of bird photographs.
Christmas Bird Counts
The tradition of Christmas Bird Counts was begun by bird lovers around the turn of the
century as a protest against the traditional slaughter in which teams competed to see who
could shoot the most birds in one day. Today the National Audubon Society and many
state and local bird clubs sponsor annual Christmas Bird Counts, a one-day event usually
held between mid-December and mid-January. The Christmas Bird Count is the longestrunning wildlife survey ever undertaken, and it provides statistical insights into the
continent’s health. Each bird count is a circle fifteen miles in diameter, and birders
descend upon designated sections to count as many birds as possible within a 24-hour
period. Find out how to join a Christmas Bird Count at www.birdsource.org/cbc/
involved.htm or write to Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 700
Broadway, New York, NY 10003.
44
Birdathons
Every spring, the National Audubon Society, state Audubon societies, and local bird
clubs sponsor birdathons. These competitive bird counts are generally held between April
1 and May 30. Sponsors pledge money for each bird a participant spots during the chosen
24-hour period.
45
Texas Birding Resources
Audubon Texas
2525 Wallingwood, Suite 381
Austin, TX 78746
512.306.0225
Terry Austin, Executive Director
www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/tx
Houston Audubon
440 Wilchester Boulevard
Houston, TX 77079-7329
713.932.1639
Joy Hester, Executive Director
www.houstonaudubon.org
Tyler Audubon
PO Box 132926
Tyler, TX 75713
903.882.5532
Tappa Burt, President
[email protected]
www.tyleraudubon.org
Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi
PO Box 3352
Corpus Christi, TX 78463
Leah Pummill, President
www.ccbirding.com
Coastal Bend Audubon Society
PO Box 4793
Corpus Christi, TX 78469-4793
361.885.6202
Terry Nicolau, President
[email protected]
Llano Estacado Audubon
PO Box 6066
Lubbock, TX 79493-6066
806.797.9562
Ellen Roots McBride, President
www.leas.bizland.com
46
Big Country Audubon Society
PO Box 569
Abilene, TX 79604
915.691.8981
Laura Packer, President
[email protected]
Texas Panhandle Audubon Society
PO Box 30939
Amarillo, TX 79120
806.656.0036
Pam Allison, President
[email protected]
Rio Brazos Audubon Society
c/o Larry Griffing (President)
7985 Drummer Circle
College Station, TX 77845
979.693.9059
[email protected]
www.riobrazosaudubon.com
Golden Triangle Audubon
PO Box 1292
Nederland, TX 77627-1292
[email protected]
Texas Parks and Wildlife
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
800.792.1112
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/birding/beginbird/beginbird.htm
Texas Ornithological Society
Brent Ortego, President
512.572.9848 (hm)
512.576.0022 (wk)
[email protected]
www.texasbirds.org (lists Texas regional directors)
Caprock Bird Club
1112 E. Quinn
Lubbock, TX 79403-1232
Rodney Breeden, President
806.744.7006
47
Companion Bird Society and Rescue Mission
PO Box 8206
Corpus Christi, TX 78468-8206
361.993.1703
Cen-Tex Bird Society (Waco area)
327 Quail Haven
China Spring, TX 76633
Big Bend Birders
Alpine, TX
www.brooksdata.net/personal/bbbirders
Bird Rockport.com
(serves the Texas Coastal Bend)
www.birdrockport.com
Lower Trinity Valley Bird Club
PO Box 6051
Liberty, TX 77575
www.ltvbc.org
Texas Bird Records Committee
http://members.tripod.com/~tbrc/
Northeast Texas Field Ornithologists
Longview
http://members.tripod.com/NETFO_TX
Panhandle Bird Club
3702 Torre Drive
Amarillo, TX 79109
Connie Chapman
806.359.1181
www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2965/index.html
Permian Basin Bird Club
Carroll Walker
815.385.1690
Tallgrass Prairie Audubon
Decatur, Wise County
www.tallgrasstexas.org
48
Texas–Gulf Coast to the Hill Country
www.dougplummer.com/texas.html
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
103 West Highway 332
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
979.480.0999
[email protected]
www.gcbo.org
Project Bluebird: Trails Across Texas
1902 Ford Drive
Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455
908.572.7529
Keith Kridler
[email protected]
Lone Star Sierra Club
PO Box 1931
Austin, TX 78767
512.477.1729
Ken Kramer, Chapter Director
[email protected]
http://texas.sierraclub.org
Chickadee
1300-L Wirt
Houston, TX 77055
713.956.2670
(call or write for a catalog of bird supplies)
49
Bibliography
Books marked with an asterisk (*) are traveling with the educational materials for this
exhibition.
Adult Books
General Birdhouse Books
*Dillon, Mike. The Art of the Birdhouse: Flights of Fancy. Kansas City, MO: Andrews
McMeel: 1997.
This art book presents a gallery of beautiful images and intriguing designs. It is a
collection of photographs of birdhouses shown in various outdoor locations as well as in
the studio.
*Garisto, Leslie. Birdhouses: Imaginative Housing for the Feathered Community. New
York: Barnes and Noble, 1992.
Birdhouses is a celebration of avian housing in its many incarnations, from rustic to
architectural to wildly fanciful. This volume appreciates the birdhouse both for its
functional and decorative qualities. Practical pointers are also included: matching
birdhouses with species, stocking feeders, and maintaining houses year-round.
Sonneman, Eve. Where Birds Live. New York: Random House, 1992.
A renowned photographer explores the variety of avian residences, beginning with birds’
nests in the wild and ending with a showcase of eccentric man-made birdhouses.
*Stokes, Donald, and Lillian Stokes. Stokes Birdhouse Book: the Complete Guide to
Attracting Nesting Birds. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1990.
Illustrated with beautiful color photographs, this book shows readers how to attract
birdhouse-nesting birds to their yards. The book includes eighty photographs, thirty-eight
maps, ten drawings, and a complete set of birdhouse plans.
*Wolfman, Peri, and Charles Gold. Birdhousing. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1992.
The charms of birdhousing are explored in this book, with more than 140 full-color
photographs showcasing a slice of Americana that embraces the romance of nature and
the fantasy of collecting houses for the garden or the living room.
50
Building Birdhouses
*Dillon, Mike. The Great Birdhouse Book. New York: Sterling, 1999.
A wide range of projects are detailed in this book, with ideas on how to customize each
birdhouse to attract a particular species or to complement your indoor furnishings.
Newton-Cox, Andrew, and Deena Beverley. Making Birdhouses. New York: Lorenz
Books, 1997.
This book offers practical designs for fifteen birdhouses, as well as advice on feeding
wild birds and attracting birds to your yard.
Nowak, Jeff, ed. Backyard Projects. Greendale, WI: Reiman Publications, 1999.
Sixty unique and practical backyard projects are detailed in this book, including a chapter
on how to create twelve different birdhouses.
Rice, Joyce. Making and Painting Victorian Birdhouses. Cincinnati, OH: North Light
Books, 1999.
Victorian birdhouse projects, from simple cottages and country churches to more
elaborate townhouses, are explained with patterns and easy-to-follow instructions.
Schroeder, Roger, and Chuck Grodski. Birdhouse Builder’s Manual. East Petersburg,
PA: Fox Books, 1999.
In this manual, woodworker Chuck Grodski shares tips and techniques for building birdsized lodging that range from ornate to rustic. More than fifty full-color photographs
showcase some of the hundred extraordinary birdhouses finished by the authors.
Stender, Thomas. Architectural Birdhouses: Fifteen Famous Buildings to Make for Your
Feathered Friends. New York: Lark Books, 2001.
Instructions for birdhouses and feeders that imitate world-famous structures—pagodas,
cathedrals, pyramids, and even the Chrysler Building—can be found in this volume.
51
Tyson, John. Homes and Shelters for Backyard Birds. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H.
Publications, 2000.
This book describes how to make different types and styles of birdhouses and sheds light
on the problems often encountered in providing houses for birds. It also provides
information on proper placement of shelters for specific birds and on dealing with
nuisance animals.
Woods, Bruce, and David Schoonmaker. The Bird House Book: How to Build Fanciful
Birdhouses and Feeders from the Purely Practical to the Absolutely Outrageous. New
York: Sterling, 1991.
More than thirty functional, decorative, easy-to-make birdhouses and feeders are featured
in this book. All are designed to attract specific species. The book also includes feed
recipes, maintenance tips, and siting information.
Painting and Decorating Birdhouses
Egan, Dorothy. Painting and Decorating Birdhouses. Cincinnati, OH: North Light
Books, 1997.
This book makes it easy to turn an unfinished birdhouse into something special. Twentytwo clever projects show you how to make eye-catching decorative birdhouses for your
home or functional birdhouses for your garden.
–––––––––. Quaint Birdhouses You Can Paint and Decorate. Cincinnati, OH: North
Light Books, 2000.
Birdhouse-painter extraordinaire Dorothy Egan demonstrates how to create an entire
village of birdhouses in this book.
Plaid Enterprises Staff. Painted Birdhouses. New York: Sterling, 1998.
Twenty-nine easy-to-paint birdhouse projects are featured in this book, including all the
patterns and techniques needed to make them.
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Bird-watching and Feeding
Buff, Sheila. The Birdfeeder’s Handbook. New York: Lyons and Burford, 1991.
This book discusses different types of feeders, different types of food, providing nesting
sites and structures in the yard, and landscaping to attract birds.
Cortright, Sandy, and Will Pakriots. Attracting Backyard Birds: Inviting Projects to
Entice Your Feathered Friends. New York: Sterling, 1995.
This manual, packed with more than a hundred full-color photographs, contains all the
information necessary for creating a bird sanctuary—construction plans and instructions,
seed and nesting preferences, landscape design ideas and tips, and more.
Jenner, Janann V. Backyard Birds. New York: MetroBooks, 1995.
Backyard Birds is an enthusiast’s guide to feeding, housing, and fostering wild birds,
with each chapter exploring how to create a bird-friendly environment no matter where
you live.
*Laubauch, Rene, and Christyna M. Laubauch. The Backyard Birdhouse Book: Building
Nestboxes and Creating Natural Habitats. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1998.
With this beautifully illustrated guide, readers learn to identify, attract, and house some of
North America’s most fascinating cavity nesters. The book also describes how to
construct and mount eight practical, species-appropriate nestbox designs; guard nestlings
against predators; monitor and record bird activity; landscape to attract birds; and
participate in conservation programs.
Palar, Barbara Hall, and Molly Culbertson, eds. For the Birds: A Guide to Feeding,
Housing, and Watching Our Feathered Companions. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books,
1992.
Some wacky and creative birdhouses are featured in this volume, with chapters
discussing the history of birdhouses, how to create a backyard habitat for birds, lots of
practical information on attracting birds, and simple instructions on how to construct
birdhouses and bird feeders.
53
Proctor, Noble. Garden Birds: How to Attract Birds to Your Garden. Emmaus, PA:
Rodale Press, 1986.
This delightful book has lots of information about attracting birds to your garden and
feeding them. It also has excellent information about which birds nest in which houses
and their requirements.
54
Texas Birds
Alsop, Fred J. Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of Texas. London: DK Publishing, 2002.
Part of a series of Smithsonian guides to birds, this volume highlights birds of Texas for
amateur ornithologists, giving each species its own profile, description of habitat,
photograph, and other points of interest.
Checklist of the Birds of Texas. San Antonio: Texas Ornithological Society, 1995.
Doughty, Robin W., Rob Fergus. The Purple Martin. Austin: University of Texas Press,
2002.
The authors present a concise natural history of this species and its centuries-long
companionship with people. The book includes a list of organizations and resources
where fans can learn more about attracting and housing these birds.
Graham, Gary L. Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide. Helena, MT: Falcon Press Publishing,
1992.
Hold, Harold R. A Birder’s Guide to the Texas Coast. Colorado Springs, CO: American
Birding Association, 1993.
Kavanagh, James. Texas Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species. Whitefish, MT:
Waterford Press, 2001.
Kutac, Edward A. Birders’ Guide to Texas. Houston: Gulf Publishing, 1998.
This book is a great guide to the outstanding birding opportunities in the Lone Star State.
Clear directions take the reader through the diverse ecosystem of Texas to hot birding
sites, revealing how and where to find resident, migrant, and rare birds.
———. Birds and Other Wildlife of South Central Texas: A Handbook. Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1993.
More than four hundred species of birds, nearly three-fourths of all Texas birds, have
been found in South Central Texas. This book offers a concise natural history of the
region and a complete checklist of all native and naturalized animals.
55
Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to the Birds of Texas and Adjacent States. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
All the birds of Texas are illustrated here in sixty plates that show key features.
Descriptions of 542 species, silhouettes, and comparisons of similar species help with
accurate identification.
*Rappole, John H. Birds of Texas: A Field Guide. Vol. 14. College Station: Texas A&M
University Press, 1994.
A good resource for naturalists in Texas, this book provides detailed information on
identification, habitat preferences, voice, seasonal occurrence, abundance, and
distribution of more than six hundred species. Maps show where in the state the bird can
be found.
Tveten, John L. The Birds of Texas. Fredricksburg, TX: Shearer Publishing, 1993.
This informative book includes superb photographs of Texas birds.
———, and B. C. Robison. Birds of Houston. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998.
This field guide for birders in Houston chronicles fifty-five species with color
photographs and descriptions, habitat information, and details of distinctive behavioral
traits. Aimed at the beginning birder, the guide also gives tips on equipment and on
attracting birds to the yard.
Wauer, Roland H. A Field Guide to Birds of the Big Bend. Austin: Texas Monthly Press,
1996.
Children’s Books
Burnie, David. Bird. New York: Knopf, 1988.
An Eyewitness Book, this wonderfully informative and beautifully photographed book is
about bird anatomy and habits, with information about a few basic birdhouses.
56
Daly, Kathleen N. The Big Golden Book of Backyard Birds. New York: Western
Publishing, 1990.
With large pictures and simple text describing common birds, this book offers a good
introduction to birding for the young reader.
Eastman, P. D. The Best Nest. New York: Random House, 1968.
This Dr. Seuss-like book tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bird’s quest for the perfect
house.
Elcome, David M. The Great Bird Detective. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1995.
Chock-full of information about wings, feathers, beaks, and nests, children will love this
interactive casebook. Presented in a compact ring-binder, it includes fill-in-the-blank
record sheets and five pages of stickers.
*Gottlieb, Dale. Tulip Builds a Birdhouse. Santa Fe, NM: Envision, 1998.
Charming illustrations and sturdy pull tabs depict the entire process as Tulip, a girl
bunny, builds a house for birds.
*Haus, Robyn. Make Your Own Bird Houses and Feeders. Charlotte, VT: Williamson
Publishing, 2001.
No experience is needed to build these no-fuss birdhouses, feeders, and birdbaths—
everything is explained and illustrated. Written for ages 8 and up.
*Herkert, Barbara. Birds in Your Backyard. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 2001.
This book is a wonderful introduction to the joys of birding.
Hume, Rob. Birdwatching. New York: Random House, 1993.
In this book, children can discover how to observe birds in the wild and how to attract
them to the backyard, how to identify species, how to use essential birdwatching
equipment, and how to keep accurate notes and records.
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*James, Simon. The Birdwatchers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2002.
A little girl goes birdwatching with her granddad in this story about the grandeur of the
outdoors and the friendship and happiness that can be found in little things.
Le Tord, Bijou. Good Wood Bear. New York: Bradbury Press, 1985.
A small twig nest with tiny speckled eggs in it has fallen to the ground. Touched by the
sight, Goose and Bear decide they will build a house for birds to live and nest in. This
book celebrates the art of craftsmanship and the pleasure derived from patient and careful
attention to detail.
Lupton, Hugh. The Songs of Birds: Stories and Poems from Many Cultures. New York:
Barefoot Books, 2000.
Drawn from the oral traditions of many parts of the world, these stories and poems offer a
glimpse of the close connection between birds and people.
Martin, Laura C. The Folklore of Birds. Old Saybrook, CT: The Globe Pequot Press,
1993.
Discover how birds have figured in the myths and religions of the world and what they
have symbolized to civilizations from ancient Rome to modern-day America. Learn about
the origins of everyday expressions having to do with birds and the superstitions and
healing properties associated with them.
*Milford, Susan. Bird Tales from Near and Far. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing,
1998.
Susan Milford invites young imaginations to take flight as she retells these tales inspired
by birds from around the globe. Each tale is accompanied by hands-on, story-related
activities.
*National Wildlife Federation. Birds, Birds, Birds. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1997.
This creative, activities-centered book includes “copycat pages” of games, puzzles, and
pictures to color; ready-to-use activities, including arts and crafts, creative writing,
science experiments, songs, and games; and essays and case studies for group discussion.
This book is perfect for teachers or museum education specialists to guide children in
hands-on learning about birds.
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Neitzel, Shirley. The House I’ll Build for the Wrens. New York: Greenwillow Books,
1997.
A little boy takes readers through the steps of building a birdhouse for wrens in this
simple, beautifully illustrated story.
Rupp, Rebecca. Everything You Never Learned About Birds. Pownal, VT: Storey Press,
1995.
Intended to introduce children to the world of birding, this book overflows with amazing
facts, fun projects, and fascinating legends.
*Spaulding, Dean T. Housing Our Feathered Friends. Minneapolis, MN: Learner
Publications, 1997.
This book explains the nesting process and shows children how to make simple
birdhouses.
*Swinburne, Stephen R. Swallows in the Birdhouse. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press,
1996.
Two children build a birdhouse and watch as swallows migrate to it, build a nest in it, lay
their eggs in it, and raise their young in it.
Weinberger, Kimberly. Build Your Own Birdhouse 1-2-3. New York: Scholastic, 2001.
Young builders will have fun constructing their own wooden birdhouses with these
simple instructions and colorful illustrations. With adult help, they learn basic building
skills and safety tips.
Witty, Helen, and Dick Witty. Feed the Birds. New York: Workman, 1991.
This amusing and informative book includes information on feeding birds, recipes for
making bird treats, and creating a net bag to hang them in.
*Ziefert, Harriet. Birdhouse for Rent. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Many creatures take shelter in a birdhouse. As the months and seasons pass, the
birdhouse tells the story of each of its dwellers: their comings and goings, the nests they
build, and the challenges they face.
59
Birding Magazines
Texas Birds Magazine
PMP #189
6338 N. New Braunfels Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78209
This publication of the Texas Ornithological Society is dedicated to the observation,
study, and conservation of Texas birds.
The Brown Pelican: A Journal of Texas Birds
PO Box 1292
Nederland, TX 77327-1292
Published bimonthly, the journal is a publication of the Golden Triangle Audubon
Association.
American Birds
The National Audubon Society
950 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212.832.3200
Published by the National Audubon Society, this quarterly journal is devoted to serious
but accessible articles about birds.
Birding
American Birding Association
PO Box 6599
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
800.850.2473
Fax: 719.578.1480
www.americanbirding.org
Published by the American Birding Association, this informative magazine is published
bimonthly.
60
Bird Watcher’s Digest
Pardson Corporation
Box 110
Marietta, OH 45750-0110
Published bimonthly, this magazine features articles on birdwatching, backyard feeding,
bird gardening, and educational tips.
Birder’s World
PO Box 1612
Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.birdersworld.com
This outstanding bimonthly magazine is beautifully illustrated with superb color
photography and features excellent, accessible articles with an emphasis on bird
behavior.
WildBird
PO Box 52898
Boulder, CO 80322
This magazine is published monthly, with good illustrations and articles.
61
Audio Resources
Audio resources marked with an asterisk (*) are traveling with the educational materials
for this exhibition.
Birding by Ear: Western. Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Cassette tape.
Three cassettes and an accompanying guide from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
help listeners to recognize birds of western North America by pointing out exactly what
sounds and calls to listen for.
*Favorite Texas Birds: Their Songs and Calls. College Station: Texas A&M University,
1993. Cassette tape.
This selection introduces the listener to the distinctive calls and songs of the most
familiar birds of Texas.
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Videography
Videos marked with an asterisk (*) are traveling with the educational materials for this
exhibition.
Birding for Kids. 35 min. Willow Creek Press, 1999. Videocassette.
Produced in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation, this video inspires kids to
become avid, informed bird-watchers and to gain an appreciation for avian natural
history. It includes information on getting started, bringing birds to the yard, migration,
field guides, feeders, and more.
Eyewitness Videos: Bird. 35 min. Dorling Kindersley Vision, 1994. Videocassette.
This video, narrated by Martin Sheen, combines live-action footage with special effects
to explain the physical characteristics, evolution, habits, and habitats of birds. It also
examines the roles birds have played in mythology, legend, superstition, and art.
*George Harrison’s Birds of the Backyard. 60 min. Company for Home Entertainment,
1989. Videocassette.
This video shows the behavior of familiar American backyard birds in winter and spring.
Naturalist George Harrison also details ways to convert a backyard into a wild bird
sanctuary.
*How to Begin Birdwatching. 50 min. Company for Home Entertainment, 1998.
Videocassette.
Based on the popular PBS television series Birdwatch with Don and Lillian Stokes, this
video shows you everything you need to know to get started watching birds and answers
commonly asked questions about birds, inviting you into a new world of birdwatching
adventures.
63
Web Sites
Texas Web Site Resources
Golden Triangle Audubon
www.goldentriangleaudubon.org
This Audubon society promotes increased awareness of birds in Texas. The site includes
a bird of the month, links, and a Texas birds list.
Houston Audubon Society
www.houstonaudubon.org
A calendar of events, education/nature programs, rare bird alerts, nature camps, adopt-abird program, classes, articles, and more are available at this site.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/birding/beginbird/beginbird.htm
This terrific site offers checklists and information on Texas birds, activities, news,
introduction to birdwatching, children’s guides to birdwatching, information on the parts
of a bird, and Texas birds and their habitat.
Texas Bird Records Committee
http://members.tripod.com/~tbrc/
This committee of the Texas Ornithological Society features photographs, lists of Texas
species, news, forms, a store, and links.
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
www.gcbo.org
This organization is dedicated to the study and conservation of birds and their habitats in
and around the Gulf of Mexico. The site covers research, activities, and news.
64
Birds of the Upper Texas Coast
www.texasbirding.net
Helping the birder find birds in this part of Texas, this site includes birding locations with
maps, bird sounds, bird photographs, migration tables, and birders’ e-mail addresses in
specific areas of the state.
Texas Gulf Coast Birding and Naturalist Web
www.io.com/~pdhulce
For those interested in Texas birds, this site has articles, checklists, maps, links, and
specifics on birding in certain parts of the state.
The Birds of Texas
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/whbauer/tx_birds.htm
Extensive information and photographs of individual species indigenous to Texas are
featured at this site.
Meet the Birds of Texas
www.passporttotexas.com/birds/
This site provides a close look at native birds, birding, and birding activities within the
state of Texas.
East Texas Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist
http://overton.tamu.edu/smith/tmn
This site provides education, outreach, and service for the management of natural
resources and habitats.
The Texas Ornithological Society
www.texasbirds.org
This organization promotes the discovery and dissemination of knowledge of birds and
encourages the observation, study, and conservation of birds in Texas.
65
The Texas Audubon Society
www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/tx
This site covers birding news, events, the Great Texas Birding Classic, volunteers,
publications, sanctuaries, the Texas Junior Audubon Program, watchlist of Texas birds,
links, resources, and more.
Nature Tourism in Texas
www.audubon.org/chapter/tx/tx/tourism.html
Interesting facts about the third largest industry in Texas are available at this site.
Birder’s Checklist for Texas
www.birder.com/birding/index.html
Useful for birding expeditions, a checklist of Texas birds can be found at this site, with
the order, family, common names, and scientific names of common Texas birds provided.
Birding in Texas
www.birder.com/birding/alert/index.html
This site offers Rare Bird Alert information, a list of Texas bird organizations, on-line
resources, and Texas publications about birds.
Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
www.greatamericantrails.com/birding_trails
This birding trail runs from the Louisiana border to Mexico. It is organized by loops that
can be conveniently accessed by car.
Wild Birds Unlimited in Texas
http://wbu.know-where.com/wbu/region/TX.html
This national chain store offers feeders, birdhouses, and seed. This site lists the addresses
of stores in Texas.
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Helen’s Birding Pages
http://helensbirds.homestead.com/homepage.html
A birdwatching hobbyist offers a personal resource about birds in Texas, including
photographs, trip reports, and recommendations.
Web Sites About Birdhouses
The Birdhouse Network
http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/index.html
This comprehensive site details getting started with making birdhouses, birdhouse basics,
bird biographies, a nest box camera, as well as links, books, and organizations relating to
birdhouses.
Birdhouses by Walker
www.birdhousesbywalker.com
Texas birdhouse builder Chris Walker offers samples of his work on this site.
The Birdhousing Company
www.birdhousing.com
Photographs of birdhouses in various shapes and styles are featured at this site.
We Love Birds: Fine Quality Birdhouse Kits
www.birdhousekits.com
Birdhouses and birdhouse kits for sale can be viewed here, with an interesting “Birdhouse
Q & A” section provided.
Feathers and Flowers 2000: Build Birdhouses
http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa022800a.htm
Free plans are featured here, as well as tips about birdhouses and bird specifications
according to species.
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Complete Guide to Birdhouses
http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa032101a.htm
This site gives advice on how to make, buy, and place birdhouses, and provides good
birdhouse links.
National Web Site Resources
BirdNet
www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/
Cavnet
http://bio.fsu.edu/~jameslab
Established in 1995, Cavnet fosters scientific discourse concerning cavity-nesting birds.
U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird Management
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/
Birding/Wild Birds
http://birding.miningco.com
This site provides links to articles on many topics of interest to birders, including
attracting birds, gardening for birds, etc.
Bird Links to the World
www.bsc-eoc.org/links/links.jsp
Bird Source/ Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
www.birdsource.org
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
www.fws.gov/
American Birding Association
www.americanbirding.org
Resources, links, and education and conservation programs are detailed at this site.
68
National Audubon Society
www.audubon.org
Dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and their habitats, this site provides
information on Christmas Bird Counts, backyard bird counts, state chapters, issues and
action, gifts, and news.
Classroom FeederWatch
www.birds/cornell.edu/cfw/
Project details and lesson plans are provided here for this exciting research and
interdisciplinary project designed for grades 5-8. Classroom FeederWatch helps students
to understand movement patterns and population fluctuations of many common birds by
tracking their numbers.
EBird
www.ebird.org
Record any bird you see from anywhere at any time, then explore where the birds are.
Bird of the Week
www.birds.cornell.edu/bow/
This site spotlights one bird each week with its sounds, information on its habitat,
feeding, mating, nesting, etc.
Birding
http://birding.about.com
This site provides excellent information on identifying types of birds, their songs and
calls, feeders and houses, checklists, field guides, and more.
Birder
www.birder.com
This site is divided into informative sections: Birding, Scientific, Fun and Games, and
Birder’s Mall. It is a comprehensive and detailed site.
North American Bluebird Society
www.nabluebirdsociety.org
69
National Birding Clubs
www.animalnetwork.com/birds/clubs.asp
Exhibition Artists’ Web Sites
Kathryn Arnett
www.kathrynarnettstudio.com
Boris Bally
www.borisbally.com
Mike Dillon
www.dillonworks.com
Douglas Fey
www.douglasfeypottery.com
Diane Moreno
www.elvalle.com/nichos
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Community Event Planning
and Programming Suggestions
Programming Ideas:
Where to Begin and Suggestions for How to Involve the Community
First, we recommend that you develop ideas for local events and programs by researching
the exhibition’s subject. This programming guide should be your starting place. Then
consider how to tailor your programs to your traditional audience and any potential target
audiences you want to attract with this exhibition.
Identify and contact local groups with whom you’d like to collaborate and secure some
commitments. Undoubtedly, you will find a range of groups in your community who will
have an interest in this exhibition, such as those listed below, and they may have ideas
about other programming activities:
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•
•
•
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bird clubs
local nature centers
animal protection groups
women’s groups
American Association of University Women (AAUW) organizations
scout troops
garden clubs
Audubon chapters
church groups
senior centers
elementary, high school, and college arts and humanities teachers
bookstores
libraries
other museums (identify related collections or exhibitions at nearby art, history, or
cultural organizations and publicize jointly)
Involve these groups in your program planning and invite them to the exhibition opening,
or hold a reception just for them. This not only ensures that your event takes in multiple
perspectives and draws a diverse audience, but these organizations can offer valuable
ideas, fundraising opportunities, VIP guest list ideas, and artist and speaker ideas.
Contact other museums on the exhibition’s tour schedule found in this guide to ask about
programming ideas that worked for them.
71
Localize the Exhibition
This traveling exhibition gives your institution an opportunity to offer something fresh to
your community. The exhibition should also enliven your ability to feature overlooked
items in your collection, to acquire new objects for your museum, and most importantly,
to gather and display local stories. We call this “localizing the exhibition,” and it is one
key to your overall success. For instance, your institution will benefit immeasurably by
mounting a complementary exhibition of your community’s birdhouses and/or your
area’s bird wildlife. The juxtaposition will be eye-catching and informative and will
ensure broad community involvement and improved attendance.
Create a complementary exhibition of your own to augment Out of the Nest. Some
suggested items you may want to include in your exhibition are:
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birdhouses
o functional
o hobbyist
o artist
bird feeders
birdhouse building kits
various bird foods
books about Texas birds
bird nesting materials
taxidermy birds
locally commissioned artist birdhouses
children’s classroom contributions (drawings, science projects, etc.)
sample birders’ equipment (binoculars, camera, list, etc.)
Marketing
Making your community aware of your events requires careful strategic planning, as well
as well-established relationships with your media outlets. Publicize programs with local
organization newsletters, the local media (TV, radio, and newspapers) and local Web
pages. Use your partner organizations’ mailing lists, including announcements with
letters sent to schools for teachers, students, and parents, as well as community bulletin
boards. Consider targeting and tailoring your announcements to specific audiences, such
as church, seniors’, and women’s organizations. In addition, create a VIP list of various
community leaders and invite them to your events. This can be made more effective by
involving potential media partners in the planning stage of your programming.
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Activities Inside the Museum
The following represents just a sampling of the various exhibit-related events you may
want to host. Detailed plans for specific museum activities can be found on page 82 of
this guide.
An Opening Reception
If you are contemplating hosting an opening reception, consider including live music,
dancing, and food. Be sure to host this reception outside the immediate gallery space in
order to protect the birdhouses on display.
Film Festival
Host a film festival featuring films related to birds, such as The Birds, Fly Away Home, or
On Golden Pond.
Host a Birdathon
Every spring, the National Audubon Society, state Audubon societies, and local bird
clubs sponsor birdathons. These competitive bird counts are generally held between April
1 and May 30, depending on the peak migration of the particular local birds. Sponsors
pledge money for each bird a participant spots during the chosen twenty-four-hour
period; participants also compete for awards and donated prizes. Anyone can participate
in a birdathon by going on a field trip, watching a backyard feeder, or being a sponsor.
Host a “Landscaping to Attract Birds” Seminar
Locate a local expert in landscaping to offer a seminar in landscaping the backyard to
attract birds. This expert could discuss planning such a yard, the varieties of flowers,
trees, and shrubs that attract birds, caring for the birder’s yard, and how to attract specific
species.
Sponsor a Bird Photography Contest
Solicit entries in a bird photography contest. You may want to specify that entries should
be controlled location shots—in other words, taken at a location that is controlled, such as
on a feeder, a birdbath, in a birdhouse, or in the backyard somewhere. Offer birdhouses
produced by local artists as prizes in the contest.
Children’s Reading Circle
Use the children’s texts that accompany the exhibition or ones listed on the Children’s
Bibliography to create a daily or weekly children’s reading circle at the museum.
Publicize these story times at libraries, bookstores, and in shopping places.
73
Family Day
Organize a family day at the museum (weekends are often best), with hands-on activities
related to the exhibition: collect birdhouses for children to see and touch, demonstrate
building techniques, host a visiting carpenter, create a corner for painting on real
birdhouses, and establish a reading corner with volunteer story readers. See annotated
bibliography for suggested readings.
Sponsor a Birdhouse Design Contest
Sponsor a birdhouse design contest in categories such as best use of recycled material,
children’s projects, and most unique use of materials. Award cash prizes or annual
memberships to the museum. Display the birdhouses in the museum or create a birdhouse
trail along the walk leading into the museum.
Commission an Artist to Create a Museum Birdhouse
Before the exhibit’s arrival, ask a local artist or hobbyist to design and build a birdhouse
especially for the museum and this exhibit. The birdhouse might be functional and
permanently placed on the museum grounds, or it could be fanciful and feature something
peculiar to local history, individuals, or the natural environment. Install the birdhouse at
the exhibition’s close as a legacy of the project.
Sponsor a Bird-Calling Contest
Invite locals to imitate the calls or songs of their favorite birds, with a panel of
ornithologists or birders on hand as judges. To hear the actual sounds of various Texas
birds, go to www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2965/mnemonic.htm.
Slide Show
Using the collection of slides and the presentation narrative found in this programming
guide, present a slide show in conjunction with the exhibition. In addition to the
information provided here, you may want to include the remarks of a local collector.
Visiting Speakers
Organize a series of visiting speakers on the topics focused upon in the exhibition, or
create a panel of speakers to talk about the exhibition from different perspectives. Use the
list of Texas Birding Resources on page 46 of this guide to find possible speakers. Be
sure to include a question-and-answer period with the audience.
74
Activities Outside the Museum
Consider arranging activities outside your institution, provide activity suggestions and
plans, and offer speaking engagements and activities kits to local organizations. For
example, utilize the collection of slides and the presentation narrative enclosed with this
guide to offer an advance or “teaser” program on the upcoming exhibition.
Guided Birding Hike
Sponsor a guided birding hike led by a naturalist/birder from your area. Consult the list of
Texas Birding Resources on page 46 for possible guides.
Schools
As early in advance as possible, send program announcements to primary and secondary
schools regarding this exhibition. You may have more success leaving information with
the teachers themselves rather than with administrators or office staff. Invite teachers to
schedule a school tour and indicate that you have educational materials available to them
for use in the classroom. It may also be productive to host an after-hours reception for
teachers at the museum. Show them slides from the exhibition, discuss the local
exhibition components that will be featured, share the curriculum materials with them,
and be sure to discuss how these activities complement their own teaching strategies and
standard curricula. Be sure to indicate that the museum would love to display their
students’ exhibit-related classroom projects, as possible.
Libraries
Inform your local libraries about the exhibition. Share the exhibition bibliography with
them and ask them to advertise your exhibition with a special display of related books
and movies. Suggest that the library establish both a children’s and an adults’ reading
circle.
Sell Related Merchandise
Consider selling exhibit-related books, birdhouses, birdhouse kits, bird feeders, bird food,
and other merchandise in your gift shop by utilizing the annotated bibliographies and
other on-line birding resources in this guide. Or commission an artist to draw a
mockingbird (Texas’s state bird), another Texas bird, or a birdhouse for silk screening
onto T-shirts. Sell the shirts in your gift shop.
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Slides and Reproduction Authorization
ExhibitsUSA has permission to reproduce all of the following images for educational
purposes. We are happy to extend these reproduction rights to your museum if you are
reproducing them for educational purposes. This includes making multiple sets for local
educators to use for teaching and instruction.
Before you can reproduce these slides, you must contact Anne Lacey at 800.473.3872 x
210 to request a letter of authorization. It is a simple form that can be faxed or e-mailed
to you.
76
Slide Show Script
This slide show is an overview designed to prepare visitors, educators, and students to see
the Out of the Nest exhibition and to prepare docents for giving tours of the exhibition.
Introduction
Out of the Nest: Artists’ Birdhouses looks at three distinct types of birdhouses: the purely
functional birdhouse, the hobby birdhouse, and the folk and fine art birdhouse.
Naturalists build birdhouses to cultivate birds in yards as natural pest control or to
indulge their interest in amateur science—bird-watching (or “birding”) is a wellestablished and popular activity throughout the U.S. Others, however, delight in building
birdhouses that will perhaps never see the out-of-doors. The craftsperson loves the
precise miniaturization and playfulness of decorative birdhouses, showing off the
woodworker’s skill and the painter’s creativity. Finally, self-taught and trained artists use
the birdhouse as a medium to express aesthetic intentions. The birdhouse provides a
canvas for an artistic statement and is a particularly effective vehicle for artists to make
environmental commentary.
Slide #1:
Bill Arnold
Alamo Birdhouse
Bill Arnold was born and raised in the Hill Country of central Texas. He served in the
Army, worked for over thirty years as a union carpenter, and raised two daughters with
his wife of thirty-five years. Bill is a sixth generation Texan whose ancestors include
DeWitt colonists, Stephen F. Austin colonists, and participants in the Texas War for
Independence. He always has had a keen interest in Texas history, and when he retired,
he began his second career as a self-taught artisan making wooden birdhouses that
celebrate Texas, past and present. His first design was the Alamo birdhouse, and it
became the cornerstone of a flourishing business promoting Texas architecture, lifestyle,
and heritage through garden crafts. He continues to create and build new designs as his
work spreads throughout the country, with each creation continuing to reflect his Texas
roots.
Slide #2
Mike Dillon
Leather Birdhouse
A native of Ellensburg, Washington, Mike Dillon began his artistic career helping to
create commercials for Coca-Cola and Jeep. After working as a production artist for
various department stores in New York City and Seattle, Dillon relocated to Los Angeles,
where he honed his skills building props and sets for commercials and movies. He spent
77
five years at Walt Disney Engineering, designing and building elements for Epcot Center,
Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.
Dillon and his wife returned to Seattle in 1985 and started Dillon Works, Inc., a company
that designs and builds unique, dimensional elements for theme parks, casinos, retail
displays, restaurants, commercials, exhibits, and much more. After several moves, the
company today occupies its own 28,000-square-foot production facility and has a staff of
more than sixty during its busy periods.
Dillon began building birdhouses as a creative outlet and has used them for functional
home décor and gifts. He finds birdhouses an inspiration for using a variety of materials
and for abandoning traditional rules of construction.
Slide #3
Tom Holmes
The “Wright” Birdhouse
Tom Holmes is an artist, sculptor, and craftsman who lives and works in northeastern
Pennsylvania. His eclectic approach to life and art allows him the freedom to work in
many media, including wood, metal, stone, and glass. The last ten years have seen
Holmes working on an outdoor sculpture garden he calls the “World Monument,” an
interactive architectural monument structure. Holmes regards it as one of his life’s
essential works. He also continues to build his “Sound Sculpture,” an interactive sound
stage production of original musical instruments. Both of these endeavors underscore
Holmes belief that “by subtly enhancing our environments, we subtly enhance
ourselves.”
The “Wright” Birdhouse was inspired and influenced by the work of architects Frank
Lloyd Wright and Malcolm Wells. The artist designed this particular house as part of his
line of birdhouse products.
Slide #4
Patricia Huntsman
Sunny Acres Retreat
A native Californian, Patricia Huntsman grew up in the Los Angeles area and discovered
at an early age that she had a creative streak, setting into motion the direction for the rest
of her life. With art as the major focus of her education, she earned several scholarships
to various art institutes and was commissioned for many special projects. She also
developed a successful landscaping business and created a new landscaping movement,
wherein pots filled with colorful and unusual plants are used to create landscapes in the
garden as well as the interior of homes. Now retired at age fifty-five and living with her
husband in the High Desert of California, Huntsman divides her time between caring for
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her numerous farm animals, laboring in her own garden, and enjoying her newfound art,
creating ornamental gourds.
This gourd was grown on Patricia Huntsman’s ranch, named “Sunny Acres.” She dried,
cleaned, and prepared the gourd herself. The paintings on the gourd are her take on the
Mexican Bird of Paradise bush and the Sage-Brush Checkerspot butterfly. The dried
grapevine is also from Huntsman’s garden.
Slide #5
William Stull
Recycled Shelter
William Stull is an organic gardener, published author, and artisan who takes antiques
and combines them with silver-plated flatware to create whimsical wind chimes and oneof-a-kind birdhouses and bird feeders. He lives in western New York State on 4.5 acres
with his wife of twenty years, Kathleen. By living close to nature, Stull is able to apply
his “waste not, want not, less is more” philosophies and focus on his quality of life.
Slide #6
Boris Bally
Home for Holy Birds
Boris Bally’s award-winning work is both witty and innovative, employing the use of
jeweler’s skills on non-precious materials. His work transforms weathered scrap
materials into joyful objects for reflection. The artist’s pieces celebrate the industrial
aesthetic through sculptural birdhouses and objects for the home.
In the sculptural birdhouse Holy Home for Birds, the solemn cross symbol is enlivened
by its intended use as a home for birds, which may enter via precious ebony perches.
Slide #7
Douglas Fey
Bird Gargler: Troll
Douglas Fey was born and raised in Colorado. Fey’s work is directly related to a keen
sense of the importance and beauty of the natural environment. Derived from a
combination of colonial American earthenware birdhouses called “bird bottles” and
medieval gargoyles, Fey creates Bird Garglers™, his own hybrid creations. These
whimsical birdhouses appear to “gargle” the birds that nest, mate, and care for their
young in them. Each birdhouse is individually made; no molds are used in their
production. By attending to each Bird Gargler™ separately, the artist is free to explore
the endless variations and combinations of facial features, thereby imparting a unique
character to each birdhouse.
79
Slide #8
Melissa Koch
Glass Mosaic Birdhouse with Blue Jay Colors
Melissa Koch is an artist, sculptor, and designer who was born and raised in
Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1972, she
moved west and has spent many years working in the field of architectural restoration and
design/rehab in Kansas City, Missouri. She is an ardent naturalist, urban advocate, and
environmentalist. After failing to elicit support from public conservation groups, the artist
bought a five-acre tract of vacant urban land to preserve it as a wildlife and bird refuge.
Currently, Koch is busy designing three monumental glass mosaic-tiled birdhouses
whose impressive design and scale symbolize her value of and reverence for nature. In
addition to making sculpture and birdhouses, Melissa Koch is a jazz/blues singer in a
Kansas City band, Doghouse Jazz.
Koch pays tribute to the blue jay in this beautiful glass mosaic birdhouse.
Slide #9
Kathy Ruth Neal
She’s Cuckoo
Self-taught artist Kathy Ruth Neal is the granddaughter of silent film actor and make-up
artist Walter Whipple, who inspired Neal’s interest in color, art, and drama. Her career as
an artist began in 1994, when Neal was spending time in the Great Smoky Mountains of
Tennessee, recovering from successful treatment of breast cancer. While ambling along a
mountain trail, she picked up a branch and tried her hand at whittling. This casual act
turned into a full-time pursuit for Neal, who now carves whole designs from wood and
paints them in bright colors. The carved assemblages represent vignettes of everyday life
that reflect, according to the artist, political events, religious subject matter, and scenes
from films. She’s Cuckoo pays tribute to a common birdhouse form in which a human
figure’s open mouth serves as the entrance hole.
Slide #10
Sarah Oblinger
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Sarah Oblinger was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She did not start out to be an
artist; she believed she would grow up to be a social worker. She graduated from Kansas
State University with a degree in Horticultural Therapy in 1976. Oblinger moved to
California in 1978 to teach vocational rehabilitation. While living there, she experienced
a severe depression. She discovered that painting helped her cope with her depression.
The artist moved back to Kansas to focus on her process painting, and she opened her
own teaching studio in 1994. The studio, Paint or Die, was dedicated to using painting as
an engaged meditation, based on Oblinger’s belief that painting is a profound way to
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experience one’s feelings without being overwhelmed by them. Oblinger now resides in
Dixon, New Mexico, where she offers painting retreats at her home. She also teaches
nationally with her mentor, Stewart Cubley.
A common theme among artists in general and birdhouse builders in particular is animal
forms. Many artists approach these forms with reverence, but the vibrant colors and pure
whimsy of Sarah Oblinger’s birdhouse demonstrate a unique approach and artistic
sensibility. This peacock’s outstretched wings reveal a message from the artist herself.
Prolific writing on a piece of art, revealing the ruminations and opinions of the artist, is a
hallmark of self-taught art.
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Speaker Resources
Consider inviting local artists, birders, or ornithologists to speak or be part of a panel
discussion in conjunction with the exhibition. Topics could include landscaping the
backyard to attract birds, building birdhouses, birds in Texas, or feeding and housing
birds. Consult the list of Texas Birding Resources found on page 46 of this guide for
possible organizations to contact for speakers.
An effective program can be built around a local, state, or regional scholar. The following
organizations may be able to help you locate such experts who would be willing to be
involved in an event at your museum.
•
Texas Council for the Humanities
Banister Place A
3809 S. Second Street
Austin, TX 78704
512.440.1991
www.public-humanities.org
•
Texas Commission on the Arts
PO Box 13406
Austin, TX 78711-3406
920 Colorado Street
E.O. Thompson Building, 5th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
512.463.5535
800.252.9415
www.arts.state.tx.us
You may also find speaker suggestions from the following Texas organizations:
•
The Institute of Texas Cultures
801 S. Bowie Street
San Antonio, TX 78205-3296
210.458.2300
www.texancultures.utsa.edu/public/index.htm
•
Texas Parks and Wildlife
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
800.792.1112
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/birding/beginbird/beginbird.htm
A list of local wildlife biologists is available at the Web site.
82
•
The Texas Ornithological Society
Go to www.texasbirds.org/about_tos.html for a list of Texas regional directors
and their e-mail addresses.
•
Texas Folklife Resources
1317 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
512.441.9255
[email protected]
www.texasfolklife.org
•
The Texas Historical Commission
PO Box 12276
1511 Colorado
Austin, TX 78781
512.463.6100
[email protected]
83
Museum Activity Plans
The first two activities are taken from Housing our Feathered Friends by Dean T.
Spaulding (drawings of the objects created here can be seen in the book, which is
traveling with the exhibition). All of the simple, hands-on activities listed here are easy
and fun for visitors of all ages. The first activity suggestions are functional; the last one is
a bird nest simulation craft.
Coffee Can Wren House
Nine species of wrens live in North America. The House Wren is found in most of the
United States. House Wrens are tiny brown birds, measuring just four inches from the tip
of the beak to the end of the tail. They have small bills, which help them gather insects,
and short, stubby tails that often stick straight up. A male wren will often build several
nests for the female to choose from.
House Wrens are famous for building “sloppy” nests out of sticks, twigs, and feathers.
They also build nests in unusual places, such as old boots, flowerpots, picnic baskets, tin
cans, or the engines of cars. Make several Coffee Can Wren Houses and give female
wrens a good selection!
Materials:
• scissors
• marker
• quarter
• coffee can with plastic lid
• a few feet of wire
Directions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Place a quarter in the center of the plastic lid.
Trace the quarter with your marker.
Cut out the circle.
Snap the plastic lid back onto the coffee can.
Wrap a piece of wire around the center of the coffee can and leave six inches or
so to use for hanging the house.
Hang the house in partial sun; you can put it near your own house because wrens are
sociable birds. They enjoy living in people’s yards and are not bothered by human
activity. If the male wren builds a nest in your house and the female doesn’t use it, don’t
remove the nest—she may use it later in the season.
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Nesting Material Holder
You can help build a bird’s nest by making a Nesting Material Holder. You won’t
actually build the nest, but you’ll certainly make a bird’s job a little easier. You’ll fill the
holder with materials that birds use when building their nests. The best time to hang the
holder is in the early spring, when many birds begin building their nests.
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
scissors
sharp pencil
one-half gallon milk carton
a few feet of wire or string
two or three items from this list:
• feathers
• horse hair (a stuffing used in old furniture)
• your own hair
• tree bark (don’t peel it off trees; look for bark that has already fallen to the
ground)
• straw or hay
• rope that has unraveled
• small pieces of cloth
• string
• twigs
• cotton balls
• lint from the dryer
• yarn, string, twine, or ribbon cut to less than six inches in length
• old shoelaces cut to one-inch lengths
Directions:
1. Wash out the milk carton with warm water. Let it dry.
2. Cut the milk carton in two and dispose of the top half.
3. With the end of your scissors, poke a hole in each side of the remaining half of the
carton, near the top edge.
4. Slip a piece of wire or string through the holes and knot the ends.
5. With your pencil or point of the scissors, make eight small holes in the bottom of
the milk carton. These holes will drain any water that gets into the holder.
6. Fill the holder with nesting materials of your choice.
7. Hang the Nesting Material Holder by the string or wire in a protected place.
85
Bird Food Garlands
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
heavy thread or cord, such as monofilament fishing line, upholstery thread, etc.
variety of food that can be easily strung, such as popcorn, bread balls, apple
slices, raisins, boiled potato chunks, cooked elbow macaroni, orange slices, etc.
large needles
paper plates or bowls
old buttons
Directions:
1. Prepare the food and lay it out on paper plates or in bowls.
2. Cut various lengths of thread or cord (small children will quickly grow tired of
stringing).
3. Tie an old button at the end of the thread for the strung food to butt up against to
prevent it from simply working its way over and off the knot.
4. Thread some food onto the line, making sure to thread through the skins of apples
or oranges to keep them from falling off the garland.
5. Drape the garland across low branches or bushes for the birds to find, securing it
enough so that wind does not blow it off the tree or bush.
Build a Nest Box
If you feel ambitious, you can arrange to sponsor a class for building a nest box. See page
67 of Bird, Birds, Birds for easy instructions on constructing a wooden birdhouse.
86
Bird Feeder
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
•
pinecones (the larger, the better)
smooth peanut butter
bird seed
yarn cut into twelve-inch lengths
paper plates
plastic knives
Directions:
1. Tie a length of yarn onto the top of the pinecone.
2. Spread the peanut butter onto a pinecone using the plastic knife. Cover the
pinecone completely, being sure to get into all the spaces (not just the outside of
the cone).
3. Roll the pinecone in the birdseed that you have poured onto the paper plate.
4. Hang your pinecone from a tree branch.
87
Robin’s Nest with Eggs
Materials:
•
•
salt dough, some colored yellow-brown and some colored light blue
garlic press
Salt Dough Recipe:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon salad oil
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• food coloring
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Use a wooden spoon to stir over medium
heat. Stir constantly to prevent sticking. The mixture will be soupy for several minutes
and then suddenly it will stick together and can be stirred into a ball. When it thickens,
remove from heat and continue stirring. Turn the hot ball out onto a floured surface and
begin kneading as it cools. The dough keeps in the refrigerator or freezer in a covered
container. When dry, the objects can be painted and/or sprayed with an acrylic sealer.
Directions:
1. Squeeze the yellow-brown dough through the garlic press to create “straw” to
build the bird’s nest. Shape the straw pieces into a rounded nest.
2. Roll small lumps of blue dough into egg-shaped balls. Moisten the bottom of each
“egg” and stick it into the nest.
3. Let air-dry until hard.
88
Lesson Plans
These lesson plans are designed as introductory activities for students who are going to
see Out of the Nest and can be adapted to many age groups. In advance of the exhibition’s
arrival at your museum, send program announcements to elementary and secondary
school teachers inviting them to set up a tour. Provide teachers with slides or other
information that comes with this programming guide.
89
Pre-Visit Lesson Plans
Pre-Visit Lesson #1: Feed the Birds!
Objectives:
•
•
•
•
Students will learn about the importance of a consistent food source for birds.
Students will learn what birds like to eat.
Students will make their own bird feeders.
Students will learn about Project FeederWatch.
Student Instruction
“You eat like a bird” isn’t a compliment! Birds eat nearly their weight in food every day.
That’s a lot of work flying around catching insects, jumping from branch to branch eating
berries, digging in the ground for worms. It’s easy to understand why a bird would be
attracted to gardens where a steady supplemental food supply could be counted on yearround.
A consistent food supply is one of the most important requirements for attracting birds to
your backyard. In the early spring, most preferred natural foods have been consumed
over the winter by non-migratory birds. Full feeders will tempt birds to stick around and
nest in a welcoming neighborhood. The summer, the season with the most abundant
natural supply of food, is also the time of greatest need. Bird parents work from dawn to
dusk catching insects to feed their young, whose mouths are always open. Feeders
provide the parents with a ready supply of fast, nutritious food.
Fall feeding can help young birds survive the first hard year of life. Supplemental feeding
could make the difference for a bird that might otherwise not build up enough fat for the
migration. Winter is the most difficult season for birds. In many northern areas, the
ground is frozen. The supply of berries and seeds dwindles and there are no insects at all.
In winter, birds are constant diners at feeders.
Ask students to find out what types of berries, trees, shrubs, and flowers grow in their
own yards and what types of birds prefer these food sources.
Your class may be interested in becoming part of Project FeederWatch, a winter-long
bird count of birds that visit feeders from November to April throughout North America.
Anyone—kids, classrooms, families, youth groups, and individuals—can join in. You set
up bird-count days every two weeks, and report your findings to the researchers at the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who use your data to track how bird populations change
throughout the winter season. You provide a feeder and seed. To register for the count
online, contact http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ or write to Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab
of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.
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Go to www.birds.cornell.edu/cfw/about_cfw/cfw_overview.html for lesson plans and
projects related to the FeederWatch program for grades 5–8.
Student Activities/Products
Bird Food
Your students can make their own bird food from leftovers such as popped popcorn,
cereal or granola, raisins, stale bread, cooked potatoes, piecrust, or cake, cookie, or
cracker crumbs. Or they can string day-old bread, orange rounds (cut into fourths),
popped popcorn, and fresh cranberries onto about a yard of heavy-duty thread, stringing
the food in a pattern and leaving a few inches between foods. They can also cut shapes
from stale bread, poke a hole with a drinking straw, and thread with string; then slather
with peanut butter, jelly, and birdseed.
Edible Birdhouse
Use a half-gallon milk carton for the base of a birdhouse and corrugated cardboard for the
roof, cut to fit the base. Tape the roof on with strong tape. Insert string or wire for
hanging. Smear peanut butter on the outside. Coat with birdseed on the sides, and add
oatmeal or corn to the roof.
Pinecone Bird Feeder
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
•
large pinecone, with open structure
yarn
peanut butter
plastic knife
paper plate
birdseed
Directions:
Take a long piece of yarn and run it around the pinecone, pulling it tight inside just below
the stem end. Tie a knot snugly in place. The yarn will be your hanger.
Using the plastic knife, smear the peanut butter all over the pinecone.
Roll the pinecone around in the birdseed that has been poured onto the paper plate. Shake
off excess seed.
Hang the pinecone feeder.
91
Fresh Fruit Salad from Birdhousing by Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold
Grapefruit by itself isn’t very popular with birds. But emptied grapefruit halves are readymade bowls for fruit salads, which many birds love. You can leave the mixture out as
long as it’s edible in bird terms—very soft or brown fruit doesn’t bother them. But keep
an eye out and throw it away before mold or rot sets in.
Chop up any combination of oranges, grapes, apples, berries, melons, or bananas. Mix
the fresh fruit with any juices and whatever chopped dried fruits you have on hand. Pile
the salad into the hollowed-out halves of grapefruit or melon and put out on a feeding
table or on a shelf of a feeder.
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Pre-Visit Lesson #2: The Birds of Texas
Objectives:
• Students will learn about birds that are native to Texas.
• Students will describe the family life of a particular bird species.
• Students will learn about birdhouse specifications and food requirements for
individual species.
Student Instruction
Begin by telling your students that there are two different types of homes that can provide
shelter for nesting birds in a backyard habitat. They are generally categorized as cavity
and non-cavity, based on where a bird will naturally nest. A cavity-nesting bird is one
that typically nests in the cavity or hole of a dead tree or hollow tree branch; for these
birds you could provide a birdhouse (also called a nest box). Some cavity-nesting birds
are titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, flickers, bluebirds, swallows, purple martins, and
many woodpeckers. Non-cavity nesting birds are those that typically build their nests on
the ledge of a building or in a fork of a tree. An open-fronted nest box, also called a
nesting shelf, is most likely to be used by robins, swallows, sparrows, and phoebes. This
structure is basically a platform without a front. For these birds, you could provide an
open-fronted nest box or platform for nest building.
Student Activities/Products
Tell students that they are going to do research to learn about the birds native to Texas
and their birdhouses. You can find a complete list of Texas birds on-line at
www.birder.com/birding/index.html. For photographs and information about Texas birds,
go to http://pages.sbcglobal.net/whbauer/tx_birds.htm.
If you would like to focus only on cavity-nesting birds, here is a list of some possible
Texas species:
Eastern Screech-Owl
Barn Owl
Eastern Bluebird
Barred Owl
Bewick’s Wren
Black-crested Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Purple Martin
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Turkey Vulture
Wood Duck
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
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Tell students that they must include the following information in their project:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the requirements for the kind of birdhouse this bird would like
the kind of environment the bird prefers to nest in
its favorite kind of food
the size and color of its eggs
its main predators
where it winters
its calls or songs
a drawing of the bird
a map of the bird’s territory
For younger students, a reproducible worksheet is available for this activity on page 25 of
Birds, Birds, Birds, which is available from your host museum. For an on-line field guide
of Texas birds, go to http://birdsource.cornell.edu/gbbcguideframes.html.
Extensions:
Divide children into groups of two or three and let them make up a bird of their own,
with a distinctive call and its own birdhouse specifications.
Ask children to draw a picture of the birdhouse they would design for their imaginary
bird.
Ask older students to create a birdhouse for a specific Texas bird from recycled materials.
92
Pre-Visit Lesson #3: Name That Bird
Objectives:
• Students will learn some characteristics that distinguish bird species.
• Students will identify two bird species in their area.
• Students will understand the purpose and techniques of counting birds.
Student Instruction
Talk about some things kids can look for when they’re identifying birds. Talk about some
of the birds native to Texas (for photographs and information about Texas birds, go to
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/whbauer/tx_birds.htm). Explain that different kinds of birds
have different-colored body parts and have different body shapes and sizes. Different
birds also have special beaks and feet, and they live in different habitats. You may want
to show students pictures of specific birds and point out their distinguishing features.
Student Products/Activities
Pass out a copy of the worksheet “What Bird Is It?” (found on page 95 of this guide) to
each student. Ask them to go outside and write down the particulars on two different
species of birds, writing their notes on the worksheet. Then have them use a field guide to
identify their birds.
Extension: Bird Counts
Wherever you live, birds are on the move! Each spring and fall, one of the most amazing
mysteries of nature begins: bird migration. In the fall, more than 350 species of birds
leave for Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, traveling thousands of
miles to their winter homes. Then in the late winter and early spring the migrants begin
their return. Many of them fly through your backyard.
Throughout the nation, bird counts help scientists to keep track of migrating birds. One
famous bird count is the Christmas Day Bird Count, a one-day bird count in December.
This annual holiday activity started more than a century ago as a protest to slaughter.
Frank Chapman, a legendary ornithologist in the fledgling National Audubon Society,
was sickened by a holdover frontier ritual, the “side hunt.” On Christmas Day, hunters
would choose sides and go afield. Whichever side killed the most birds and small animals
won. In 1900, Chapman decided to start a new holiday tradition—counting the birds!
Twenty-seven bird lovers responded in twenty-five locations from New York’s Central
Park to Pueblo, Colorado, to begin a tradition of celebrating the holidays by counting
birds instead of killing them. In the birding world, the Christmas Bird Count has become
a cherished holiday tradition, drawing nearly 55,000 counters in 2002 and having spread
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to locations throughout the hemisphere. The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running
wildlife survey ever undertaken, and it provides statistical insights into the continent’s
health. Each bird count is a circle fifteen miles in diameter, and birders descend upon
designated sections to count as many birds as possible within a 24-hour period. Find out
how to join a Christmas Bird Count at www.birdsource.org/cbc/involved.htm or write to
Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 700 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a four-day count of bird populations in North,
Central, and South America in late winter. Nothing could be simpler. Your count can be
taken anywhere you happen to be during the four days in the middle of February. You
report it on-line; no pre-registration is required. Your data helps researchers find out
where the birds are, how the winter weather has influenced bird populations, and if birds
are wintering as far north or south as they were in past years. Every count is important,
whether you see five birds or seventy-five! To find out more, check out the GBBC at
http://birdsource.cornell.edu/gbbc/ or contact the National Audubon Society.
94
What Bird Is It?
Name of
Bird
Color(s) of
Bird
Type of
Beak
Type of Feet
95
Size (in
inches)
Other
features
(call, wing
shape, etc.)
Pre-Visit Lesson #4: A Home for Every Bird
Objectives:
• Students will understand how birds permeate our everyday lives.
• Students will recognize some of the problems facing birds today.
• Students will create a birdhouse.
Student Instruction
Birds are very important to humans. We eat them, use their eggs in cooking, use their
down for clothing, sing about them, use them as symbols, use them in art and cartoons,
try to fly as they do, name our kids and cars after them, keep them as pets, make up
myths and stories about them, and use bird-related words in our everyday speech. Birds
are also a very important part of the world’s ecology. Some eat harmful pests and weed
seeds, many spread seeds, others are scavengers and feed on dead and decaying animals,
and many are prey for other animals. Birds are also sensitive indicators of how healthy
our environment is because they often show the effects of pollution and pesticides long
before those effects show up in people or other animals. Here are a few of the problems
facing birds today:
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Habitat destruction
Pollution
Pesticides
Non-native species that prey on birds
Diminishing nest sites for cavity nesters
Diminishing food supplies due to urbanization
There are lots of ways we can help birds to prosper. Your family can create a yard that is
attractive to birds by planting trees, shrubs, and flowers that provide food and shelter for
birds. You can also place a birdbath and bird feeder in your yard. You can become part of
Project FeederWatch (see Pre-Visit Lesson #1) or a Bird Count (see Pre-Visit Lesson #3).
You can also join a local birding club or conservation group.
One of the best things we can do for birds is to provide them with a place to nest.
February 19th is “National Homes for Birds Day,” a day when people can think about the
importance of nesting in the lives of birds.
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Student Activities/Products
Birdhouse
Materials:
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empty paper milk carton
stapler and staples
masking tape
soft rag or paper towel
brown shoe polish
scissors
pencil
twine
Directions:
Open the top of the milk carton and wash and rinse it thoroughly. Let it dry.
Reclose the milk carton and staple the top shut.
Tear off small pieces of masking tape (1-2”) and cover the entire carton with them,
overlapping the pieces so that none of the carton shows.
Using the soft cloth or paper towel, rub brown shoe polish all over the tape. This will
give the carton a rough, bark-like finish. Let the shoe polish dry.
With adult assistance, cut out a hole about four inches above the bottom of the carton.
The hole should be approximately one to one and a half inches in diameter. This hole is
for the birds to get in and out of the house.
Using a pencil, poke a few drainage holes in the bottom of the carton and two ventilation
holes in the top of the carton.
Poke a hole through the top of the carton near the staples and string a piece of twine
through the hole.
Decorate the birdhouse. It can be painted, colored, or embellished with beads, glitter,
yarn, ribbon, etc.
Extensions:
Suggest to your students that they write a letter to one of their elected officials to let
him/her know about the plight of birds in your area. Ask the students to detail some of the
problems birds face in your area and to offer suggestions about how to protect native
species’ habitats in Texas.
Page 56 of Birds, Birds, Birds (available from your host museum) has some great ideas
about having students create a newspaper centered on bird issues.
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Post-Visit Lesson Plans
Post-Visit Lesson #1: Quotable Birding
Objectives
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Students will explore popular notions about birds through discussion and
examining quotations.
Students will create their own depictions of these themes.
Older students will examine a poetic vision of these themes by studying one of
three poems.
Student Instruction
You may want to read some stories, poems, or legends associated with birds to your
class. Consult these books:
Bird Tales from Near and Far by Susan Milord
The Songs of Birds: Stories and Poems from Many Cultures by Hugh Lupton
The Folklore of Birds by Laura C. Martin
Discuss the following with the class:
• Why are people fascinated by birds?
• What can we learn from birds?
• What enjoyment can people get from birds?
• Why are birds important to the environment?
Tell your students that people frequently mention birds when talking and writing about
many subjects, from war to Thanksgiving dinner. Tell them that you are going to look at
what we say about birds and how birds color our everyday speech by discussing some
quotations that help us conjure typical images of birds. List on the board the qualities of
birds mentioned in each quote. Brainstorm other familiar sayings or images about birds.
(For more quotes about birds, consult The Quotable Birder by Bill Adler Jr.)
“You eat like a bird.”
“The early bird gets the worm.” (William Camden)
“Birdbrain”
“Light as a feather”
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“Birds of a feather flock together.” (Minsheu)
“Kill two birds with one stone.” (17th-century proverb)
“Oh, that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” (Psalms
55:6)
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“No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.” (William Blake)
“The busy lark, messenger of day.” (Geoffrey Chaucer)
“I hope you love birds,too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.” (Emily Dickinson)
“I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.” (Coco Chanel)
“God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” (J.G. Holland)
“A bird in the hand is safer than one overhead.” (Anonymous)
“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” (C. Archie Danielson)
“Though the bird may fly over your head, let it not make its nest in your hair.” (Danish
proverb)
“Eggs and vows are easily broken.” (Japanese proverb)
“If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.” (Chinese proverb)
“Fine feathers make fine birds.” (English proverb)
“It is remarkable that only small birds properly sing.” (Charles Darwin)
Using as their inspiration one of the quotes discussed in class, have students draw an
image of a bird. Have them print the quote across the bottom of the drawing.
Extension for older students:
Obtain copies of the poem “Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking” by Walt Whitman, “A
Bird Came Down the Walk” by Emily Dickinson, or “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
and distribute them to the class. Read the poem aloud with the class and conduct a
discussion of its poetic devices, imagery, themes, and voice.
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Post-Visit Lesson #2: Museum Advertisement
Objectives:
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Students will come up with as many reasons as they can think of that one might
visit the museum hosting the exhibition Out of the Nest.
Students will create print advertisements that would persuade viewers to visit the
exhibition.
Students will conduct research to find images of birds and birdhouses that will
enhance the persuasive power of their advertisements.
Student Instruction
Write the following sentence on the board:
“With a partner, write down as many reasons as you can think of why someone might
visit a museum exhibition specifically devoted to birdhouses.”
After five minutes of brainstorming, ask students to share their answers while you write
them on the board.
Discuss with the class the following ideas related to birdhouses (add any new ideas that
come up to your list on the board):
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What is the purpose of the exhibition Out of the Nest?
What did you discover in the exhibition that surprised you?
What are some of the main reasons these artists created these birdhouses?
Is there anything controversial about this art?
What materials did these artists use to create their works?
What did you like about this art?
What didn’t you like about this art?
Would this exhibition draw people into the museum who don’t ordinarily visit?
Which birdhouse was most interesting to you? Why?
Put the students in pairs and ask them to create print advertisements that will attract
viewers to visit this exhibition. Students may first want to look through different
magazines to consider what makes the best print ads successful. They should also
consider the following:
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How will their ad persuade people that visiting this exhibition will be worthwhile?
What will visitors learn, experience, gain, or do there?
What kind of art will they see?
What obstacles to enjoying the exhibition might they encounter?
What kind of audience will be targeted with this ad?
What advertising techniques will they use to draw in this particular audience?
What kinds of visual images should they use to illustrate this ad?
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Ask the students to come up with at least one image to include in their ad, as well as
some brief text.
Students should exhibit their advertisements for the class when the project is complete.
You might consider sending the advertisements to the museum hosting Out of the Nest
with a cover letter explaining the assignment.
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Post-Visit Lesson Plan #3: Reflecting on Out of the Nest
Objectives
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Students will reflect on their discoveries from the exhibition tour.
Students will summarize their tour experiences in a letter or an e-mail to their tour
guides.
Student Instruction
Students should be alerted in advance of the expected outcome of this assignment; older
students should be encouraged to take notes as they view the exhibition.
Ask students to share what surprised or delighted them about the birdhouses in the
exhibition and some of their observations about what they saw. Ask students which were
their favorite and least favorite birdhouses and why. What did they learn about birds’
needs in functional birdhouses? Which birdhouse did they think was the least functional?
Why do they think birdhouses might be a good medium for an artist?
Student Activities/Products
Assign students to write thank you letters or e-mails to the museum guides who led their
tour. Review letter-writing rules. Students must include in their letters three things about
the exhibition that they will share with their families.
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Treasure Hunt Guide
This treasure hunt is designed for children who attend the exhibition with their families or
another non-school group. The guide is intended to focus attention on the birdhouses in
the exhibition. It is not designed as a substitute for a docent-led tour or other educational
activity.
You may want to consider copying the treasure hunt on cardstock, as it may be easier for
children to write on as they move through the gallery. Also, as an incentive, be sure to
arrange for the children to turn in their completed card for a small museum memento or
treat.
Answers to the Treasure Hunt:
1. Peter Loose—Black Rooster Birdhouse
2. Patti Huntsman—Sunny Acres Retreat
3. B. F. Perkins—All American Birdhouse—Convention Hall for Love Birds
4. Kathy Ruth Neal—The Bird Catcher
5. Douglas Fey—Bird Gargler: Troll
6. Charline M. Allie—Teapot Mosaic Birdhouse
7. Kathryn Arnett—Orange Fantasia Birdhouse
8. Jennie Bireline—Paradise Birdhouse
9. Bill Arnold—Alamo Birdhouse
10. Sarah Oblinger—Home Is Where the Heart Is
11. Elsie Poucel—Bejeweled Bedazzled Birdhouse
12. Melissa Koch—Glass Mosaic Birdhouse with Blue Jay Colors
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