Victorians were fascinated by birds. Birds were the harbingers of the seasons; one could tell when spring was coming by what birds were reappearing in the British countryside. Many writers considered birds to be quite companionable, social creatures, and enjoyed watching and recording their behavior. Victorian writers also recognized that some birds were genuinely harmful to farm crops, while others were "falsely accused" and often slaughtered by farmers when, in fact, they would have been beneficial. This section looks at song birds and game birds; scroll down to find an interesting set of articles containing musical transcriptions of bird songs!

Bird Life

Notices of Natural History (Illustrated London Almanack, 1845)

Twelve months of nature notes, focusing primarily on British birdlife.

British Birds of the Season (Illustrated London Almanack, 1859)

Feathers in the Scale: A Plea for the Birds, by George Mannville Fenn (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

A gardener examines the question of whether birds are destructive, as many farmers claimed, or helpful to have about -- and concludes that every gooseberry gobbled by the blackbird is more than matched by the snails and slugs he destroys.

Morning and Evening: Bird Life (Illustrated London Almanack, 1880)

English and American Songbirds (Century Magazine, 1882A)

Character in Feathers, by Bradford Torrey (Atlantic Monthly, 1883)

On the natures of various American birds.

The Tragedies of the Nests, by John Burroughs (Century Magazine, 1883B)

On the predators that steal from birds-nests.

Wonderful Birds, by Frederick Whymper (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

A look at some exotic birds and nests.

Bird Enemies, by John Burroughs (Century Magazine, 1886A)

An April Chronicle, by Olive Thorne Miller (Demorest, 1889)

April is the month the birds begin to return from their winter migrations, and this charming and beautifully illustrated piece looks at spring visitors to the author's garden.

Bird Life... by A Naturalist (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

A monthly guide to Britain's birds.

Out of My Study Window, by B.G. Johns (Quiver, 1889)

A charming look at the activities of birds, squirrels, and other creatures in the yard and hedgerow (with a bit of a religious message).

Beautiful Birds (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

Our Feathered Songsters (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

The Birds of London, by Benjamin Kidd (English Illustrated Magazine, 1892A)

Nothing but Sparrows and Blackbirds, by Alfred Bamford (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1892)

In a Pasture by the Great Salt Lake, by Olivia Thorne Miller (Atlantic Monthly, 1894)

Curious Characteristics of British Game Birds, by H.A. Bryden (English Illustrated Magazine, 1899A)

A look at the habits of partridges, grouse and woodcocks.

A Bird Talk, by John Burroughs (St. Nicholas, 1900A)

Eggs & Nests

Do Birds Improve as Architects? by Mary Treat (Harper's Monthly, 1875B)

Bird Architecture (Scribners, 1879A)

Hummingbirds of the world and their nests.

Birds' Eggs, by John Burroughs (Century Magazine, 1886B)

Curious Birds' Nests (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

Moorland Idylls 11: Nests and No Nests,* by Grant Allen (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895B)

Birds'-Nesting with a Camera, by Herbert C. Fyfe (Windsor Magazine, 1899B)

The Birds of Winter

January (Demorest, 1879)

A short look at the month of January in the country, with tips on keeping the snow-birds fed.

How We Saved the Poor Birds in Winter (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

Winter [Bird] Neighbors, by John Burroughs (Century Magazine, 1885A)

Our Birds (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

A look at the bird visitors of winter, and tips on how to feed them.

Birds at Yule-Tide, by Frank Bolles (Atlantic Monthly, 1893)

A close-up and personal look at the birds of winter, both of the day and of the night.

How to Help the Poor Birds in Winter, by the Rev. Augustus Jessopp (Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

Transcriptions of Bird Songs

One interesting type of natural article was the transcription of bird songs. Literally, this meant creating a musical score that reflected the notes sung by a particular type of bird. Most such articles cataloged the songs of several different birds, usually related by type (e.g., "songbirds"). You could, perhaps, even play these notes on a piano!

[Birdcalls] The Sportsman's Music, by W.J. Henderson (Century Magazine, 1887B)

Putting bird calls to musical notes.

Bird Music, by Simeon Pease Cheney (Century Magazine, 1888-1889)

Musical transcriptions of the songs and calls of a variety of North American birds.

Peering into Songworlds, by Frederick Crowest (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

The Silence of the Woods, by B.G. Johns (Quiver, 1889)

Descriptions of various birdsongs.

The Music of Birds (The Strand, 1891B)

Capturing the songs of birds as musical notes.

See also:

• Bird Species

• Sea Birds & Waterfowl

• Bird Stories

* See Grant Allen's Nature Series for the complete "In Nature's Workshop", "Glimpses of Nature" and "Moorland Idylls" series.