I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A great book about what scientists do to solve a problem like bird strikes with airplanes. Be aware there are some graphic pictures of birds who did not survive.

Thank you to the authors, Capstone Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an inside look at what scientists specializing in a very particular type of ornithology, i.e. bird strikes do. Perfect for kids who are already interested in birds, but should come with a trigger warning as not everyone will be able to cope with the graphic descriptions or mind's eye images of birds sucked into jet plane engines. I think third and fourth graders will find the book fairly dense in terms of text, and including quite a bit of vocabulary they will need help with. The interactive elements are well done, and so is the insight into the work of the Smithsonian Institute.

Thanks to Netgalley and Capstone for the ARC of this!

A fascinating look into a specific scientist’s job, my kids enjoyed learning about the process that scientists use to identify birds killed in bird strikes and how they use that information to protect birds and people. They really liked solving a bird mystery themselves, that was a fun addition to the book. There were lots of nice illustrations and not too much text.

As a wildlife rehabber, this book was fascinating to me. I didn't know that bird detectives dealt with bird strikes! I enjoyed the sneak peeks into the Smithsonian's archives and learning about the different methods of detection.
Personally, I loved how detailed it was! This is the perfect book for kids who are already interested in birds and wildlife. However, I did think it was a bit dense for the average kid reader. It was also a tad bit graphic as it does deal with avian and aircraft disasters. If your little one is sensitive I would suggest reading it before giving it to your curious reader!

: "I received a copy of this book via Netgalley Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I had no idea bird detectives was a real profession and I'm now fascinated by what they do. The book was well written and was able to give plenty of information without being overwhelming to a child. I enjoyed Follow the Trail where the kids can use the information they have learned and the clue breakdown at the end.

This is an enjoyable non fiction book that will teach anyone something new, no matter their age.

My 3rd grade daughter (later 3rd grade reading level) and I read this together, because she loves science and animals in particular.

My review: Lots of good information that was mostly approachable for the target audience. I liked the "mystery" clues, that help the readers immediately apply what they've been reading and learning. I liked all the talk of how detectives/ornithologists investigate and the collection at the Smithsonian. Tying in the education needed and volunteering opportunties is always a plus.

Lots of text on the page, though. It's not a short read, and there was a lot of vocabulary that we had to stop and define. Some words defined in context, others in the glossary. Still others not defined at all or indicated as being in the glossary until the 2nd mention.

Her review: Really interesting, but it made me tired because it was sooooooo much. Really glad Mom read it with me because it was sorta hard and I could read all the words but didn't know what they meant.

Overall: We liked it, but it's a bit high for a 3rd grader without some background knowledge or scaffolding. It's not one she'll pick up again unless we have a science project to do.

Review to come at the end of December/closer to the release day.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

When I spotted this book on Netgalley I knew I had to get it. Bird detectives? Never heard of that, I heard of ornithologists, but that is it. This sounded fun, and in the end? I had so much fun.

In this short but very information-filled book we learn all about the people who are bird detectives. What they do, how they do it, their workplace, and more. From figuring out what to do with the birds and wildlife near an airport or how to protect birds and wildlife from other things to crime-scenes to figuring out what kind of materials a very old cosy blanket was made of. They solve all sorts of mysteries and I had so much fun reading about it. I think that is one heck of a job, probably never gets really boring as there is enough to explore and to figure out. I learned quite a lot, not just about this amazing job, but also about several bird things. I knew about the beaks for most, but apparently with feathers and such you can determine things, I didn't know they were shaped into patterns.

But couldn't they have picked a more world-wide bird? Not one native to US? I mean, wild turkeys? Those don't really walk around here. The only reason that I worked out what the bird was is due to the other hints.

Throughout the book I was pretty hyped about reading about Bird Detectives and was really thinking that this would just be such a cool job, I am sure that me as a kid would have loved it. But then I read that mathematics were needed and I was just like, well never mind. I am TERRIBLE at maths. Really, I barely scraped by in school, only thanks to a good teacher in the last year of high school did I manage to get somewhere, but before that teacher? You don't want to know my grades. XD So I guess, no time travelling for me to tell my younger self about this job. XD

I loved that there were plenty of photographs throughout the book.

All in all, I really had fun reading this book! It was so interesting to read how there are bird detectives and all they do. Plus, while I would have gone for a more world-wide bird, I did think the bonus puzzles/search was a fun addition. I would recommend this book!

Bird Detectives was a cool book that I’d like for my classroom. Forensic ornithology was definitely not an occupation I’d heard about before today. For example, one detective was able to find out information from a 1,000 year old Viking pillow. They also have airfield biologists that study bird strikes. This will be a perfect one to add to my career books collection.

Bird Detectives is a nonfiction science book for grades 3-5. This book focuses on the problem of bird strikes (when birds and airplanes collide) and the science people use to study and prevent bird strikes. Readers are first introduced to the problem and then guided from the history of studying bird strikes to the science of studying feathers and other clues to identify which species of bird was involved. Feather structure is described - including microscopic differences between groups of birds. Airfield biologists are introduced toward the end of the book along with examples of solutions to bird strikes. There is also an ongoing puzzle for readers to figure out. This book is clearly written and has many pictures that support the text. It is written in a way that will pique the interest of many children and help show them an example of science in action while touching on many different aspects of science related to bird strikes. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.