Birdbrains: A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds by Susan Rich (editor), Stephanie Delaney (author, bird notes), and Hiroko Seki (artist) (Raven Chronicles Press, 2025)
BOOK REVIEW
Birdbrains captivated me immediately, both in concept and execution. It’s not like any other bird guide (or poetry collection) you’ve ever seen. The birdbrained brainchild of editor Susan Rich, Seattle poet and novice birdwatcher, Birdbrains combines notes on 107 birds, accompanied by poems, short fiction, and memoir from 98 poets and writers, illustrated with ink sumi-e paintings by Hiroko Seki. For each bird, there is space left to note the dates and locations of your own sightings.
Stephanie Delaney’s bird notes are aimed at the beginner birder, which I appreciate. I knew from the first entry, on the Bufflehead Duck, that I would love this book because Delaney’s style is casual and friendly:
North America’s smallest diving duck, the Bufflehead is an eye catcher, with a black and white body and white head; their face appears iridescent green and purple in sunlight, black under clouds. With a small size and a plump body, the Bufflehead is a truly cute duck.
The notes all include a description of the bird, its voice, and its habitat, along with an “intriguing tidbit” about the bird, such as, “The diminutive Brown Creeper only burns 4-10 calories a day. Thus, one spider can fuel 200 feet of climbing.”
The poems and short prose pieces, including those by four Washington State Poet Laureates, celebrate each bird and make us reflect more thoughtfully on each one. A particular favorite of mine, by Katy T. Ellis, honors the Least Sandpiper:
To Say the Least
is to say the smallest –
is to say there’s no twitch of the eye.
It’s like saying there exists
in the world of peeps
some greater, faster shoreline, speedwalker.
To spot the leasts –
time-lapse stitchers of the strand
– to hear their pin-piped preet
is to count the least
among us.
Hiroko Seki’s ethereal ink drawings, many done outdoors, beautifully illustrate each bird. A visual aid is necessary for any kind of bird guide and Seki’s monochromatic images are perfect for this one.
Although Birdbrains is called A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds, it is a delight for bird and poetry lovers anywhere. These birds are common in the rest of the Pacific Northwest and most also live further afield. As Dr. Ursula Valdez wrote in her Foreword, “You don’t need to be an ornithologist or bird watcher to appreciate this book; it is for bird and art lovers of all forms, who want their curious eyes, hearts, and souls filled.”
is to say there’s no twitch of the eye.
It’s like saying there exists
in the world of peeps
some greater, faster shoreline, speedwalker.
To spot the leasts –
time-lapse stitchers of the strand
– to hear their pin-piped preet
is to count the least
among us.
Hiroko Seki’s ethereal ink drawings, many done outdoors, beautifully illustrate each bird. A visual aid is necessary for any kind of bird guide and Seki’s monochromatic images are perfect for this one.
Although Birdbrains is called A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds, it is a delight for bird and poetry lovers anywhere. These birds are common in the rest of the Pacific Northwest and most also live further afield. As Dr. Ursula Valdez wrote in her Foreword, “You don’t need to be an ornithologist or bird watcher to appreciate this book; it is for bird and art lovers of all forms, who want their curious eyes, hearts, and souls filled.”
NOTES
I was happy to receive a review copy of this book through Raven Chronicle Press because I truly love it.
The four Washington State Poet Laureates featured in the book are Elizabeth Austen, Claudia Castro Luna, Kathleen Flenniken, and Derek Sheffield. Three Pulitzer Prize winners also included poems: Ray Armentrout, Ted Kooster, and Diane Seuss.
