Birdhouses of the World

by Anne Schmauss

Birdhouses of the World offers readers a curated collection of beautiful, whimsical, stop-you-in-your-tracks amazing birdhouses created by designers and bird lovers around the world. Bird expert and author Anne Schmauss provides a brief history of birdhouses and lists the kinds of birds that inhabit them, as well as the types of structures that attract various species. Most important in her selection for this book is the “wow” These birdhouses are spectacular in their creativity, ingenuity, and sheer originality. With styles ranging from sleek modern to elaborate Victorian, they are as varied as human houses. Illustrating the wide-ranging designs found throughout the world, and even including the birdhouse of filmmaker George Lucas, this book is a captivating look at the creativity than can result when a functional structure is infused with a love of birds.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2014

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at Schuler's Books for $1 and I really enjoyed it!! It's not the kind of book I usually read, but I found the creativity very fascinating.

[robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these birdhouses are interesting, and some are absolutely stunning.

It's broken up into 26 sections, on 26 different craftspeople or styles, with beautiful pictures. At the very back there's nesting information - what different birds are looking for - along with directions on how to maintain a functional birdhouse, and contact information for the crafters.

There's one wonderful birdhouse (Japan) the size of a small treehouse, with compartments for the nesting birds in the front, and a larger room in the rear which a person can access via a ladder, so they can watch the birds in their nests. Wonderful!

[Ligaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now have a great excuse for why I've been hoarding/hanging onto excess/scavenged building supplies!!! This is a wonderful book that totally occupied me for several bedtimes. Great photos and birdhouse-maker stories. I only wish there were plans included for a DIY birdhouse.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a nest just won't do . . .

I ordered this book sight unseen, not sure if I'd be getting a how-to manual or a worldwide guide to birdie homes. What I got was an amazing art book, filled with color photos of some of the most majestic digs ever created for our feathered friends.







BUT . . . be prepared to mortgage your own house to buy one of these beauties. Avian opulence does not come cheep cheap!



Some of this jaw-dropping splendor costs in the thousands.


---------GASP!---------

The pièce de résistance here has got to be Thomas Burke's Skywalker Ranch birdhouse, commissioned as a gift for George Lucas.



Approximately the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, it took four months to complete, and weighed over six hundred pounds.



The house was installed with the help of Chewbacca heavy equipment.

In addition to the stunning pictures, there's also an introduction that includes a brief history of the birdhouse, nesting charts, a guide to the care and installation of a functional birdhouse, and a contact guide, in case you just won the lottery and would like to order a birdhouse replica of your very own home

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

from the library

lots of wonderful birdhouses
a colorful picture book
very expensive birdhouses..even the small simple ones are more than $150