Bird Feats of Montana, by Deborah Richie Oberbillig
Students Help Author Document Montana’s Amazing Birds
By Alaina Abbott, 5-29-08
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On her most recent book, Bird Feats of Montana, local author Deborah Richie Oberbillig had some unusual help: a grade school class at Rattlesnake Elementary School.
“They’d write down what they thought was cool, what they wanted to know more about and what they didn’t care about,” Oberbillig said.
What did they want? The strongest, the smartest and the fastest.
Here is a sampling from the book’s “most amazing” list: Best Sense of Smell (turkey vulture), Best Underwater Walker (American dipper) and Most Absent Parent (Brown-headed cowbird).
“I hope people will read the book and go outside and listen to the chickadees’ ‘dee-dee-dee’,” Oberbillig said. “I want to get people excited, asking questions about nature.”
Oberbillig wanted to include common birds—the mallard, meadowlark, and raven—and obscure species, such as the hard-to-spot great grey owl. The book, which is geared toward children aged 8 to 12, also gives information on where to find particular birds and how hard they are to see.
Unlike some record books, Bird Feats explains the reason for each bird’s accomplishment, such as why the American avocet needs a bill that curves upward to survive. The curve helps it get food.
Oberbillig worked to find local research and little known facts that could not be found in a basic online search.
“I want it to be fun, entertaining, but I want it to be accurate,” Oberbillig said. Chief among her sources was Kate Davis of Raptors of the Rockies and Richard Hutto, a University of Montana professor in avian science.
“If people fall in love with birds, they care about their habitat,” Oberbillig said. That interest may then lead to further thinking on conservation and a sustainable economy. She referenced the ptarmigan, whose feathers change from white to brown with the changing seasons. With shorter winters and less snow, predators can more easily prey upon the ptarmigan. But in the book she stayed away from direct mentions of social, environmental and political issues, such as global climate change.
Oberbillig has a biology degree from the University of Oregon and a graduate degree in journalism from the University of Montana. Aside from writing children’s books, she does commercial work and writes magazine articles. She lives in Missoula, Mont.
Bird Feats features the illustrations of James Lindquist and the photography of Donald M. Jones.
Oberbillig has already continued with another book called Bug Feats of Montana. It is due out next year. The kids at Rattlesnake Elementary edited that book, too.
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