During winter, the biggest challenge wild birds face in our streets, yards, and balconies is the lack of suitable food. Many of us are willing to lend them a helping hand in the cold days but numerous questions arise, such as what (not) to feed them with, which feeder to choose, where to place it, and what birds to expect. The illustrator Milena Radeva provides the answers in her first book ‘The Birds at My Feeder’ (Bulgarian Illustration publishing house).

The practical guide includes 38 bird species we can still encounter at amateur feeders in urban and suburban environments. Each description introduces the reader to their most recognizable features, traditional habitats, favorite foods and glimpses of their character. It is also accompanied by lively scientific illustrations.

‘This is a long-awaited project I had the pleasure to work on in 2023. The publication is conceived as an amateur guide-diary for the youngest readers and their parents, as well as for anyone who is interested in the birds around us and would like to set up a feeder but doesn’t know where to start from. It’s important to me to instill respect for wildlife from an early age, and the most direct way to achieve this is by presenting it in an understandable and friendly manner,’ says Milena Radeva.

At the end of the book, there is a reader’s journal where novice bird enthusiasts can record their observations. To facilitate their experience, the publication also comes with a feeder that they can assemble themselves, following step-by-step instructions.

You can find more information about ‘My Birds’ Table’ at the publication’s YouTube channel and Bulgarian Illustration publishing house website.

About Milena Radeva

Milena completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the National Academy of Art, specializing in Book and Print Graphics. In 2017, she defended her dissertation titled ‘Bulgarian Artistic Illustration from the Beginning of the 1940s to the End of the 1980s: Trends and Phenomena’. She has authored numerous articles on the subject of illustration in Bulgaria and has contributed as an artist to over 200 children’s publications. In 2018, she revived the only Biennial of Illustration in Bulgaria, and its three editions so far have showcased 1 000 works by nearly 500 local and international illustrators. In 2020, she founded Bulgarian Illustration publishing house, focusing on Bulgarian authors and illustrators of children’s literature.