By ABA Young Birder, Henry Malec-Scott
Hopping through the bushes low
Chestnut-backed, tawny below
Small but loud, its tail cocked high
A lovely bird, albeit shy
Scaly breast and undertail
A throat that’s brown, though slightly pale
Seldom seen, but often heard
A truly mesmerizing bird
A tiny thing, appearing frail
With shortish wings and stubby tail
Lurking in the underbrush
Hunting grubs in evening hush
Deep inside this shady den
Lies a humble Winter Wren
A delight to find in gloomy dew
A cryptic bird with subtle hue
Through the foliage it weaves
Searching under fallen leaves
Watching with its beady eyes
It stares, then hops, and later flies
A true young birder who was in the field before he could walk, Henry’s first written words were bird lists and banding codes. Sparked by the artwork and details in Sibley’s birding guides, he became more serious about birding around age eight and started building his life list in earnest. In 2021, Henry started drawing birds daily—a practice he kept up for several years. Henry was named the American Birding Association’s Young Birder of the Year (10-13) in 2023, and now his interest in art and the natural world have expanded to include writing, photography, and painting with birds, butterflies, moths, plants, and fungi as inspiration. Being in the field inspires both his creativity and his interests in environmental science and conservation.
