Haiku of the Day Theme for July 2026: Haiku About Birds

I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to curate July’s selection for Haiku of the Day. Delighted that it hadn’t already been taken, I chose the theme of birds—31 species of which you’ll encounter this month. I also opted to feature 31 contemporary poets born and/or based in Ireland and the UK. Sadly, one of these contributors, the Irish poet Gabriel Rosenstock, died around a fortnight after submitting his selection to me, RIP.

Why these choices? In relation to the first, my favourite subjects in haiku are birds: these fabulous creatures constantly delight and inspire us with their colours, their calls, and their movements. Of course, many of their names are synonymous with certain seasons, for example migratory birds, so they also act as kigo.

As for my second choice, while I’ve travelled widely and have seen such exotic-to-me beauties as hoopoes, pelicans, and blue-footed boobies, I decided to opt for birds —and the talented poets who write about them—with whom I am more familiar. I hope that you will enjoy meeting both known and unknown flying friends. In fact, I envy you, as you get to read a number of these beautiful haiku for the first time.

Since I was spoiled for choice for talented haiku poets, and was slightly oversubscribed for this compilation, I’m sharing an ‘extra’ haiku by the British poet John Barlow here. As it happens, he is also the co-editor and publisher of a landmark anthology of bird haiku, Wing Beats (2008, Snapshot Press).

the pale undersides
of purple sandpipers. . .
waxing moon

The Haiku of the Day feature displays a new haiku each day at the top of our home page. See also our Haiku of the Day Archive.

— Maeve O’Sullivan