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
morning assembly
the chatter of sparrows
in the playground
What a treat in store for us this month, Maeve. Thank you for choosing my swallow. I’m looking forward to reading the whole series. And congratulations on your recent publication! 🎉
Mentioning the “Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku” anthology, myself and Karen helped launch the book in London (Royal Festival Hall) where I was launching my Haiku Journal Notebook co-designed by Karen Hoy, and gladly shared our booked space, and John Barlow later that evening booked the Poetry’s Society’s Café!
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I also booked a venue in the City of Bath at super indie Mr B’s Emporium, where I had to do crowd control and take the editors upstairs and feed them a few of the crowd bit by bit!
Call of the Page was then called ‘With Words’:
https://area17.blogspot.com/2008/08/wing-beats-british-birds-in-haiku-bath.html
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You’ll only spot a famous British haiku/haibun poet who came along and won a Haiku Journal Notebook!
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I snuck a couple of bird haiku myself, and the criteria was the bird had to be spotted in situ and not imagined:
mist haze–
a crow cleans its beak
on a rooftop aerial
Alan Summers
First publication credit: Azami 38 ed. Ikkoku Santo (Japan 1996)
The Haiku Calendar 2003 (Snapshot Press)
Watermark: A Poet’s Notebook – Crows (2004) ed. Sharon Brogan
Haiku Sansaar (2013) ed. Dr. Angelee Deodhar & Dr Jagdish Vyom
Anthology credits:
First Australian Online Anthology (1999)
Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku (Snapshot Press, 2008)
Feature: Cornell University, Mann Library, U.S.A. “Daily Haiku” poet (October 2001)
Award credit:
Runner-up, The Haiku Calendar Competition 2002 (Snapshot Press)
Article:
Haiku: The Art of Implication over Explication (Living Haiku Anthology, 2016)
Collection:
by ink of crow pub. Call of the Page (November 2025)
Mentioning the Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku anthology, myself and Karen helped launch the book in London (Royal Festival Hall) where I was launching my Haiku Journal Notebook co-designed by Karen Hoy, and gladly shared our booked space, and John Barlow later that evening booked the Poetry’s Society’s Café!
I also booked a venue in the City of Bath at super indie Mr B’s Emporium, where I had to do crowd control and take the editors upstairs and feed them a few of the crowd bit by bit!
Call of the Page was then called ‘With Words’:
https://area17.blogspot.com/2008/08/wing-beats-british-birds-in-haiku-bath.html
https://area17.blogspot.com/2008/11/royal-festival-hall.html
To order:
http://www.wingbeats.co.uk/order.html
You’ll only spot a famous British haiku/haibun poet who came along and won a Haiku Journal Notebook!
I snuck a couple of bird haiku myself, and the criteria was the bird had to be spotted in situ and not imagined:
mist haze–
a crow cleans its beak
on a rooftop aerial
Alan Summers
First publication credit: Azami 38 ed. Ikkoku Santo (Japan 1996)
The Haiku Calendar 2003 (Snapshot Press)
Watermark: A Poet’s Notebook – Crows (2004) ed. Sharon Brogan
Haiku Sansaar (2013) ed. Dr. Angelee Deodhar & Dr Jagdish Vyom
Anthology credits:
First Australian Online Anthology (1999)
Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku (Snapshot Press, 2008)
Feature: Cornell University, Mann Library, U.S.A. “Daily Haiku” poet (October 2001)
Award credit:
Runner-up, The Haiku Calendar Competition 2002 (Snapshot Press)
Article:
Haiku: The Art of Implication over Explication
https://livinghaikuanthology.com/poets-on-haiku/defining-haiku/2901-haiku-the-art-of-implication-over-explication-by-alan-summers.html
Collection:
by ink of crow pub. Call of the Page (November 2025)
Article:
Haiku: The Art of Implication over Explication (Living Haiku Anthology, 2016)
https://livinghaikuanthology.com/poets-on-haiku/defining-haiku/2901-haiku-the-art-of-implication-over-explication-by-alan-summers.html