The Birds of Killingworth — Robert D. San Souci

Determined to rid the town of the birds who feed on his crops and cause him to lose money, Squire Case and the townsfolk devise an awful plan to kill the adult birds and let their young die of starvation, but Almira, the Squire's daughter, and Noah, the schoolmaster, join forces to save the birds, who are a vital part of nature's design.