Blue Dawn Jay of Aves

This is a full length, 'traditional' science fiction novel, about a far-off planet that is being colonized by humans who must deal with sentient but savage native bird inhabitants that value song and freedom of flight above all else. Aves humming birds are larger than Earth eagles, while Aves eagles are T-rex sized but much more powerful. Blackbirds are clever and scheming. Humans are physically puny but to grow food for Earth they recklessly transform Aves without understanding it.
Song master Blue Dawn Jay has forsaken normal blue jay duties to search far to the south of his North Forest home for his friend and mentor, old Song Flame the cardinal. Song Flame tells blue that the legendary Old Ones have returned and are destroying the Far South Forest and threatening the Great Balance. Blue embarks on a dangerous quest to report to the Great Council of Songbirds.
Meanwhile Federation Space Directorate scientist Dr. Katherine Deborg arrives on Aves to find that Aves and her assignment on Aves are not at all what she expected. To her surprise, the giant birds, insects, and trees on Aves are obviously of Earth origins, and she is barred from working with Corporation scientists. A large patch of the planet Aves has already been colonized by the Star Corporation, with unintended consequences. Strange and deadly bird, human, and primal Aves forces threaten calamity for both birds and humans.
This is not a children's book, but it is relatively child-safe. Bird-on-bird violence occurs, as does romance and some four-letter words, but sex is not in the plot, nor is violence graphically depicted. (The next novel to be published, The Shrinking Nuts Case, is a bit spicier, as the title perhaps implies.) A 'scientific framework' is provided which could prove vexing to some young readers, but Blue Dawn Jay of Aves is essentially a science fiction story, rather than a fantasy story.