February 13, 2024How to Go Bird Watching with Children

Author: Josée Bergeron

I am no birding expert, but I do love watching birds, especially with my children. Growing up I knew a handful of birds by name: robin, crow, raven, pigeon, seagull, eagle and hawk. It wasn’t until I moved to a small town in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada, that I discovered the wonderful world of watching birds. It started when a friend brought my children and I to a nearby marshy area to release a toad. Flitting through the cattails was a bird I’d never seen before, a black bird with red shoulder pads lined in buttercup yellow – a red winged blackbird. My friend pointed it out and we listened to it’s call: conk-la-ree! That when I discovered the beauty and excitement of watching birds with my children.

Watching birds with children is a wonderful way to foster a connection with nature which has many benefits to the health and well-being of children and the planet.¹ What I love about bird watching is that it’s an activity that anyone can do, no experience needed, and it can take place anywhere because birds are all around us, all the time. Birds are found in every part of our planet, from pole to pole and everywhere in between. It’s estimated that there are between 10,000 to 18,000 species of birds worldwide depending on how bird species are being counted.²

Bird watching, also called birding, is the simple activity of noticing birds. No special equipment or specific knowledge is needed to watch birds, all that’s needed is time and a willingness to get know our feathered friends. In this article, I’m going to share some very simple suggestions for watching birds with children.

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Visit bird hot spots

Birds are everywhere but when watching birds with children I like to bring them to places where there are a lot of birds. A pond is a great place to spot a large number and variety or birds, so is a marshland. Forests and wildlife refuges are also great locations for bird watching. There are also Important Bird Areas (IBA) throughout the world which are wonderful places to view birds. You can learn more about IBAs in Canada here and in the USA here. If none of these hot spots are easy to access, that’s alright, notice birds in your yard or nearby park instead. You might be surprised by how many birds you can discover close to home.

Set up a bird feeder in your yard

Feeding birds allows children to observe them more closely. If you have a spot in your yard to set up a bird feeder, I suggest giving it a try. Audubon Guide to Feeding Birds is a great resource for knowing how to set up a bird feeder properly. If setting up a bird feeder isn’t an option, try making some Birdseed Ornaments for Wild Birds and hanging them on trees in nearby nature. One popular item right now are window bird feeders – so fun!

Bird Watching with Backwoods Mama

Don’t stress about names

Don’t let “not knowing” the names of birds stop you from getting “to know” birds. Children don’t need to know that names of different birds species to appreciate them. Instead of focusing on naming birds, notice the birds, the way they move, look, interact with each other. Put names aside unless your child if ready to learn them. If the question comes up, “What kind of bird is that?”, and you don’t know, invite your child to discover the name of the bird with you.

Notice birds with all the senses

Encourage your child to notice birds with as many senses as possible. Notice the way birds look, sound and feel. While touching wild birds might be challenging, don’t be afraid up to touch naturally molted feathers that are on the ground. Just be sure to wash hands before eating.

Take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count

Every year, during the month of February, people from around the world participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Anyone can participate. Here’s how (instruction below are from HERE).

Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days. 2024: February 16–19.

Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

  • If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.
  • If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).

If you already contribute to Merlin or eBird, continue what you are doing! All entries over the 4 days count towards GBBC.

Another national birding events worth doing is the Christmas Bird Count.

Download a birding app

Again, don’t get too hung up on identify birds at the start. Focus more on connecting with birds. When the time comes and you or your child want to know more about the birds that there are some great birding apps that can help such as Merlin Bird ID and eBird Mobile.

Get binoculars (maybe?)

Many bird watchers have binoculars for spotting birds. Do children need them? Not really. I have purchased some birding binoculars for my kids. They have used them a handful of times, but they usually sit in a drawer. Seeing birds up-close with binoculars is neat, but not all children have the patience to use them. Some do though, so with that in mind here are some recommended options: THINKPEAK 8×21 Binoculars for Kids 8-12, Celestron – Outland X 8×25 Binoculars, Nocs Standard Issue 8×25 and Opticron Savanna WP 6×30 (teens).

Suggested Binoculars for Kids by Backwoods Mama

Read books about birds

There are some lovely fiction and non-fiction books about birds for children. Check out this BIG list of beautiful bird picture books for some suggestion. Reading books about birds can ignite your child’s interest in birds.

Check out these birding resources for kids:

The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds by John Muir Laws (Author)

The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds 

Also check out this free tutorial: How to draw birds.

Ages: 10+

Audubon for Kids Website

Bird Watching with Backwoods Mama
How to go Bird Watching with Children by Backwoods Mama
  1. The Nature Connection Handbook
  2. How Many Kinds of Birds Are There and Why Does It Matter?

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