Birdwatching with kids is a super fun hobby and learning opportunity. Not only can you instill a love for nature in your children, but you can do so fairly simply and easily. However, there are four important tips that can help make birdwatching with kids a much happier experience.

A Familiar Birdwatching Scenario

You’ve just made some crafty DIY feeders from milk jugs you dug out of the recycling. They’re now hanging outside, filled to the brim with seed. The kids (and you) are eagerly awaiting the first visitors. Excitement reaches its peak when there’s a flutter of feathers.

Your first visitors!

Everyone races to the window to catch a glimpse of the cute, little bird gracing your presence. After a few moments of awe and wonder, the bird flits away. Your kids inquire with excitement “Mom, what kind of bird was that?!?” 

Uh oh. The dreaded moment.

“Um, I don’t know,” you respond. “Maybe a finch?” Or, could it have been a warbler? you wonder. Wait, do we even have warblers where we live?

You’re clueless.

Is this a moment of homeschool mom failure? Am I failing to bestow upon my children a lack of bird identification knowledge that will trickle down for generations? 

Okay. I exaggerate.

However, allow me to assure you that you’re not alone in your plight. And the story above? It did happen in our house. Maybe not exactly like that, but close enough. 

My Birding Background

For a long time, I’ve been the mom who knows only a handful of birds.

You know, the usual suspects: robin, cardinal, blue-jay, woodpecker (don’t ask me what kind). I would justify my unfortunate lack of knowledge with a reassurance to myself: You don’t have time to be some professional birder. If the kids want to know what it is, they’ll look it up. Self-directed learning, people!

Wrong.

Okay, sometimes they look it up. But usually, they need my help. 

This past winter, we decided to start identifying these birds. (Actually, it may have been me who decided we needed to embrace the backyard nature at our fingertips).

I was tired of being the mom who never knew the names of all the beautiful birds visiting the backyard bird restaurant we had so lovingly created. However, it quickly started to require some effort on my part. 

Suddenly, I’m flipping through bird guides and determinedly searching the internet.

I WILL tell you what that bird was, even if I have to scour the internet all day! Yes, I can be stubborn.

I can’t remember if we identified the bird at that moment. But, I did determine that I wanted to take the lead in harnessing my children’s existent birdwatching interest and excitement, and take it to the next level.

Over the winter, the days were droning on and on, and spotting bird life outside was a spot of sunshine in our days and helpful for fighting the winter blues. One day, we had twenty-seven mourning doves in our backyard.

Twenty-seven!! It was a mourning dove convention.

The kids even started giving the birds names. It was a joy to eat breakfast alongside the birds, and to know what types of birds we were actually seeing.

How To Improve Your Birdwatching Skills

So, how did we do it? A little determination and four practical tools and resources I discovered in the process.

Let me encourage you: Spring is quickly approaching, and with that, the return of many beautiful birds!

While you may be thinking about gardening, spring sports, or other outdoor activities, this is actually an excellent time of year to begin more intentional birdwatching with your kids. Carpe diem!

Added bonus: If you’re looking for easy peasy nature study for the kids as you finish out the school year, this will fit the bill! It’s simple, readily available, and you don’t even need to leave home.

4 Tips for Successful Birdwatching with Kids

1-Invest In Some Bird Feeders

It’s a no-brainer, but this is truly one of the easiest ways to attract birds to your backyard.

There are feeders like these you can attach to your windows. We also like hanging sock feeders out for the finches in spring and summer. Last year, we observed 13 or 14 finches at one time on our one little sock feeder.

Additionally, there are a variety of DIY feeder projects for kids and adults at Fabulessly Frugal. Here’s one that we made:

You can investigate the types of birds native to your state or area in various times of the year, as well as how to draw those birds to your backyard.

2-Invest In a Decent Pair of Binoculars

Birdwatching often happens at a distance, and binoculars will allow you to spot subtle differences between birds when trying to distinguish what bird you’re viewing.

Plus, I haven’t met a kid that doesn’t feel like an important explorer or scientist when they have a pair of binoculars on hand. Try investing in a pair that’s made for kids.

3-Keep Bird Identification Guides Handy

We keep hardcopy field guides and interesting books about birds right by our viewing window. This gives my kids the option to view the book at other times without needing the internet.

The two books we have are The Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds and The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds Eastern Region.

4-Consider a Bird Tracking or Identification App

I downloaded the free Merlin Bird ID app from The Cornell Lab. It’s simple to use, and I say that as someone who’s not app savvy (if that’s even a thing). 

Not only does it help you identify the bird by walking you through a series of identification questions, you can also track what birds you’ve seen by creating a life list and documenting where you’ve seen various birds.

Make sure you download the free printable Backyard Bird Tracker for kids below.

You’ll enjoy watching your list grow during the spring and summer months. 

You might even decide to keep tracking birds all winter long, and plan to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, which is held every year. 

More Bird Exploration Ideas

Bird-Related Books for Kids

• Audubon has this fun list: Ten Birdy Children’s Books to Read With Your Fledglings
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
• The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton Burgess. You can read this book free online. 
• The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies.

Bird Art

All I have to say is that when I was in 4th grade I made an owl out of clay and I still have it to this day.

Isn’t it a beauty?

This project uses air-dray clay (I love air dray clay!) and could be a possible keepsake like mine.

Additionally, I purchased this lovely, vintage-looking bird poster for $5 at our local conservatory gift shop, but I found this identical one on Amazon.

Wouldn’t this look great in your homeschool space?

Birding Websites

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is an excellent resource. Click on the All About Birds link to find information about birding skills, feeding birds, bird-friendly homes, a live webcam, courses and more. It’s everything you wanted to know about birds and probably more!

I’ve also found Birds and Blooms to be helpful as well.

Start Birdwatching with Your Kids Today

Now that you are equipped to study birds like a pro, get your supplies, grab your free printable, and start identifying those backyard birds!

I’m quite confident you will be able to add bird identification master to your homeschool mom resume in no time!