Studying Birds with Children

This past weekend, as I selected spring-themed books from our home library and placed them in the book basket next to the hearth, I spotted our bird field guide & Audubon bird caller. These beloved items were also ready to be taken off the shelves and utilized this spring.

Now happily on our windowsill, our field guide lays upright and open. At almost any moment throughout the day I can find at least one child warming up on the radiator, leaning over the windowsill, and scouring the guide's photos. It isn't uncommon to hear the delight in my boys' voices when they're able to identify a bird in our garden. Nothing beats the cuteness of a four year old shouting, "our mountain chickadees are back!"

Our family loves nature study. It was our first-love that got me hooked on homeschooling. Although we aren't pro birders, we've really taken to identifying our local species while adventuring and creating welcoming habitats in our garden to intentionally care for them. We only live on a 7,000 square foot lot, but every spring our little suburban homestead has become home to mountain chickadees, robins, blackbirds, dark-eyed juncos, and Cassin's finches--to name a few.

If you're looking to dive into bird study more intentionally as a home educator, below is my list of favorite books and gear.

Favorite Resources

Books:

-Burgess Bird Book by Thorton W. Burgess

-Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock

-Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman

-The Boy who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies

Gear:

-Binoculars

-Audobon bird caller

-Local (state) bird field guide

-nature journal

-camera

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What initially peaked my boys' interest in birds was that our family has its own expert birder, Savannah! When my older three were toddlers and Savannah lived states away researching burrowing owls, I often showed my boys the photos and videos she'd post on Instagram of her work. The photos were hilarious, the content was intriguing, and my boys thought (and still think) Savannah had the coolest job ever.

Over the years, she's sent them feathers from her fieldwork, gifted them books, and sparked an interest in birds that I believe would've otherwise been lackluster. There's nothing like kids seeing someone else's passion for a specific line of work!

When I was considering writing this post, I knew I had to have Savannah weigh in. She kindly agreed to an interview and shares her wealth of knowledge on birds below. If you're reading this with children nearby, pull them in close and enjoy this next segment together.

Savannah, tell us about yourself, your experience with birds, and your current vocation.

"My name is Savannah Finch, and I didn’t grow up birding, but one of my favorite birds growing up was the macaroni penguin, a species I saw in an animal encyclopedia! I had the opportunity in college to study hummingbirds in Costa Rica, and that’s when I knew that working with birds was my passion. I went to college to get my Bachelor’s degree in Zoology. I worked various wildlife technician jobs until I started my Master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology. For my Master’s work, I studied Burrowing Owl conservation in Phoenix, AZ. In the picture, I am holding an owl that is wearing color bands and a transmitter so I could track it for survival and reproduction purposes. Now, I work with the US Forest Service as an Ecologist. I study bird calls from audio recording devices and work with White-headed Woodpeckers."

Can you tell us about your favorite bird?

"My favorite bird group includes the manakin species. Many of these bird species do elaborate dances to attract their mate, and usually have a pop of color like this wire-tailed manakin in Ecuador!"

What resources would you recommend to a family looking to learn more about birds?

"I think the first step is curiosity. You don’t need to take your kids on an elaborate hike, you can see birds in almost any environment. You can even watch from your backyard with bird feeders. When you see or hear a bird nearby, investigating what it is can become great fun! When trying to identify a species, a free option is to use the Merlin Bird ID app on your phone that lets you answer questions to identify (ID) a bird. It can even listen to a bird call and make an ID. If you want a thorough book on all possible bird species in a region, I recommend The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western/Eastern America."

Can one make mistakes when bird watching? If so, what are the biggest blunders?

"Something that is really important when bird watching is to look and listen. Being too loud can scare off birds nearby, or even distract you from listening to birds making calls that would help ID them. What takes time to learn is to be able to ID birds that look really similar to each other. To help with that, make sure you look at the beak, tail, and wings. Does a bird have markings on its face or back? What color is the beak? Is a bird sitting high up in a tree or low in a bush? Looking for signs to ID a bird will take time, but it is really exciting when you start learning the species in your area!"

How has your study of birds resulted in a greater appreciation for nature?

"Now that I pay attention to birds, it is so fascinating to see and hear where they are wherever I go! From somewhere deep in the forest, to the middle of a city, it’s cool to see how birds are part of our world. For example, running into this sleepy Western Screech-Owl on a hike, sitting in a dead saguaro cactus!"

Thanks Savannah for inspiring my boys and being willing to chat about your experience with birds!

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I hope you found this post and interview helpful and inspiring to study birds as a family. If you're itching to learn more about birds and want info on how to ID, local species, a beginner's guide, and much more, check out Audubon's website. It's jampacked with info and you may even find an Audubon Center near you.