Activity
Borrow a bird identification guide from your local library (try Backyard Birds of North America), search online for common birds in your area, or download a bird ID app like Merlin Bird ID or eBird. What birds can you see or hear in your neighborhood? If you can’t identify the bird, can you give it a name that you will remember? Make note of your favorites in your nature journal.
Look for family-friendly birding events in your community and join in to learn from experts!
Materials
You can observe birds in nature without any materials, though a bird field guide or bird ID app will make it easier to identify the birds you see. A nature journal will allow you to record your observations.
Skill Building
Looking for birds in your neighborhood fosters curiosity, focus, and increased physical activity. As children earn more about bird identification, they pick up new scientific vocabulary and practice sorting and comparing different species. Additionally, research links birding to a sense of calm and reduced stress!