As a new mom, I am amazed at how my two year old picks up on details - especially with animals. I recently started talking to him about the different birds in our yard, and he is already running to the windows most days and calling for me to 'see the birds eating worms in the grass!' Earlier this year, we had a storm knock down a Robin nest, and I made sure to have my son help me return the lone survivor to the nest and secure it in a new safe place. To this day, he frequently looks over at the area where we saved the bird and wants to see the nest to check if the bird is still there. It is sweet to see his concern for the birds welfare.
I have fond memories of my own childhood: saving helpless baby birds, discovering nests, and beaming with pride when my mom called me "Eagle Eye" for spotting an animal or a bird while on some outing. Finding beautiful feathers while on a hike was always exciting. I would stick them in my hair and pretending to be an early Native American hiking through the forest. I can recall listening intently to the various calls of birds alerting each other to a potential threat (probably me).
Of course, we always had several bird feeders near our house. We would watch attentively for Cardinals, Gold Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, jays, woodpeckers and sparrows. I remember one one particular day, we saw a beautiful Indigo Bunting, which was a particularly elusive bird to our area, and my mom talked about it for years after that!
Watching for birds, whether from your home window or while you are out on a hike, is a fun and exciting way to get your kids involved in learning more about nature. It's not an expensive hobby and there are even some unexpected benefits to bird watching such as learning patience, inspiring empathy, and becoming part of a community of others.
Here are some favorite books on bird watching, bird facts, and beautiful bird calls:
Hello, World! Birds
By Jill McDonald (Author)
Ages: 0 - 2
Bird House
By Libby Walden (Author)
Ages: 3 - 5
Mama Built a Little Nest
By Jennifer Ward (Author)
Steven Jenkins (Illustrator)
Ages: 3 - 5, 6 - 8
How to Find a Bird
By Jennifer Ward (Author)
Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)
Ages: 3 - 5, 6 - 8
The Big Book of Birds
By Yuval Zommer (Author)
Ages: 6 - 8
Backpack Explorer: Bird Watch
By Editors of Storey Publishing (Author)
Oana Befort (Illustrator)
Ages: 6 - 8
Bird Watch
By Christie Matheson
Ages: 6 - 8
A Nest is Noisy
By Dianna Hutts Aston (Author)
Sylvia Long (Illustrator)
Ages: 6 - 8
The Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs
by Andrea Pinnington (Author) and
Caz Buckingham (Author)
Ages: 6 - 8, 9 - 12
Sound of Nature: World of Birds
By Robert Frank Hunter (Author)
Ages: 6 - 8
Bateman's Backyard Birds
By Robert Bateman (Author and Illustrator)
Ages: 9 - 12