Bird watching can be an inspiring and interesting hobby for kids. Such activity could help little ones understand nature and their natural environment. Children may enjoy the tranquility, peace, and happiness offered by such an exploration. Little birders can note down in their diary or notebook about the kinds of bird species they encountered during birding.
Best Strategies to keep kids absorbed for a couple of hours during bird watching:
Remind kids that unique birds are difficult to spot
Teach them to close their eyes and rely on their hearing power
Teach them common mnemonics birdsongs
Help them decide where to go looking for birds
Birds can be spotted in crowded cities as well as natural woods, parks, and yards
Make them realize that birds love areas near water bodies such as springs, lakes, or ponds
Point out subtle signs that birds leave here and there such as poop, pellets, and nests
Help smaller kids use bird watching equipment like binoculars
Kids bird watching requires good quality binoculars to observe the natural habitats of the birds. Kids can learn to stay calm and focused while looking out for birds.
Make the Activity Joyful & Fun
If you wish to get a kid fascinated with birding, introduce birding as a merry game. Birding could turn into a harmless hunt wherein kids can note down five varied bird species, and write down their names. The kid who spots the maximum birds may be declared the winner. Red crowned parrots, American robin, and rock pigeon may be easy to spot. Kids can collect fallen feathers and try to find out their owners.
Children love to lead and be in charge, so let them be leaders for the day. Help them explore the outdoor surroundings by guiding them from the back. Let the kids choose the wooded park or thickly forested areas they want to visit for bird watching. You can ensure that the trail is safe and good to go bird scouting.
One of the interesting things about small or big birds is that they are literally everywhere. For instance, you can spot the little black-billed cuckoos by their familiar guttural croak and chortles. Similarly, the crimson crested Northern cardinal or redbird is one of the most well-known American birds that are easy to spot. You can help kids mark the differences between a male bird and a female bird. For example, a female Steller Jay is slightly smaller than their male counterparts. Some female birds can also have different coloring when compared to males.
You just need to focus and pay attention while birding. They can be found in all places – when you go for early morning walks, outside your office windows, in your backyard, sitting atop a building, or nesting in a university campus tree.
You could buy the best binoculars for bird watching and show your kid how to use it properly. Most kids are smart; they recognize the sound made by common animals. However, they may be clueless when it comes to finding rare bird species. You can teach them to listen to bird songs and calls when they embark on a fun bird-watching trip.
