Photo credit: Preston Rodriguez

Let’s talk about the birds and the…birds

Learn more about the fascinating world of birds with these self-guided resources.

Learn

EBIRD EXPLORERS – The Cornell Lab has created extensive birding curriculum for k-12 students. In addition to for-purchase curriculum kits, the Cornell Lab offers a variety of free resources, activities, and lessons. Activities also available in Spanish.

  • Building Literacy Through Nature – Build literacy by learning about local bird habitats through this series of free lessons and activities for students grade k-2.  Check out Cornell Lab’s other free resources for students grade k-2.
  • Discover Schoolyard Birds – Hone birding identification skills through these free lessons and activities for students grade 3-5. Check out other free resources for students grade 3-5.
  • Biodiversity Detectives – Investigate the wide world of biodiversity through these free lessons and activities for students grade 6 & up. Check out other free resources for students 6 & up.

Games & Activities

AUDUBON FOR KIDS – Weekly activities brought to you by the National Audubon Society. The activities aim to not only help students learn more about birds but “to explore and feel connected to the natural world”.

BIRDS AND WORMS – In this fun outdoor activity for all ages students will discover the value of camouflage as they pretend to be birds searching for worms. A family activity by the Project Learning Tree. 

DANCE LIKE A BIRD – Learn to dance, twirl, twist, and shake your tail feathers like some of our local birds. Need something to dance to? Try Silly Bird by local musician Caspar BabyPants.

BIRD LANGUAGE EXPLORATION – Ever wonder what birds talk about? Explore bird language using this fun outdoor activity by the BEETLES Project.

BIRD BEAK ADAPTATION ACTIVITY – Learn about the different shapes of bird beaks using items from around the house, activity by STEM activity blog, PinkStripeySocks. Watch this activity in action with the Friends of the Rainforest’s BIRD BEAK CHALLENGE video.

Want to learn more about beak adaptations? Check out this upper elementary/middle school FEED THE BIRDS activity and worksheets by ETEAMS.

CARING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD BIRDS – A few great tips and suggested activities to give your neighborhood birds a hand (or wing) by the Woodland Park Zoo. 

Arts & Crafts

MAKE A NEST – Make a bird nest using playdough and items found in the garden.

HAND PRINT BIRD – Try your hand at creating your own bird! Place it in your window to help birds watch where they’re flying.

LEARN TO DRAW BIRDS WITH DAVID SIBLEY – Easy tips and tricks for sketching common backyard birds by David Sibley. Check out his easy step-by-step video tutorials!

BIRD COLORING PAGES – An assortment of bird coloring pages by Coloring Nature.

Videos & More

A GUIDE TO BIRD-WATCHING WITH BINOCULARS – A great guide to up your bird-watching game with binoculars, check out their links to other bird-watching resources too. Thanks, Phoebe, for the recommendation!

HOW DO BIRDS LEARN TO SING? – Birdsong is music to our ears. But how do birds know how to sing? This short video by Partha Mitra and TedEd explores the fascinating world of birdsong.

WHAT DO NESTS LOOK LIKE? – Take a look at some of the different types of nests birds can make in this beautiful 1-minute video by Nature on PBS’s YouTube Channel. Then, watch no small feat as a HUMMINGBIRD BUILDS TINY NEST. 

BIRD CAMS APRIL HATCH HIGHLIGHTS – Check out CornellLab’s Bird Cams as they capture amazing footage of baby barred owls, Savannah ospreys, and red-tail hawks.

AUDUBON ON VIMEO – From bird songs to identification to how to draw birds, The Audubon Society has over 300 videos on Vimeo. Also available in Spanish.