13 replies to this topic

[meghann]

Just wanted to share this little snippet from this morning.

My 5 year old was sitting at the table eating breakfast while looking out our dining room window, which also overlooks one of our feeders. I was in the kitchen making the other kids' breakfasts.

Suddenly she calls "Look mom, a red belly!" I walk into the dining room, and at first all I saw were robins on the ground. I told her those were robins, but as I said it, some movement caught my eye. Up on our suet feeder was a red bellied woodpecker! I asked her which bird she was talking about, the ones on the ground, or the one up on the feeder, and she looked at me like I was dumb and said "The bird on the feeder." I was pretty excited that she had correctly identified the woodpecker.

So it seems I have a miniature birder on my hands! Maybe I should start a life list for her, starting this young, she'll have quite the head start!

[JimBob]

Congrats! I suggest putting a a piece of paper near that window and when ever she see a new species you can right it down. That is what made me start birding. . . I kept a list of birds/ mammals that I saw in our yard. If I saw a new species we looked for it in a field guide. Those were the good times!

[creeker]

Hey, I started birding at age seven with no parental guidance, so why not? My two year old can recognize owl, penguin, hawk, hummingbird, turkey, chicken, duck, goose, and a few more. She hasn't learned the different species, yet. She now points out birds to me when we are out. She would have a pretty impressive life list for her age, but since she won't remember them, we'll wait a few years.

[Shoveler26]

I stared when I was 3 years old knowing what a Red Tailed Hawk was and a Blue Jay was and many more because I had not looked at baby books but instead Birding Guides! My first Guide when I was 4 on my birthday was Sibley's Guide to Birds I loved the pictures of each bird and I got to know them very well so than at the age of 5 I knew every bird that would show up at our feeders and in our area at the time! So don't think 5 year old birders don't know what there talking about!

[spyonabird]

Birthday present for the 6yo this year - her own pair of binoculars. All weekend she kept pointing out birds to her Pop-Pop.

[BarnSwallow]

I started birding at age 7 with my father's 194something Peterson's. I'm jealous that someone was a child when Sibley's came out!! My 11 year old daughter has very minor interest in birding. Whenever we see a bald eagle, I tell her how, when I was her age, we all thought they would be extinct by now. They're practically yardbirds to her. She also has whooping crane and peregrine falcon on her life list....well, she would if she kept one.

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

I started birding at age 7 with my father's 194something Peterson's. I'm jealous that someone was a child when Sibley's came out!! My 11 year old daughter has very minor interest in birding. Whenever we see a bald eagle, I tell her how, when I was her age, we all thought they would be extinct by now. They're practically yardbirds to her. She also has whooping crane and peregrine falcon on her life list....well, she would if she kept one.

That sounds like me up until a couple of years ago...

On the bright side, that might mean that there is hope yet for your daughter!

[Aveschapines]

I have a student (age 8) who is very interested in birds, and I've been wanting to make a simple photo guide of the most common ones for her to start identifying and keeping a list of them. It's difficult because there aren't local signs for each species (I am a special ed teacher in a school for Deaf kids) but she distinguishes between Grackles, House/Rufous-Collared Sparrows, Vultures, and Rufous-Collared Robins. She also knows hummers from photos (we don't see them in the schoolyard too much). I'm thinking of a photo checklist she can use to ID and record her sightings (she doesn't read). Any ideas???

[meghann]

I would make a picture guide, Helen. (I would also go ahead and put the name under each bird, she doesn't read now, but she might someday!)

That is tricky that there aren't any signs for the different species. Hmm.

(Cool job, by the way! Some of my kids are special needs, which is a big part of why we homeschool.)

[Aveschapines]

I would make a picture guide, Helen. (I would also go ahead and put the name under each bird, she doesn't read now, but she might someday!)

That is tricky that there aren't any signs for the different species. Hmm.

(Cool job, by the way! Some of my kids are special needs, which is a big part of why we homeschool.)

Thanks Meghann! Definitely I am hoping she will be reading one day. I'll have to get working on this!

[RCKI]

My kinders love watching for birds at our classroom feeder. I added a small laminated photo labeled with the species on the window. They are getting better at identifying. I hung a window hummingbird feeder to bring them in for a closer look. We have a great field guide for children. I will go check out the name and get back to you.

[RCKI]

The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Peterson Field Guides) [Paperback]
Bill Thompson III (Author), Julie Zickefoose (Illustrator)
It is easy to use and a great resource.

[Aveschapines]

My kinders love watching for birds at our classroom feeder. I added a small laminated photo labeled with the species on the window. They are getting better at identifying. I hung a window hummingbird feeder to bring them in for a closer look. We have a great field guide for children. I will go check out the name and get back to you.

Great idea! I may steal it if I may...

[Aveschapines]

The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Peterson Field Guides) [Paperback]
Bill Thompson III (Author), Julie Zickefoose (Illustrator)
It is easy to use and a great resource.

I've heard of that one. Most of our everyday species aren't found in the Eastern US so I think I'd have to make my own. I would probably start with Great-Tailed Grackle, Rufous-Collared Sparrow, Rufous-Collared Robin, Black Vulture, House Sparrow, Flicker (Northern/Guatemalan Subspecies), and Common Ground-Dove; maybe Eastern Bluebird, Barn Swallow, Hummers, and some winter warblers. My student can already identify many of these.

I like the idea of a hummer feeder outside my classroom, but I'd have to pay for feeder, and I often switch classrooms from year to year so they'd have to hunt around and find it!

Thanks for the ideas.