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Bird Behavior Hike

Learn to identify bird behaviors

WHAT YOU NEED:  

• Access to the outdoors
• Notebook 
• A pencil
• A camera or sketch pad (optional)
• Bird behavior primer  
• Hiding: using camouflage or cover to protect themselves from predators
• Flocking: creating large groups to fly or feed, creating safety in numbers
• Bathing: washing in water, or sometimes, giving themselves a dirt bath
• Flying: using their wings or air currants to travel through the air
• Preening: cleaning their feathers using their beak or feet
• Singing: communicating using calls and songs
• Giving an alarm call: hard to distinguish from a song, but usually shorter and simpler than songs.
• Foraging: searching for food on the ground, in bark, in water, etc.  Food could include seeds, fruits, fish, even small mammals and reptiles!
• Feeding: actually eating the food they find

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Head outside to a park or a tree-lined street, where birds of different species can be observed.
2. Have your child mark down the bird behavior they spot in their notebook.
3. Use the bird-behavior primer to guide the hike.
4. If your child is old enough practice trying to photograph the different behaviors, or sketch them.
5. Ask your child: What behaviors are the most common? Did any birds act in a way that surprised you?