You've probably heard of bird watching. Now try bird listening and see if you can identify birds by their songs and calls.

What you need:

• computer with internet access
• binoculars (optional)
   

What you do:

1. Listen online. Two online sites have hundreds of bird call recordings that you can listen to:

• Patuxent Bird Songs

• ASU's Bird Finder

Begin by listening to the loon song on the Patuxent page. Additional loon recordings can be found at Canadian Wildlife Service.

Does your child think the wailing song sounds like a wolf howling? Next listen to the songs of birds you've seen in your neighborhood. Ask your child to imitate the sounds. 

2. Listen outdoors. Take a walk to a park, woods, pond, or other area where you are likely to hear birds. Sit quietly with your child and listen.  How many different birds can you hear? Ask your child to describe the songs.  Write down what the various songs sound like. Do you recognize any from the recordings you heard? Also watch the birds to see who's singing.

3. Compare notes. Back at home, compare the songs you heard outside to the recorded ones. How many birds can you identify?  Which songs are your child's favorites?

 

What you talk about:

Ask your child why birds sing and call to one another. Male birds sing to claim a place where they can live and raise a family. Males also sing to attract a mate. Both males and females may call to another of their kind to stay in contact. And some birds call to warn others of possible dangers.