Thanks to its topographic diversity ranging from coastal areas to desert, California offers excellent birdwatching opportunities, and provides a perfect habitat for a huge variety of bird species. Birdwatching also brings important teaching moments to kids by allowing them to interact with nature while learning about biology, science and natural sciences, not to mention gaining insight into the behaviors of wild creatures.
Of course, you can travel to the marshes, the mountains, and other mainstays of bird gathering with your kids in tow, but birdwatching can also be done more conveniently right in your backyard, if you create the right conditions. Bring birds to your yard and give your kids invaluable glimpses into how these animals eat, bathe, build nests, feed their young, and sleep. The best way to invite wild birds to your yard? Make a habitat that includes the three things birds need: shelter, food, and water. But first, know the birds common to your area.
Common Southern California “Backyard” Birds
Allen’s Hummingbirds
Anna’s Hummingbirds
Downy Woodpeckers
Red-tailed Hawks
Mourning Doves
American Robins
White-crowned Sparrows
House Sparrows
Red-winged Blackbirds
California Towhees
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Lesser Goldfinches
Black Phoebes
Western Bluebirds
Western Scrub-Jays
Northern Mockingbirds
How to Get Started Backyard Birdwatching – Shelter
Nesting Boxes –
Nesting boxes offer a great way to observe birds in all stages and provide essential shelter to many species. Many birds will use nesting boxes to raise their young and give your family an excellent view into their lives. Nesting boxes are most often used by birds who “cavity-nest” in dead trees and hollows. These birds include chickadees, woodpeckers, house wrens, and tree swallows. When building or selecting your nesting box, consider which species you most want to observe and choose the box that fits it most appropriately. Factors to keep in mind include entrance hole size, how high the box is mounted, and the type of habitat close to the box.
Here’s what to consider:
Use natural untreated wood such as pine or cedar
Choose an entrance hole the right size for the bird you’d like to attract and that all keep larger birds safely out
Use a sloped roof to repel rain
Include ventilation holes
Drill holes in the bottom of the nesting box to aid drainage
Have a side or top panel that is easily removed for cleaning and observing
Don’t include an outside perch, as it may attract predators
Ensure the box is waterproof
Face the nesting box away from prevailing winds and out of the direct midday sun
Secure mesh or place tiny bits of gravel on the inside of the box from the opening to the floor to help baby birds grip onto something when they are ready to fly from the nest
Consider mounting the box to a tree or pole out of the way of pesticides and herbicide spray patters and use a predator baffle to protect the birds
Dead Trees –
If you happen to have dead trees in your yard and plan on leaving them there for whatever reason, one or two can substitute as hollows for birds to raise their young and shelter when the weather is bad.
Bird Houses –
Like nesting boxes, different-sized bird houses and entrance holes attract certain types of birds. Also, like the besting boxes, bird houses should have the proper drainage. Be sure to use nesting materials such as grasses, pine needles, and twigs to get the birds started. Finally, bird houses should be placed in locations that give adult birds security when raising their young, but of course, you also want to be sure you have a good view of the house.
By keeping on eye on these shelters, kids can watch adult birds build their nests or feed their babies.
How to Get Started – Food
Bird Feeders –
Bird feeders are great sources of supplemental food and open up prime bird viewing opportunities. Feeders should be at least 6′ to 7′ off the ground, and several feet from tree trunks to discourage squirrels from pestering and preying upon the birds and their eggs. A few food options and the birds that most prefer them include:
Mealworms for warblers, and bluebirds
Suet for woodpeckers
Seeds for chickadees, and finches
Fruit, berries, or jelly for orioles, robins, and mockingbirds
Nectar for hummingbirds
To protect against cat attack, place feeders at least two cat leaps from surfaces to give birds a chance to retreat if threatened. Keep feeders clear of seed hull build-up and bird droppings and provide birds with enough space to feed. Feeders can be cleaned with one part bleach to nine parts water, immersed for several minutes and then allowed to dry completely. Easy to clean feeders are usually made of metal and plastic.
Native Food Sources –
Select a variety of native plants to food such as seeds, berries, nuts, and nectar. Gardens that contain a broad range of plant species are more likely to support a broad range of bird species. Having a mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and ground covers will attract the most birds. California native plants to consider include manzanita, sagebrush, Indian paintbrush, and California fuschia, buckwheat, snapdragon, sunflower, and wild strawberry.
How to Get Started – Water
Birdbaths –
Birdbaths provide a clean water source for drinking and bathing. To discourage mosquitoes and algae, change the water every couple of days in the summer. Place the birdbath about 10 feet from dense shrubs and trees so birds can retreat to a safe place if threatened by cats or other predators.
Birdbaths should be cleaned regularly with a scrub brush, but don’t use soap or detergent.
Tips for Family-Friendly Backyard Birdwatching
To get the most out of family birdwatching in the backyard, invest in a pair of binoculars. a notebook or journal, and some bird field guide books. A camera is also a great idea to capture any birds in action. If your kids will be observing outside, a hat and comfortable clothes are musts.
Keep in mind that small birds tend to be most active in the morning, which is when they feed.
Once you find a bird to watch, keep eyes on it so you don’t lose track of where it goes. Find a focal point near the bird like a tree or patch of leaves, and when you raise your binoculars look for the focal point to locate the bird.
Have your kids look for field marks – those identifying marks on birds that mark one species from another – and consult the field guide to name the bird. Field marks will show on the bird’s head, around the eyes, on the belly, back, rump, wings or tail.
Encourage your children to listen to bird song and decide what species the song indicates. Kids can also listen to recordings of bird songs to familiarize themselves with the different calls and then record what they hear in the backyard to match the two.
Teach your children to observe the birds, not to to touch them.
Review your child’s bird journal with her often to keep her interested.
Assign your kids tasks such as cleaning the birdbath or picking up seeds around the bird feeder and teach them why these things must be done to keep birds healthy.
Kids’ Birdwatching Activities
Make your kids a “bird observation deck” by cutting some viewing holes in a large cardboard box and placing it over your kids and near a bird feeder. Scatter some seeds around the box and let the kids observe bird behavior from this cool hiding spot.
Have your kids keep records of what birds they see and assign a prize – like a new pair of binoculars – to whoever notes the most of any one species in a defined time period.
Play “I Spy” bird-style and have your kids find the birds you’ve spied with your little eye.
Set up an easel outside and have your kids paint or draw some of the birds they see.
Sign the kids up for a “Citizen Scientist” program where they report the types of birds they’ve identified.
Additional Tips for Successful Backyard Birdwatching
Don’t use insecticide if you can help it in your yard. Birds eat insects and to destroy the insects is to take away the birds’ primary food source.
Don’t forget to clean the bird baths and feeders. Both can breed disease. Bird baths also attract mosquitoes, which carry the West Nile Virus.
Don’t feed the birds yourselves. “Human food” can be bad for birds.
Protect birds from cats by installing a short fence with a large wire grid around the bird feeding area. The grid allows birds to enter and leave, but prevents cats from charging.
Keep nesting boxes some ways away from bird feeders or bird baths because nesting birds like seclusion.
Bird Resources for Kids
www.audobon.org
www.americanbirding.org
Birdwatching for Dummies by Bill Thomson, III
Everything You Never Learned About Birds, Rebecca Rupp
Final Thoughts
Introduce your children to birdwatching now and you could get them started on a lifelong hobby. Attracting birds to your backyard is also a great way to introduce kids to nature, and it’s an activity the whole family can share. Do you enjoy birdwatching with your kids?
Photos courtesy of MorgueFile.com