Grab your binoculars! Birding or bird watching is a fantastic hobby to be enjoyed by all! While some of our feathered friends have flown south to warmer climates, there are many species still around all winter.
Birds that stay in Ohio in winter are designed to survive here. But you can still help birds survive by putting habitat and food around your home. It’s especially helpful anywhere human buildings have replaced trees and bird food. A side perk: you’ll get to see way more birds!
Join us for a virtual field trip about winter birds on Friday, December 18. Or try some of the bird-watching activities below.
CHOOSE YOUR BIRD-WATCHING PATH
Join the virtual field trip, Friday, December 18 at 10:30 a.m.
Inside: Explore what birds need for food and shelter , and make your own bird feeder.
Outside (or by a window): Go bird-watching right in your own neighborhood!
Winter Birds: Virtual Field Trip
Friday, Dec. 18, 10:30am
Every Friday from 10:30 to 11-ish am, we hold a Zoom call live from the woods for anyone who wants to join. This week, we’ll look at who visits our bird feeders in winter, bird tracks, and feathers.
You’ll receive the link for the Zoom call in your email. The same link works each Friday.
Helping Birds Get Through Winter
Habitat is a Necessity
Birds, just like humans, need food and ways to protect themselves from winter weather. They also use their habitat as protection from predators, like raccoons, snakes, and cats! Meow!
Evergreens and shrubs or bushes are great habitat for songbirds in the winter months, when other plants are harder to come by
Here are some ideas to make yards welcoming to birds in winter:
- Plant native shrubs and plants. Planting them now means they’ll have a headstart in spring.
- Put water (like a birdbath) out near bushes. Birds like to drink near places to hide. If there are cats nearby, skip this idea!
- Leave piles of leaves in the yard. These old leaves hold tasty grubs and insects for birds to eat.
- Make brush piles of old sticks and logs. This makes shelter for birds when the weather in extreme. These might attract other animals as well, like rabbits and snakes. So stay alert around them.
- And of course–birdfeeders are a fun way to give birds food while also learning about them! More on this below.
Read these and more ideas for winterizing your yard from the Audubon Society.
Build a Bird Feeder
Want to start feeding birds? Here is an easy way to make a bird feeder.
What you need:
- pinecone
- peanut butter or sun butter
- bird seed
- string
Follow these steps:
1. Slather the pinecone in peanut or sun butter.
2. Roll it in seeds.
3. Attach a piece of string to the pinecone.
4. Hang it in a tree. Birds like having branches to hide on near the feeder.
5. Watch and see who visits!
What should I feed birds?
Different food will attract different birds. Robins like worms, and blue jays like sunflower seeds. We find black sunflower seeds and peanuts attract the most kinds of birds.
You can experiment with different kinds of bird food, and see if different birds show up. Or play around with this feeder guide from Project Feeder Watch to see what kinds of food attract which birds.
It’s all in the beak
The size and shape of bird’s beak can tell you a lot about what the bird eats. Think about the following birds and their beak sizes and shapes. You can compare them to how we use different tools to eat different things.
- Hummingbirds use their long, skinny beaks to eat nectar from flowers. Try drinking juice through a straw for an easy comparison!
- Mourning Doves like to eat seeds. Try using tweezers to pick up rice.
- Ducks eat aquatic life and animals. Try using a slotted spoon to eat your ramen noodles.
- Robins like to eat worms. Now try using chopsticks to eat your ramen noodles.
Try this game to see if you can match birds to their beaks! Next time you eat something, think about what kind of beak a bird would need to get your food in its mouth.
Your Turn: Look for Neighborhood Birds!
To start bird-watching, look for spots near your home where birds like to hang out. Did you hang up a bird feeder that will attract them? Or are there lots of bushes or brush piles nearby, making good habitat? Then start watching!
See if you can find some of these bird species. Then see if you can find birds behaving in these ways!
Try to find these bird species…
Bird feeders are good places to find these birds:
(Click on each bird to see pictures, hear their song, and learn more interesting facts.)
Look for these bird behaviors…
Listen for these bird songs…
What’s that you say!? Mnemonics are words that sound similar to a bird’s call. They are fun way to remember bird calls and songs. See if you can hear some of these, even if you don’t see the bird. Or make up your own!
1. “Who cooks for you! Who cooks for you all?” Barred Owl
2. “Drink your tea!” Eastern Towhee
3. “Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet.” Yellow Warbler
4. “Purty, purty, purty.” Northern Cardinal
5. “Peter, Peter, Peter.” Tufted Titmouse
6. “Who’s awake? Me too.” Great Horned Owl