This homeschool mom’s guide to the Great Backyard Bird Count includes resources to jump right in and enjoy this citizen science project. Such fun for homeschool families!
A Homeschool Mom’s Guide to The Great Backyard Bird Count
First, take a look at this overview of the Great Backyard Bird Count with resources. It’s everything you need to get started. There is even a quick video showing how to participate. There are printable checklists and details on turning in your bird count results at Birdcount.org.
What Is The Great Backyard Bird Count?
Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.
Birdcount.org
Including The Great Backyard Bird Count in Your Homeschool Day
Really, all you need is a curiosity for the birds in your very own backyard. Here is an example of how we started a homeschool day with the Great Backyard Bird Count.
One of our favorite things to do each morning is to pull up the blinds in our family room and watch the birds at the feeder. At day break, noon and around 3 pm are the best times for bird watching in our backyard.
Fill your Bird Feeders Before the Day Or the Morning You Plan to Participate
Over the weekend we made sure the feeders were full and the suet was squished into the holes 🙂
Count Backyard Birds You See
So, this morning, we pulled up the blinds, rearranged the couch so it faced the window and we counted. I set the timer and we saw these birds in the fifteen minutes we watched:
- 6 chipping sparrows
- 1 brown-headed nuthatch
- 1 mourning dove
- 1 carolina chickadee
- 1 crow (in the far part of the backyard)
- 1 red-bellied woodpecker
We have so enjoyed the birds this winter. Since we have had measurable snow a few times, we’ve noticed something. We see more birds when it snows! And they are birds we don’t normally see. So here are a few more observations from snow days.
- 2 pair of male and female cardinals, perched and waiting their turn for the feeder
- red-bellied woodpecker
- downy woodpecker
- juncos
- white-breasted nuthatch
- beautiful little, bright-yellow pine warblers
- robins
- titmouse
Plus, the white snow highlights the beautiful colors of the birds we saw on snow days. (I love to photograph them too!)
Turn in Your Results to Birdcount.org
Be sure to share your bird list results at birdcount.org/participate.
It goes without saying that birdwatching is one of our absolute favorite family nature studies. The Bird Song books are always close and I love that the children know the common feeder bird calls.
All our bird resources compiled here in our 2010 Winter Bird Study. (<—–my favorite cardinal photos) Also, here in our 2010 Spring Bird Study. (<—–my favorite blue jay photos)
What winter birds are you seeing at your feeder?
You might also like these Homeschool Bird Resources:
- Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources: Everything You Need to Know!
- The Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool – by the authors at The Curriculum Choice
- Simple Heart Shaped Bird Feeder – fun to make with supplies you likely have on hand
- Homeschool Bird Study with Chalk Pastels – such fun to learn about John James Audubon and more!
- FREE Bird-Themed Coloring Pages for Learning Bible verses
First published February 2011 and updated 2024
I love this. Your pictures are really beautiful. What is wonderful about this is you are not only teaching your children about birds and nature, but to sit for a period and document the birds you spot is a very scientific thing to do. I remember being in a primatology class in college and having to sit and watch primates in the Animal Resource Center there. You sit for a specific time period and note all the activity you see to document behavioral patterns.
Obviously, this would be pretty heavy for children, but to sit and note the species you see is perfect for children and a great start in learning about scientific research approaches.
Awesome!!!
You have some lovely bird photos there. You get to see a great deal at your feeders. We have too many outdoor cats to get many at feeders, so we went down to the beach for our bird count.
We have more birds when the weather is wet and snowy too. I wonder if it is actually so or if on those days we look out the window more. I know that last Friday we had really bad weather and the hour we spent looking for birds was filled with such a variety. But maybe it was just because we were watching more carefully. I’m not sure but it is so much fun to see a new friend at the feeder. We are going to go out today and replenish our finch seed for our feeder because we have let it run dry. (it really is a $$$ thing since the nyger seed is so expensive)
I really liked seeing your photos and reading your list. Thank you so much for sharing it with the OHC.
hello! i love your bird photos. we just started observing and counting birds this winter. i agree that they are especially beautiful in the snow. could you tell me what kind of camera and lens you use for your close up shots? thanks!
Dorina – I love to photograph birds 🙂 My husband got me a Canon EOS for Christmas 2009. I use the zoom lens to catch the birds through by window – at the feeder and close by on the trees. It’s a 75-300 mm. Hope that helps!