Learn About Birds With Free Resources

Learning about birds can be a fun addition to your science or nature studies. It may even inspire your children to take up bird watching as a hobby. Bird watching is an excellent family activity any time of year. You can observe birds in your own backyard, on a nature trail, at a local park, or just about anywhere.

Before you head out to watch birds, check out these free resources your family can use to learn more about them. There’s even a free printable bird watching journal and ID card set your kids can take along on their next bird watching adventure.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is one of the best and most comprehensive free resources I’ve found for learning about birds. Here are some highlights of what their website offers:

• Bird ID Guide– See pictures, listen to songs, and read descriptions of over 600 North American bird species.
• Bird ID Skills– These articles teach how to improve your ability to identify various types of birds.
• All About Bird Anatomy– Kids can click on different parts of the bird to learn about bird anatomy or activate the flashcard mode to test what they know.
• K-12 Education– This part of the website offers downloadable curriculum units, educator’s guides, and more for every grade.
• eBird Essentials– This 5-lesson self-paced course teaches how to identify birds and keep track of your sightings.
• Bird Cams– Live webcams provide a virtual window into the world of birds. They are a great way to observe birds you don’t have in your area.

Bird Watcher’s Digest

Bird Watcher’s Digest’s online bird identification guide features photos, song recordings, and in-depth descriptions of hundreds of bird species. These resources help bird watchers correctly identify the birds they spot.

The Homeschool Daily

The Homeschool Daily’s free bird unit study covers bird characteristics, anatomy, life cycle, bird watching, and much more. The unit includes several printable worksheets, graphic organizers, videos, slide shows, hands-on activities, and read aloud suggestions. There’s something for all ages.

Vintage Nature Readers

These vintage nature readers, now available for free in the public domain, are another excellent way to learn more about bids.

• The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
• Bird Neighbors: An Introductory Acquaintance With One Hundred and Fifty Birds Commonly Found in the Gardens, Meadows, and Woods About Our Homes by Neltje Blanchan
• How to Attract the Birds and Other Talks About Bird Neighbours by Nellie Blanchan
  
• Citizen Bird: Scenes From Bird-Life in Plain English for Beginners by Mabel Osgood Wright and Elliott Coues

Bird Watching Journal and ID Cards

The best way to learn about birds is to go outside and spend time bird watching. Our free 12-page printable Bird Watching Journal and ID Cards set will help your kids identify birds, keep a record of the birds they’ve spotted, and record what they learn.

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I hope your family enjoys learning about birds with these free resources!

Note: This post was originally published on May 9, 2021 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.