8 Birds to Spark a Child’s Curiosity in Nature

Birders are keen on the idea of “spark birds” – the birds that encourage a lifetime curiosity in birding. Generally it’s a single sighting of a very lovely species. Generally it’s watching a standard fowl in a metropolis park.

I’ve additionally observed that birds can spark a normal curiosity in nature and nature commentary in youngsters. Let’s face it: the fun of hard-core itemizing, the finer factors of warbler identification and chilly, early mornings are joys that escape many youngers (and adults, too, for that matter).

However many fowl species are simple to not solely see, however to watch going about their every day routine.

In my expertise, youngsters wish to see birds doing attention-grabbing issues. Some birds simply naturally entice extra consideration.

Listed below are 8 North American species that I’ve discovered often delight kids and new-to-birding adults. I selected some apparent “fan favorites” in addition to some missed species which might be fairly cool.

And the way about you? What birds captured your creativeness as a child? Depart your picks within the feedback part.

High 10 Listing

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  Let’s begin with the plain alternative. The good-horned owl is a charismatic species, and even higher, it’s widespread and located throughout North America. You’ll find them in metropolis parks, round suburbs, on farms and at nature preserves.

  Nice-horned owls additionally might be heard hooting, particularly within the winter months. Even when my son was a toddler, he beloved to see great-horned owls in bushes, whereas listening to their hooting at nightfall.

  Owling is a enjoyable winter exercise for the household. You may usually get an owl to reply your individual hoots. When you hear one, scan thick tree branches and different potential perches. The good horned owl’s define is unmistakable. You may usually sneak nearer and benefit from the owl’s antics up shut.

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  Because the Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes, killdeer are “a shorebird you possibly can see with out going to the seaside.”  They’re vocal and extremely seen, and infrequently present in parks and open fields.

  On a latest go to to an area state park, my now 8-year-old son got here throughout a killdeer. He discovered the identify to be hilarious (“It doesn’t appear to be it might kill a deer.”) Even funnier to him was the fowl performing prefer it was wounded. Killdeer do that to lure predators away from the nest. They flop their wing on the bottom, as whether it is damaged, and do a fairly theatrical rendition of wounded, tasty prey.

  After all, we swerved away to provide the fowl (and its nest) some house. However seeing habits like it is a nice technique to discuss variations and the way birds discover methods to evade predators.

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  On our native greenbelt path, I often see joggers and bikers instantly cease to get pleasure from an osprey flying overhead. The osprey is an undeniably lovely fowl. For youths, there’s one more reason they’re attention-grabbing: They’re among the many best predators to observe in motion.

  If you happen to discover a river or pond that an osprey frequents, you may also see them dive into the water and give you a flapping fish.

  I nonetheless bear in mind seeing my first osprey, on a fishing journey to Canada once I was 14. I’d sit on the dock by the cabin and watch them splash into the water. They appeared such a uncommon fowl then. Luckily, that is one fowl species that’s extra widespread now than once I was a child.

  As soon as threatened by pesticides, air pollution and unlawful looking, the osprey has rebounded and is now widespread all through North America. Throughout the summer time, I see them virtually every day round my Idaho dwelling.

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  My son loves superlative animals: the largest, strongest, most venomous. And quickest. For a protracted whereas, that made the peregrine falcon his favourite fowl.

  Just like the osprey’s story, the peregrine falcon’s restoration from the brink is a roaring conservation success. One cause is nesting bins established in cities. Tall buildings are very similar to canyons and pigeons present considerable prey.

  This supplies a terrific alternative for teenagers to dramatic predator-prey interactions even within the coronary heart of cities. Once I had an workplace in downtown Boise, I’d usually see raining feathers and fowl components. Trying up, I would catch a glimpse of the peregrine darting away.

  Nest cams permit one other alternative for teenagers to observe the habits of peregrines from dwelling, together with bringing dwelling that prey to younger.

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  If bothered, a turkey vulture can projectile vomit 10 toes to discourage additional interplay. The vulture urinates on its legs to chill off on sizzling days. And it eats lifeless stuff, the rationale for that bald head. Principally, to human sensibilities, the turkey vulture is gross.

  And what child doesn’t love the gross-out issue?

  After all, as with every fowl commentary, it’s an ideal alternative to share why vultures are ecologically vital as nature’s clean-up crew. If you’re fortunate (?) sufficient to see one tearing into some roadkill, you get a mixture gross-out and ecological lesson.

  I think I’m not the one child who sprawled out in a area, hoping it would lure the circling vultures in for a more in-depth look. Proper?

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  This may be a little bit of an uncommon choose. I used to be a type of youngsters who dreamed of far-off locations and the cool animals discovered there. It could be some time earlier than I obtained to go see these locations for myself, however typically I’d catch a glimpse of these uncommon critters.

  An area animal attraction saved a set of unique pheasants just like the Girl Amherst, golden, silver and Reeves pheasants. I used to be taken with these spectacular birds.

  They’re native to Asia, however a few of these aviary and sport farm birds escape. Some even kind feral populations. The considered monitoring down a few of these free-roaming pheasants all the time appealed to me, a little bit of a safari near dwelling.

  I smiled when ultra-birder Mya Rose-Craig, in her partaking memoir Birdgirl, devoted a chapter to see feral golden pheasants in the UK. It was certainly one of her spark birds and certainly one of her introductions to the world of great life itemizing. (She went on to be the youngest birder to see greater than 5,000 species).

  Sure, I do know they’re not native within the US or the UK. Nonetheless, uncommon critter quests are enjoyable. And so they’re lovely. If I hear of an unique pheasant sighted at an area park, you possibly can wager I’ll be there with binocs.

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  They’re quick. They’re colourful. And so they’re cute. The varied species of hummingbirds are very enjoyable for teenagers to watch. With even restricted persistence, you possibly can usually see their whirring wings up shut.

  Ubiquitous hummingbird feeders have enabled many extra kids and adults to develop into followers of those little birds. However I believe it’s even higher to have youngsters watch the hummingbirds amongst flowers and native plant gardens. This, too, could be a lesson in pollinators and ecological interactions.

  If you happen to stake out flowers for a couple of minutes, you would possibly see a hummingbird an arm’s size away. You can be fooled by the hummingbird moth, an insect with an uncanny resemblance to the fowl. You may see bumblebees and wasps and birds all vying for pollen. The hummingbird is the simple star, however there’s rather a lot happening for kids to get pleasure from.

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  Actually, this may very well be any fowl that dives, like loons, varied geese or grebes. Mergansers are my favourite, as a result of you possibly can usually see (massive) fish hanging out their beaks. And so they simply look cool.

  Mergansers dive beneath the floor for a very long time. When will they reemerge? The place? Questions interact younger naturalists and hold them engaged in what’s taking place round them.

  I all the time get pleasure from watching a household of mergansers looking as they float down a river. And naturally, freshwater habitats are nice for different attention-grabbing species, from belted kingfishers to nice blue herons, from snowy egrets to American bitterns.

There are various methods to get pleasure from fowl watching, from placing up a yard feeder to chasing “massive yr” world information. Hopefully, that curiosity additionally results in help of conservation, as many fowl species face declines and unsure futures. That curiosity can begin at any level, and it usually begins with benefit from the pure spectacles, throughout us if we cease and search for a second.