Winter is for the Birds! (and Kids Too!)

There’s no better time to see and enjoy birds than winter,and bird watching is an activity all ages can enjoy. With leaves off the trees it's much easier to see birds among the bare branches, and since many species have headed south, it’s easier for beginners to make identifications and get on a familiar, first-name basis with our winter and year-round residents. With their high metabolism and light weight, birds need to eat A LOT to survive winter cold. That means it’s easier to find them as they are actively seeking food.

Some people take advantage of this and attract birds to their yard with a variety of feeders. If you want to start winter feeding, following a few simple guidelines will increase the number of birds that visit. Think high-low and food variety. Different bird species feed at different levels on different foods. If you provide only one food, go with black-oil sunflower spread out on a stump or other low platform, and offered in a hanging feeder. To save money, keep sunflower seed in a tube feeder that restricts access and spread a cheaper seed mix on the low platform.  Adding a suet feeder attracts more woodpeckers, and a thistle feeder brings in goldfinch. Don’t forget the water! a simple shallow container of concrete, plastic or pottery kept supplied with unfrozen water is a life-saving oasis in the frozen winter “desert."

Children can help reduce waste and recycle materials by turning trash into bird feeders. With adult supervision, they can cut windows into the sides of 2-liter or milk jugs to make simple hanging feeders. Pre-teens can try this: Use a wood-burning tool to melt small slits into a plastic water bottle, melt in some paired holes to hold stick perches (keep the perches short where they stick out from the bottle), and you have a thistle or sunflower seed feeder to hang from a tree branch. Encourage kids to get creative. Given a selection of margarine tubs and lids, plastic flower pots, wire and other "stuff", they may amaze you with their ingenuity.

Even the very young can make classic peanut butter pinecone feeders: smear a peanut butter/cornmeal mixture onto a pinecone (substitute shortening if allergic), roll it in birdseed, add a string or ribbon hanger, and decorate your trees with treats for the birds. Live in a place without trees! Call us (513-321-6070) about placing them at one of the Cincinnati Parks' Nature Centers.

Sometimes nothing beats sipping a cup of hot chocolate or coffee while you watch – from the warm side of a window – colorful bird activity in the snowy back yard. But the most memorable bird encounters take place when you venture out to enjoy birds in their natural habitats. So for the best family experience, complete with 4-D effects and a healthy exercise bonus, bundle up and head for your Cincinnati Parks. (Remember, several layers of clothing will keep your kids warmer than one thick layer.) 

Where do birds hang out?  Edge or transition areas are especially productive. There, birds have the greatest variety of plants to provide the two things they need most: food, of course, but also nearby shelter from hungry predators. So when you visit the parks, check out areas where lawns or meadows give way to shrubs, or where shrubs lead into forest. Because parks are designed to provide both open people places and a variety of natural habitats for wildlife, transition zones are common and easy to find.

With their sharp eyes, children are great spotters easily pointing out birds that were invisible to adults. Also, kids who like to make funny noises are naturals "pishers." When shy birds won't show themselves, make a noise like "psh, psh, psh, switsh, switsh, switsh." Although it doesn't work with all birds, some sparrows pop up like a jack-in-the-box at the sound of pishing, trying to find out the source of the commotion. As winter gives way to spring, let children try to lure birds closer with false baby bird alarm calls. These can be made by giving loud squeaky kisses against the back of your hand.

To add some variety and exercise to your outing, encourage younger children to move like a bird moves, and hone those observational skills even more. Try doing "The Sparrow Scratch": hop forward with both feet, then scoot backward keeping both feet on the ground. Remember to flap your "wings!" If older kids are too dignified to "fly" down a trail running and flapping their arms, they can use the playground equipment to flip upside down just as fast as a chickadee.

So get outside, get moving and have fun in nature. The memories you make will be the best, most lasting gift your children could receive. And you may open the door to a lifelong hobby they can enjoy wherever life takes them.

Would you like a little help with identification? Join a Park Naturalist for a guided walk this winter.  Click here to access a complete listing of Winter Nature Activities.  Here’s a brief list of recommended winter walks, of which birds are only one of the topics. These are suitable for a wide range of ages.

Sun, Jan. 13 – Stanbery Park, 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 19 – Burnet Woods, 10:00 a.m.
Sat. Jan. 26 – Mt. Storm Park, 10:00 a.m.
Sat. Feb. 2 – McFarlan Woods, 10:00 a.m.

Hope to meet you out in your parks!