Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!
The Great Backyard Bird Count: An Overview
Let’s start with the basics!
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
When Is The Great Backyard Bird Count?
Each February. This event has been going strong for 25 years!
Who Can Participate In The Great Backyard Bird Count?
Anyone in the world!
How Can My Family Be A Part Of It?
Count birds in your yard and at your feeders. Report the data to the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Need more information? Visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website for printables and more.
Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources
- Get prepared with printable checklists for your area…by zip code or town name.
Top Ten Birds Reported in the Great Backyard Bird Count
Great Place to Start for Beginners
This is a great beginner’s list of birds to know and be able to identify. Use the links above to take a peek at these common birds that may be visitors to your neighborhood. Make sure to scroll down to the “similar species” section for each bird and that will give you additional birds to look for if you don’t have that particular bird in your neighborhood. Also, reading the “Backyard Tips” and “Find This Bird” sections will give you some clues and hints for actually viewing this bird in person.
- Northern Cardinal
- Mourning Dove
- Dark Eyed Junco
- Downy Woodpecker
- American Crow
- House Finch
- American Goldfinch
- Blue Jay
- Black Capped Chickadee
- Tufted Titmouse
Download and save the Cornell Feeder Bird coloring book. This book has many of the most common birds you will see in your backyard and it makes a perfect complement to your family’s bird nature study.
A Homeschool Bird Study with Chalk Pastels by Erin – A chalk pastels bird study with Nana is a wonderful way to introduce bird art lessons in your homeschool. Chalk pastels are perfect for preschoolers to adults. They are super easy to use with no long art supply list needed. You’ll love adding these vibrant birds to your next homeschool nature study or in preparation for the Great Backyard Bird Count!
The Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool by Heather – It’s that time of the year when citizen scientists everywhere are gearing up for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). It’s easy to participate and the bird count is a great way to contribute to actual data being used by ornithologists. You can have a Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool!
All of the birds homeschool nature study resources listed are available as an Outdoor Hour Challenge in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. If you have a membership, you will be able to pull up the Outdoor Hour Challenge curriculum and print any notebook pages, coloring pages, or other printables for your birds nature study.
Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support
Can you believe all of these bird resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing series on bird nature study, bird watching and attracting birds plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges for nature study in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!
Our family is going to be counting in the Great Backyard Bird Count! Be sure to share on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge on Instagram or Homeschool Nature Study on Facebook with your results too!
-First published by Barb February 2020 and updated by Tricia January 2022