Early Elementary  

Observation skills are a very important part of birdwatching! If possible, read the book “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen with students before their visit. Just like the child in the story, their ears and eyes will be the tools they need to find the birds that live at the Aviary.

At each exhibit, students should stop for a moment and try to stand still while they use their eyes to look for birds. Some are brightly colored and easy to spot, but many birds use camouflage to stay hidden and are much more difficult to find. Male birds are often brightly colored to impress a mate, while the females often have feathers that blend in to their surroundings while they sit on their nests. When your students come to the Aviary, see if they can find pairs of birds where the male is brightly colored and the female is not!

Sometimes birds are so well hidden that they are difficult to find with your eyes alone. Listening for birds may be the only way to find them! One of the smallest birds at the Aviary also has one of the loudest voices. The screaming piha is a small gray bird from South America with a very loud, whistled call. Ask your students to listen for a loud bird in the Wetlands of the Americas room – its call sounds like “WEE-WEEEOOOooo!” You are unlikely to see the bird, but you will hear its call.

If students want to find many of the birds at the Aviary, they will need stop, look, and listen for them!