Birding with Kids
By Nicholas Niendorf, Golden Eagle Audubon Guest Blogger
Birding with kids is no easy feat: meltdowns, attention spans, and tiny legs make birding more challenging for our small friends. But for anybody who’s heard a kid squeal at a goose or a Mallard with the same glee you usually reserve for a lifer, you know it’s well worth it.
Golden Eagle Audubon Society member and parent Jacob Briggs knows all too well about the highs and lows of birding with kids.
“The biggest challenge for me is keeping their interest when I want to keep birding and they want to be done,” Briggs said. “There are times they get tired of birding while I'm still enjoying it, so to deal with that I either bring treats or snacks for them to take a break, let them do some wandering or leading wherever I am at, or focus on things other than birds.”
An experienced birder, Briggs recently recorded Birding With Kids for Golden Eagle Audubon. Whether you’re an experienced birder or interested in starting, if you want to enjoy this lifetime activity with your kids, grandkids or other young people, Jacob’s 25-minute class is where you should start.
Where to Bird With Kids During the Winter Break
Both Briggs and Golden Eagle Audubon member Randy Langseth recommend Kathryn Albertson Park for winter birding with kids, as well as any place in the area with water access, particularly along the Boise River Greenbelt.
“[Kathryn Albertson Park has] lots of trail options so you can basically let your kid ‘choose their own adventure’ and you'll run into birds either way,” said Heidi Ware Carlisle, Education Director of the Intermountain Bird Observatory. “The trails are pretty well contained and defined so my three-year-old enjoys running along them and isn't usually too tempted to run off into the bushes.”
Ware Carlisle also likes the winding, but well-defined trails of Lower Hulls Gulch.
“No matter which way our three-year-old says he wants to go, there are good birds,” said Ware Carlisle. “Even if we wind around in random loops through two-to-three different trails the whole time, there are chances to bump into something new. Giving your kiddo the sense of control of choosing where to go helps a lot in holding their interest.”
Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park, Barber Park, and the Idaho Botanical Gardens are also favorites, but don’t forget your backyard and the birds around the block.
Lower Hulls Gulch Trail
Neighborhood Birds Too
“I usually try to get kids interested in birds by just going out and walking, hiking, and looking to see what you can [spot] since birds are active and move around,” said Langseth. “You can notice quite a few of them just around your neighborhood.”
Birding in Kathryn Albertson Park
Even in the winter, Boise is host to a wide variety of backyard birds like sparrows, finches, and juncos (as well as some Blue Jays this year, Briggs noted). When walking or hiking, you might need to stick to larger birds, but that still leaves you plenty of Great Blue Herons, Goldeneyes, Bald Eagles, and geese.
Eventually, you’ll find you’re not the only one doing all the birding.
“It’s especially fun when they point something out and then feel proud of their spotting skills,” Briggs said. “It gives them confidence and helps them to see there are lots of great ways to enjoy life and nature.”
Birding With Kids Resources
Golden Eagle Audubon has lots of resources for birding with kids on our Birding Resources webpage, including a link to the Birding With Kids video. You’ll find lots of resources for adult there too.