Family Winter Bird Watching Activities

You may think that the chilliest months are not a great time for family winter bird watching, but there are many beautiful winter birds to see with binoculars or nibbling from bird feeders hanging from trees right outside your windows. Plus, bird watching is one of many fun winter hobbies to try this year! Don’t skip these must-read tips for bird identification, the best bird feeders for winter to attract fine feathered friends to your backyard, common winter birds to spot, and more winter birdwatching activities for the whole family to enjoy.

You may get funny looks and hear questions like, “You’re going birdwatching…in the winter?, “Are you crazy, it’s too cold for birds,” and of course, the classic, “Don’t birds fly south for the winter?,” but looking for and listening to birds in the winter is an excellent way to avoid the winter blues and experience the mental health benefits of nature. From an outdoor activity standpoint, winter might seem made more for winter camping than family winter bird watching, but there are great opportunities for birder beginners and veterans to spot winter birds in and around their neighborhoods, as well as in local parks. Here are some winter birdwatching activities, tips to teach kids bird identification, how to find local birdwatching spots for families, and ways you can help birds survive winter!

Dress For The Weather

Family winter bird watching is a great activity capable of creating long-lasting memories and a deep love of nature, but it won’t be too fun for anyone in the family if they are shivering! There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices so before you start any winter birdwatching activities, be sure to get everyone dressed in layers of fleece or wool, wear warm, sturdy, and waterproof boots, and make sure that your outermost layer protects from both the wind and rain. Oh, and don’t forget a scarf, face covering, and/or sunglasses.

The Benefits of Birding in Winter

Birding in winter has distinct advantages versus spotting birds in spring and summer. This is because it's far easier to spot the silhouette of a hawk perched on a branch or the swift movement of smaller birds when the branches and trees are devoid of leaves! For first-time birdwatchers, winter is a good time to become familiar with the sights and sounds of common resident birds such as chickadees, blue jays, crows, woodpeckers, hawks, and even eagles. The bare trees makes it easier to teach kids bird identification.

Using the Right Equipment

Your eyes and ears are the best equipment for spotting and hearing winter birds, but binoculars and a bird identification guide (in a book or even better, a free bird identification app like Merlin ID) can make family winter bird watching more successful and fulfilling. You and your kids can ‘collect’ and keep track of the birds you see, and that will inspire them to want to add to their collection all winter long.

The Best Bird Feeders for Winter

Going for a winter hike to look and listen for birds is one of the great winter birdwatching activities, but you can attract winter birdies right to your yard with the right bird feeders. This means your view out your window could become the best local birdwatching spots for families!

So many birds, including Blue Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Northern Cardinals provide a cornucopia of color, sound, and sights during the otherwise bleak winter landscape. The right kinds of bird feeders can help attract the most common winter birds to spot in your outdoor spaces during a time when natural food sources are buried under feet of snow. And then, your bird feeders can help support the birds on their long migrations north in the spring.

Here are some tips on selecting the best bird feeders in the winter:

• Use tube feeders: These are the best bird feeders for winter for using inexpensive black oil sunflower, mixed seed, safflower seed, and peanuts that will attract chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, house finches, and more.

• Use hopper feeders: When filled with safflower and sunflower seeds or cracked corn, you can attract all the species that visit tube feeders plus larger birds like Cardinals, jays, grackles, and Red-winged Blackbirds.

• Use suet feeders: Suet attracts woodpeckers, titmice, nuthatches, and chickadees plus wren and warblers.

It’s important that you use bird feeders and not toss seeds onto the ground to avoid unwanted eaters arriving at your door!

Winter Birdwatching Activities

In addition to taking hikes and hanging bird feeders in your yard, there are other family winter bird watching activities to try this year, such as:

1. Installing a Nest Box

Installing and monitoring a nest box or a birdhouse in your yard and throughout the winter can provide valuable insights into bird behavior and nesting patterns. Keep an eye out for signs of activity, such as birds entering and leaving the box, and keep track of your observations in a journal with your kids as they learn how to identify the birds coming to start families in your yard.

2. Winter Bird Photography

Winter offers a unique opportunity for some great bird photography. Because the angle of the sun is lower, the light is often perfect for capturing birds in trees that are devoid of leaves. The result can be stark and stunning images, made with a phone or camera, that you’ll cherish forever.

3. Join A Guided Birding Walk

Joining a local birding club or attending a guided bird walk is one of the best winter birdwatching activities because you will learn about habitats, observe a wider variety of birds, and get better at bird identification with the help of experts. You may explore a wildlife refuge or other new-to-you local birdwatching spots for families to see some of the most common winter birds to spot during the chilly months.

4. Make Homemade Bird Treats and Help Birds Survive Winter

Using peanut butter, seeds, oats, nuts, and sugar, you can easily make treats for birds who may struggle to find food during the frozen months. These kind gestures worked on in your home with kids can help birds survive winter and at the same time, pass on a stewardship of nature to the next generation.

From memorable winter camping and fishing trips to family bird-watching activities, there’s no shortage of fun outdoor adventures to be had with or without snow this year.