ASNV Member Spotlight: James, Age 10

Tina Dudley

Luisa and James Gallager birding, Tina Dudley

On a birding weekend at Chincoteague, I had the pleasure of meeting a young birder named James and his mother, Luisa. James has been birding for two years, since he was eight. He is a skilled birder, even correcting seasoned birders on occasion. I enjoyed speaking with his mother, who admitted that James is the birder of the two of them, but she wants him to spend time with “his people.”

Luisa first noticed James’s interest in birds after the family put up a feeder in their yard. James was very curious and wanted to know all about the birds he was seeing. His mother explained; “Sensing his enthusiasm, we took him to a local birding spot. Once he identified his first bird, he was hooked. We identified just three species that day and then went back the next weekend and found ten more.” 

James was fascinated. He used the Merlin app to memorize bird calls and his mother signed up for eBird’s rare bird alerts. James shared with me one of his favorite birding memories, “We went to Dyke Marsh to see the rare (for Virginia) Yellow Headed Blackbird and I identified it by ear. It sounded like a chainsaw. When I finally saw the bird it was at the top of a tree singing. I was really excited to see such a rare bird and I wondered how it flew so off-course and what happened to it after it left the marsh.” 

This photo of the Yellow Headed Blackbird was actually taken by James through his spotting scope using an iPhone. 

Yellow-headed Blackbird, James Gallager

Great Blue Heron, James Gallager

In just two years, James has seen over 130 species of birds. On the trip to Chincoteague, he added 14 new species to that list. He identified the Black-necked Stilt and the Boat-tailed Grackle as his two favorite new birds he saw on the trip. His next birding adventure will be on Cape Cod, when he visits his Grandfather. 

Birding has been really good for James - it was a safe activity to do during the pandemic and it also piqued his interest in nature in general. His mother told me that since he began birding, “He is much more aware of the outside world and the impact of humans on the environment. He has a greater appreciation of nature; not only birds, but also insects, plants, animals, and the climate. Birding on Cape Cod with his grandfather increased his love for the ocean. Identifying birds also led him to new interests like photography.”

James Gallager birding, Tina Dudley

Luisa is very supportive of James’ interest in birds. She takes him frequently to parks and birding hotspots like Huntley Meadows, and even got him a nice pair of adult binoculars. (James informed me that he saved up by himself to buy his spotting scope.) The two of them joined the Northern Virginia Bird Club and the Friends of Dyke Marsh and started attending weekly bird walks. I was glad to hear from Luisa that they have found the birding community in Northern Virginia to be very welcoming and helpful. 

Luisa’s advice for parents: “The most important thing is to make birding fun for kids and follow their lead. Children who are just starting out do not need fancy equipment or trips. They can identify and watch birds in their own backyard with a simple field guide or an online app. If a child wants to explore birds further, there are a wide range of resources available to help, including the Cornell Lab, e-Bird, Audubon, and local birding organizations. Like any other activity, traveling to birdwatching spots can be time-consuming, but there are tremendous benefits. And being outside in nature is something the whole family can enjoy – birders and non-birders alike.” 

House Sparrow, James Gallager

At one point, James asked his mother, “Why are there not more kids who like birding?” 

There is a great teen birding club and various camps and programs for birders 13+, but Luisa has not found much for birders around James’s age. It is up to us, as birders, to change that. 

So, I have a challenge to all the birders who read this: Please bring a kid out birding with you. Invite your grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or friends’ children. Help us cultivate the next generation of birding enthusiasts. If you feel strongly about this, consider joining our youth education committee so we can work together on programs to engage families and young birders like James. 

To any children or teens reading this - I want to share with you James’s advice for new birders: “I would say have fun and don’t feel pressure to find certain birds. I really like my [spotting] scope, it helps me see birds I might not see with my binoculars. I also recommend a reliable field guide; my favorite is Sibley’s Birds East (but you could just use any field guide).”

Teach Your Children to Become Avid Birders During Coronavirus Lockdown

Photo: Camilla Cerea

By Jessica Bigger

When schools closed due to the Coronavirus, my husband and I decided to homeschool our 10-year-old daughter. We wanted to come up with some interesting science projects to keep her engaged during these challenging times. We started off raising tadpoles, where our daughter would gather data to calculate their survival and growth rates. We thought about designing a vegetation habitat survey or an invertebrate creek survey. Can you tell we’re biologists? 

Since bird migration is in full swing, we decided on developing a bird identification program where our daughter could learn how to identify local and migrating bird species by sight and by their song and call. 

We then added a math and science component, where our daughter would record the number of birds she saw or heard that morning. She would then add up the total number of birds, and the total number of different species she recorded earlier. After a week she would graph this information, figure out the average number of species seen and which species were more prevalent in the area. 

We started off with a handful of birds and then added a few more to her list every couple of days. To keep things interesting, we started visiting different habitats to introduce her to birds she had not seen or heard before.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great resource and we referred to it often. They have lots of games to help test your child’s bird ID skills, and several educational ideas and projects that you can glean from. It’s also my go-to when I want more detail on a particular species. The photos are wonderful to look at and the song and call recordings have been extremely helpful.

Birding is a great activity, and getting your child involved can keep them busy and engaged. Kelly Preheim, a kindergarten teacher from South Dakota, started teaching her students how to identify birds. She was amazed that over time, her 5 and 6-year-old students could visually identify 100 birds, and be able to recognize the songs and calls of 25 bird species. She introduced photos of new birds to her students every day and created different games like “Name That Bird,” using bird ID flashcards. These activities improved each student’s ability to recognize those bird species out in the field.

So, if you are looking for a unique educational experience to do with your kids that combines science, math and nurtures their love of birds, here are a few tips to get started:

1. Bird Identification by Sight It might be good to begin with birds your child is familiar with and only pick a handful to start. Before heading out with your binoculars to look for those birds in the morning, review photos of each bird you and your child will be looking for and make sure to bring a bird book with you to refer to if needed.

2. Bird Identification by Sound Since many of us tend to identify birds by sound, because most of the birds we hear we can’t see, it’s not too far-fetched to teach your kids to learn a bird’s song and call. So, when your child hears “Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter,” she’ll know that a Tufted Titmouse is singing nearby. Starting with a few birds at a time will give your child time to absorb the information, and in time, be able to recognize those birds on the fly. You might want to download the free Audubon Bird Guide app. It’s easy to use with great photos, information and excellent sound recordings for 800 species of North American birds. 

3. Mix it Up and Keep it Interesting It’s time to test those birding skills at different birding habitats. Before heading out the door with your kids, make sure to review some of the birds you are likely to see, grab your bird ID book and binoculars, and launch into your adventure.